Cox Proves He's a Great Manager - Wickman DFA

[DntKnw]

Wickman was designated for assignment after allowing Dunn's walk-off last night. He is the Braves' only closer and is 20-26 in save opportunities this season . . . but he is evidently a cancerous prima donna in the bullpen. Chipper,Andrew and Francoeur don't have very nice things to say about him.

Cox is willing to roll the dice to clean up his clubhouse. This type of attitude and authority is why Braves have been so good for so long. Good for him!

The link for the article is . . .

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070824&content_id=2167614&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

[ChatterRed]

Great manager? I was licking my chops when I saw him leave Wickman in against Dunn. Huge managerial mistake, IMHO.

Actually, Wickman's overall era isn't that bad, I believe. But if he's a cancer, so be it. Then yes, get rid of him.

[DntKnw]

Great manager? I was licking my chops when I saw him leave Wickman in against Dunn. Huge managerial mistake, IMHO.

Actually, Wickman's overall era isn't that bad, I believe. But if he's a cancer, so be it. Then yes, get rid of him.

It's hard to fault Cox for bringing in his closer in the 12th to face one of the other team's best hitters.

The fact that he wasn't that bad of a closer and the Braves do not have another readily available option is what makes this move so gutsy. What other manager would do something like this?

[Vada Pinson Fan]

Cancer? They called Joe Morgan a cancer too while playing in his 1st stint with Houston. Morgan and Jimmy Wynn had some negative labels on them. With respect to Joe Morgan, Bob Howsam thought differently and took a chance on "Little Joe".

Chipper Jones has had his problems (Off-field) over the years in Atlanta. Andruw Jones was loathed by Bobby Cox when AJ was a talented but also a very aloof rookie. These two shouldn't be calling Wickman anything, if indeed they have.

I would give the 38 year-old Bob Wickman a chance with the Reds the rest of the year and see what he has left in his arm in Spring Training. I would use Wickman over a few of the current Reds relievers such as Todd Coffey, Mike Stanton and even perhaps Gary Majewski.
The Dodgers signed David Wells today. I'm sure someone (hopefully the Reds) will sign Bob Wickman. A change of scenery is just what the doctor orders for B. Wickman.

[Muggerd]

id rather choke on my own vomit than give bob wickman any shot on this team. He threw a fit for bobby cox pitching him in a tie game

[George Foster]

I don't question anything Cox's does in the clubhouse or on the field. He's by far the best in the NL and maybe all of baseball.
If a Wickman gave me grief, I'd cut him as well.

[Vada Pinson Fan]

I don't question anything Cox's does in the clubhouse or on the field. He's by far the best in the NL and maybe all of baseball.
If a Wickman gave me grief, I'd cut him as well.

I dunno. Maybe Bobby Cox is getting a little too crusty, curmudgeon-like, as well as being a little long in the tooth, so to speak. I like Bobby. Always have. But I think this is a case of "What have you done for me lately?" Wickman has converted 20 of 26 saves this year. 6 blown just like Weathers has done. Wickman, at last check, had an e.r.a. of 3.94.

I would've had a sit down w/ Wickman had I been Bobby Cox. Not a good time to be releasing a better than average closer.
Enter Wayne Krivsky. "Hi Bob, Hi John (Schuerholz), have I got a little gem for you! Low-mileage and non-cancerous!

[jmac]

I am gonna post this in this thread because it is actually discussing a manager being "great".
Many times on this site , we hear how this or that manager would not take people lolly gagging etc.
Tonight I was watching the cubs-dbacks( not much else on). Top of 9th with cubs ahead something like 6-1, Aramis Ramirez grounds out (slow grounder) takes a step and starts toward dugout mumbling to himself.
The announcers were talkin about it calling it "pathetic" and so on.Anyway, I kept watching to see how Lou handled it and Ramirez was right back out there in the bottom of inning.
My point is,alot of times people point out how Girardi,Lou, or Cox etc would do when they probably would do no different than ours in most cases.
One more thing, there was a ton of cubs fans there and so for some reason they appear in groves at more ballparks than ours.
One announcer even said something like "maybe tomorrow we can get more tickets into our fans hands"

[AmarilloRed]

As far as Wickman goes: Would any of you seek to get him in a trade? He has to be sent down if the Braves cannot arrange to trade him.

[jmac]

As far as Wickman goes: Would any of you seek to get him in a trade? He has to be sent down if the Braves cannot arrange to trade him.

Wickman should be used along lines of Majic if he was on this team.Before Burton/Weathers, ahead of Coffey,flip a coin with majic.

[Degenerate39]

As far as Wickman goes: Would any of you seek to get him in a trade? He has to be sent down if the Braves cannot arrange to trade him.

I don't think they need him now. With Weathers closing, Burton set-up, Bray in the 6th or 7th.

[DntKnw]

One more thing, there was a ton of cubs fans there and so for some reason they appear in groves at more ballparks than ours.
One announcer even said something like "maybe tomorrow we can get more tickets into our fans hands"

Cubs do spring training in Mesa and have a Rookie league team there. Phoenix is also a retirement hotspot. I can see there being a few Cubs fan showing up for a Cubs/D'Backs game.

Their fans do seem to travel well. I'm not sure the Reds would have the same contingent show up at a Reds/Rays game in Tampa.

[ChatterRed]

Bobby Cox may be a great manager. But the original poster of this thread was saying that DFAing Wickman shows how great a manager he is, is just ridiculous. What does that have to do with being great?

Hilarious.

[Muggerd]

As far as Wickman goes: Would any of you seek to get him in a trade? He has to be sent down if the Braves cannot arrange to trade him.

What? He doesnt have to be sent down.

[ThirdBaseCoach]

It is sometimes a crap shoot with closers - or aces. Remember what happened to Grady Little for trusting his "Ace" in Boston.

You can be a hero or end up on the unemployment line.

Bobby Cox's career "greatness" was not determined by leaving in his closer.

[Screwball]

What? He doesnt have to be sent down.

Yeah, if Wickman refuses an assignment to their AAA affiliate, he can be released. The Reds could then get him for literally nothing.

As to the original point of the thread, I don't think this shows the greatness of Bobby Cox. Ultimately the decision on who stays and who goes belongs to the General Manager (although I'm sure Cox has some influence on those decisions). Schuerholz is the one making these types of decisions, and yes, I would consider him to be a great GM.

[ChatterRed]

The Braves organization as a whole has been great for years. Cox is one part of the machine.