The Internal Candidates
I've stated many times that I think that a manager is as good as the players provided for him. Oh sure he can royally screw up a good thing, but my feelings on baseball managers is that they get too much credit only when a team wins it all (see Guillen, Ozzie) and get too much blame for when a team falls short.
I've seen this all across baseball with people in New York blaming Joe Torre for the Yankees demise. People in Anaheim often complain about Scioscia. Jim Leyland was not the legend he was in Pittsburgh in Colorado because he didn't have the players.
Ultimately, a manager's job is to not get in the way of success and to set up the players for success. Macha did a good job of not screwing up a good thing this year. Well, he did contribute a bit to the A's demise in the ALCS, but how much of a difference it made in the big picture is arguable. I think Detroit was clearly the better team.
As for our now open position, I'd pretty much be happy with any of the four internal candidates. DeFrancesco, Geren, Washington and Lachemann. Although all of them have their drawbacks.
DeFrancesco, Washington and Geren have never been been a manager at the major league level. Although both Geren and DeFrancesco have been successful managers at Triple-A in the A's minor league system. Lachemann was a major league manager, just not a successful one.
With Geren you've got the concern being whether or not Beane and Geren can work together successfully in spite of the fact that they're best friends. Beane, as many have seen by reputation, can be a hardass. That doesn't always fly in friendships.
Washington is the sentimental favorite, but his belief in being more aggressive could wind up butting heads with the A's front office. Of course Washington knows this already. So if he was taking the job, I imagine the understanding will be that the style of play is dictated by the front office, not the manager.
DeFrancesco is a younger guy who works well with younger players. He's the perfect minor league manager for the time being, so the chances of the front office wanting him to stay in that role to groom future A's major leaguers are high.
I think the only thing standing between Geren and the manager's office are whether or not Beane and he decide that can work together and that the fact that they are best friends won't impact their working relationship. If anyone should understand Beane and his approach to the franchise, it would be Bob Geren.
Of course, that's only of the internal candidates. That doesn't take into account the fact that Beane might look elsewhere. The caveat being that people need to understand how this organization works. And that fact leads me to believe that the chances of the next manager coming from the four candidates above is very high.
Any way, I wound up wondering today, what manager will AN be happy with? Most of you seem to be calling for Ron Washington, so my question is will that be the only manager you'll be happy with - especially out of the internal candidates?
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from the diary "why Wash"
http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061016&content_id=1715021& ; ;vkey=news_oak&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak
Question: based on what you know of the candidates so far mentioned, who do you think might be most likely to do this well?
I vote Wash.
let me redo that link
Geren was incredible
Wash is great at teaching infield defense and he seems like a great mentor as well.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Oct 16, 2006 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Interesting side note
it could mean
especially given Beane's emphasis
Regarding Geren
It seemed to me that this was either Macha saying, "You think this is so easy, you do it," or a premature admittance that Geren would be the next guy.
Washington is a great part of Oakland's organization, and unless I were part of the interview process that got to speak to everyone, I can't speculate on whether he would make a great transition from 3rd base coach to manager - the roles are quite different.
If it's somebody that AN just happens to like a lot - then you might as well put Dave Stewart or Dennis Eckersley out there. What's Walt Weiss doing these days?
not just liking Wash
among the reasons
He's a baseball man with a keen understanding of all aspects of the game and a knack for explaining it.
He inspires much respect and even love from the players.
He has done an excellent job as third base and infield coach, both very important jobs.
He has a strong desire to manage, and will take a job managing elsewhere if offered. It's pretty widely acknowledge that losing him would be a bad thing for the A's.
It's true that he doesn't have much managerial experience, none in the majors. But having that experience doesn't guarantee that a person will be a good manager, as we have seen all too often.
Amen
by anomaly_kat on Oct 16, 2006 11:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Walter...
He is working with the Rockies as an instructor during spring training. He's also a big time weight lifter, I saw him in spring training this year and I couldn't believe it was the same skinny guy I remember with the A's. I'm not joking when I say his arms are like McGwire's or Canseco. Not to cast any doubts about how he got there, I'm just sayin' he's a big guy these days.
It sounds
The A's will live or die next year based on the development of swisher, Crosby, Harden, Blanton, Street and possibly DJ.
I'd vote for Wash
Wash yearns for that type of gameplan.
EXACTLY CORRECT !!!!!
by hexy on Oct 17, 2006 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions
A couple issues...
