Originally Posted by Raisor
Color me jealous.
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
Thought this was Valetines job to lose
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
“Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
Indians get their Acta-gether.
“I don’t care,” Votto said of passing his friend and former teammate. “He’s in the past. Bye-bye, Jay.”
You just KNOW that'll be a headline at some paper in the Cleveland market.
Really smart move. If only he could have lasted one more season on the open market.
Can't wait to see what he can do with a good organization and some talent.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein
I would love for someone to explain why he is so highly regarded. I remember a couple of years ago when he was first hired that he spoke about SABR stats...Is that it?
Tim McCarver: Baseball Quotes
I remember one time going out to the mound to talk with Bob Gibson. He told me to get back behind the batter, that the only thing I knew about pitching was that it was hard to hit.
Yes, he is knowledge of modern stats, probably more so than most veteran managers. But he also is considered a great communicator and has a strong passion for the game. He is considered to be one of the hardest working and best prepared managers in the game, at least according to Bobby Cox. If he has a down side, he is too much of a players manager, and had a rep of being a bit soft while in D.C.
He basically is like Dusty, but with a open mind toward modern stats.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Albert Einstein
That doesn't sound like a logical "next-step" direction for the Reds old-school owner and GM. I expect Dusty to be replaced with a fiery old-school disciplinarian since having a "players' manager" didn't work out.
And that's the Indians? They are in the evolutionary process that next exposes the GM as the problem. Shapiro will be gone next.
I'm not sure I agree with this. I think given the situation there he has done a fairly good job. I like that he knows when to give up and go for another year. This of course could be because his owner gives him free reign to do so and the Reds have not had that luxary.
Tim McCarver: Baseball Quotes
I remember one time going out to the mound to talk with Bob Gibson. He told me to get back behind the batter, that the only thing I knew about pitching was that it was hard to hit.
Acta looks like a perfect fit for the Indians.
"This isn’t stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner
Free reign to what? Shapiro is still living off the Colon deal. His Sabbathia and Lee deals left a lot to be desired and have the fan base frustrated, and rightfully so. Their owner seems very much like ours--not willing to pay to play.
Cleveland outbid the Astros for Acta's services.
http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice..._have_a_v.html
Astros have a very bad day, and that's being kind
Manny Acta was the guy they wanted. The Astros liked everything about him. His presence and personality. How he forged relationships with players. His ability to run a game.
I said from the beginning that there was no right answer in this search for a new manager. Manny Acta would have been terrific, but then so would Phil Garner, Bob Melvin, Tim Bogar, Jim Fregosi and a dozen or so others.
But the Astros settled on Manny Acta. Ed Wade and Tal Smith went through the list and the interviews and decided he should be the guy to lead the Astros through an important period in their history.
There's no use surgarcoating what happened these last 48 hours. Drayton McLane refused to offer Acta a three-year contract. He offered two, and even when the Cleveland Indians offered three, he held firm.
This is the first time McLane has ever attempted to hire a manager or general manager that was being sought by other clubs, and he wouldn't get into a bidding war.
If you'd like to blame Tal Smith and Ed Wade, it would be because they were unable to convince McLane to offer Acta a third year.
Why he decided to draw the line at three years is absolutely amazing considering the millions he has thrown at has-beens Mike Hampton, Russ Ortiz, etc. It's a funny time to get religion. I wish he'd taken a similar tough line when negotiations began with Carlos Lee, but that's another story.
Maybe since he's paying Cecil Cooper $800,000 next season, he decided not to extend himself on another manager.
The odd thing about his decision is that the Astros need stability. They've had three general managers and four managers since the 2004 All-Star Break. They needed to settle on a guy and then to give the guy the security to get through what might be a tough couple of years.
Drayton didn't see it that way. For some reason, he has it in his head that two years is all a manager should get, and by gosh, that's all he's going to give a manager.
Look for Tal and Ed to play the role of good soldiers in the days ahead. They will say the Astros made an organizational decision, and they'll stand by their owner even though it's likely they argued otherwise behind closed doors.
It would be a mistake to portray what happened Sunday as the end of the world. If Drayton only wants to give a manager two years, he'll find someone willing to work for it. He just couldn't get the hot guy, the guy his baseball people wanted.
Time is growing short. The Astros would like to have someone in place before Commissioner Selig's World Series news blackout begins on Wednesday.
It's not just that the Astros need to hire a manager. They're going to be hiring a bench coach and pitching coach. Those hires are extremely important, and the list of available candidates isn't getting any longer.
If you're inclined to be furious, remember two things. One is that the Astros will get a first-rate manager even if it isn't their first choice.
The other thing to remember is that Drayton runs the Astros his own, and he's way past the point in his life where he's going to change. He may trust Ed more than any other general manager he has had, but in the end, he's going to have the final say.
He operated the Astros that way when they made the playoffs six times in nine years, and he's operating them this way now. I believe in my heart of hearts that his heart is in the right place, but he has some odd thoughts about putting a team together.
He'll allow his people overspend on some has-been player, but veto spending on draft picks and managers.
Now the Astros will move on. They've got some tough spinning to do when a manager finally is hired.
It's not just that the new manager won't be their first choice. It's that the Astros lost their first choice for a relatively small amount of money.
Around mid-season last year, the Nationals came to town as reports of Acta's firing began to surface.
''Don't take this wrong,'' I told him, ''but I was hoping you'd get fired. You'd be perfect for the Astros.''
I don't know him well, but have heard about him for years from people like Gerry Hunsicker, Tal Smith, Fred Nelson and assorted others. To say that he's held in high esteem is an understatement.
He'd spent 16 years with the Astros, and most of his baseball life was shaped by the Astros. He loves the Astros more than the most loyal fan.
''I once told Fred in a meeting that my heart was the shape of an Astros star,'' he said.
It would have been a nice little story to have him back in an Astros uniform. It won't happen. Onward.
I was thinking the same thing. The Indians talent was spread throughout the postseason this year and we'll get to see two of their best starting tomorrow night.
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