Quote Originally Posted by M2
My criticism of that, though, is if he felt that way about the team heading into the season, if that was the course he set, then why didn't he do more in the offseason? Clearly that would mean he'd assessed what he had and I think it was a mistake not acting in a more definitive fashion from the outset.
I think he did, but it's just not visible because of where his time was spent, such as changing the adminstration portion of the organization. That alone is a minimum 6-month process. I'm in a company that's changing it's face and if you're looking for quality in people, then it takes time. Not all the people you want are unemployed. Some of them have other jobs in other organizations.

I'm sure the guy works six days a week and has since he took over this job. Think he's had a vacation since he had this job? I doubt it.

If you want to do this thing right, then you need to tear down the foundation before building it up with a stronger foundation. After the new foundation is in place then the parts can be added.

This winter, what Dan O'Brien accomplishes should be a more "visible".

Nice original post, excellent commitment on the part of the other posters here to give this guy a chance.

Everyone ripped Wagner when he broke up the Big Red Machine, but Wagner brought in Davis, Larkin, Stillwell, Jones, Browning, etc. We won a World Series in 1990 with the personnel that Wagner drafted.

This stuff takes time, but once in place, if ownership doesn't change radically (Marge Schott), then with a good foundation in place, sustainable quality can be achieved. Potentially, Lindner could pass away during O'Brien's regime, and whoever becomes in charge after that could shake up what O'Brien will have accomplished. Let's hope he gets five or six years to show us what he can do. It will be obvious at the "end" of each year, if we only look at the overall organization at the whole and not at the Major League product, what O'Brien is accomplishing.