Fire BBG Now!
BBG?
HIRE CINDI NOW!!!
I'd go for Cindi in a heartbeat
by emperor nobody on Oct 16, 2006 7:36 PM PDT up reply actions
And dotting the "i" in Athletics...
by anomaly_kat on Oct 16, 2006 11:06 PM PDT up reply actions
These are the names swirling around right now
Ron Washington
Rene Lacheman
Buck Showalter (horrible)
Bobby Valentine
by tankormike on Oct 16, 2006 7:17 PM PDT reply actions
Showalter?
like I said before, Girardi and Showalter
by emperor nobody on Oct 16, 2006 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions
I love Bobby V
He is a brilliant in game tactician.
Valentine is an interesting possibility
He is dying to get
I like Bobby V too.
I'm not sure he's "dying to get back in the game". He seems pretty happy in Japan.
East coast? Came up in the Dodger system, no?
by WaddellCanseco on Oct 17, 2006 3:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Conneticut
Bobby V is not a bad manager...
by GreenNGoldSooner on Oct 17, 2006 6:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Bobby V...
I know too little...
As for managerial question marks in Wash's court, I doubt it would be too difficult for him to quickly adjust. He knows what he'd do in certain situations (and, more importantly, what the A's do) and he'd have a guy like Geren as his bench coach. No biggie in that department, imo.
I'd really love to see Wash get a chance because I feel like I know a little bit about his character. He's so candid and works so well with Chavvy that he just seems like a stand up dude who deserves a great gig like this.
of the four internal candidates
I agree...
To his defense he has always had bad teams
I would think Geren
by china bob on Oct 16, 2006 7:21 PM PDT reply actions
Blez, I agree with you
I think the best canidates are Wash and DeFran, but I think Lachemann would do well, too.
by Flyin As on Oct 16, 2006 7:21 PM PDT reply actions
That might throw a monkey-wrench in the whole
He'd be the first to manage two teams
My hope is that if all the candidates
Don't humiliate Washington or Geren with a sit-down session of, "So, what makes you the best candidate for this job?"
Just pick the one you had in mind when you pulled the trigger on Macha, and make an offer.
Can't do that
But if Beane has his mind made up on Geren, I hope he doesn't put Washington through much of a farce.
I did think about that--
So if Beane has known for a while that Geren is his (best) man, he will still interview Wash as the convenient quota-satisfier--with no intention of hiring him. Good minority candidates like Wash deserve better than that.
I like these three
by tankormike on Oct 16, 2006 7:35 PM PDT reply actions
Valentine loves
That's just my worry about Valentine
by GreenNGoldSooner on Oct 17, 2006 6:28 AM PDT up reply actions
I was gonna get season tix
Bobby V and I'm in for at least a 40-game package, however.
by emperor nobody on Oct 16, 2006 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions
If the A's didn't think Macha
Ugh--what a horrible choice that would be, IMO.
seriously
He is all rules and no results, the most contemptuous breed of leader IMO.
by emperor nobody on Oct 16, 2006 7:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm unclear
by Leopold Bloom on Oct 16, 2006 8:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Showalter
by emperor nobody on Oct 16, 2006 8:15 PM PDT up reply actions
That Showalter continues to get...
Any objective observer can see what's wrong with the guy. But he got a reputation early on for being a great manager (largely 'cause he had the Yankee publicity machine behind him...and George was in a good mood), and it's just stuck. And nothing will undo that rep. It's like Don Zimmer (the ultimate "baseball guy"), who kept getting hired despite clearly being a rotten manager.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Oct 17, 2006 6:31 AM PDT up reply actions
If you liked Macha's approach to media and players
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Oct 16, 2006 8:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Exactly
by GreenNGoldSooner on Oct 17, 2006 6:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Wash, No Geren
by Sashulia on Oct 16, 2006 7:37 PM PDT reply actions
the players would dig him, I think
by emperor nobody on Oct 16, 2006 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions
Time for something different?
But I wonder if it's time for Beane to tweak his strategy and bring in someone from the outside. For that, I like the mad genius: Bobby Valentine.
What the A's lack is the ability to change their style of play as circumstances dictate. The post season is a prime example of where aggressive play is often rewarded.
Beane/Valentine could be a disaster. Or it could be absolutely brilliant. Either way, it would be interesting.
by Dann on Oct 16, 2006 7:40 PM PDT reply actions
I like Wash
Wash might not be the best fit here, anyway, he's not exactly the kind of guy who will reflexively say "How high?" every time Beane says "Jump." If Geren gets the A's job, then we will know that quality was the key to the decision.
I am torn between
Frankly, that's one of the reasons
The very fact that Beane was SEEKING a manager who wasn't just a "yes man" would be, IMO, a big step forward for the A's organization.
Plus I suspect Wash would do a great job, as he is already liked and respected by these players, is a proven "great teacher," and is highly intelligent. And the "life" and "energy" he brings to the diamond is infectious, just as a lack of life can be...
A caveat:
however, I've wondered
something not as yet mentioned
Very good point
I wouldn't assume anything
By the way, the Giants popular head trainer (forgot his name, he was there 15 years) has just said he's looking for a job with a different club.
Get the Giants
This Macha firing got the off season rolling quickly. It is sad for Macha, but very exciting.
I trust beane here. Macha won 98, 92, 88 and 97 games with the A's. Not shabby.
Reaction fro other blogs
Can't believe their guy
well, i'll be damned...
I think Wash would be best....
by SwisherMan on Oct 16, 2006 7:52 PM PDT reply actions
Okay...I want Beane's First Manager:
Davey Johnson or BUST!!!!
by saint @ Athletics Nation on Oct 16, 2006 7:58 PM PDT reply actions
Johnson
It is better than the guy recommending Johnny Oates. RIP.
I would love to see a shock value pick. The baseball world would love to see Beane go behind the bench...a la Isiah.
Who hasn't mailed it in in Baltimore
by saint @ Athletics Nation on Oct 17, 2006 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Wash, without hesitation
Why does that matter?
You're right, it doesn't, except... well, if we all think he'd be great and deserves the shot, how do you think the players feel?! Probably about a hundred more times excited about the concept than we do.
Why does that matter?
Because like in any organization the performance of the members will be elevated tremendously by an energetic, charismatic leader.
Wash brings that proven ability to the table, and a lifetime of baseball experience as a player and coach as well.
And he's sharp as they come, and unafraid to make moves and take chances when the situation calls for them. I think he'd make a great in-game tactician.
But more importantly, maybe, I believe that every single guy on that team would follow him to the proverbial gates of hell... and be damned happy about it!
I think Wash, for better or worse in the end, would bring a definite spirit of "let's take the game to them" instead of "stay within ourselves and play our game" all the time, and knowing which approach to take any given day would be the arbiter of his success as the A's manager.
But isn't it time for a bit of that sort of attitude around here?
by still bills kingdom on Oct 16, 2006 8:00 PM PDT reply actions
Isn't the talk of internal candidates...
And now that the "Manager Salary" budget line is starting a million in the red for '07 and '08, one of two things is possible. Either Beane has had a change of heart and now believes a Leyland-type really is worth paying for. Or he hasn't, and the next skipper is going to be a rookie who is glad for the shot and won't mind the low pay and micromanagement from upstairs. Because ultimately it really doesn't matter that much who manages the team, so long as he doesn't manage it into the ground.
That's especially true if the A's are fixin to start a youth movement. A five year plan, if you will, whereby a return to championship caliber teams coincides with a new address.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Oct 16, 2006 8:03 PM PDT reply actions
Thing about Showalter
That would not happen in Oakland. Beane has full control over the club and there is no weakness for Buck to exploit.
What I don't see working is Showalter's strict discipline within the care-free A's clubhouse. Oakland features a very loose, relaxed atmosphere in the locker room and that has been a key for bringing in the likes of Bradley and Thomas. Showalter would seem to be a threat to disrupt that famous A's chemistry.
Wash would offer continuity.
You can't knock it til you try it
Now is the time to bring in an outside guy and see what happens. I don't mean a 'name' like Valentine, Showalter (would never happen) or Dusty (unless the Giants sign Zito). Every candidate is a 'baseball man' (see Howe, Art). The A's need a guy that:
a) Doesn't have a working relationship with the front office or players, so the slate would be clean.
b) Commands respect based on his stature in the game.
c) Balances BB's philosophy with the game situation (it's not like the roster is suited for the Cardinals of the 80's type of play).
d) Can handle all the outside factors that come with the job - media, organizational skills, an even keel over the course of the season with the ability to light a fire if necessary, a pulse on the clubhouse without being buddy-buddy with the players, keeps any flare-ups in-house.
e) Brings back the role of captain of the team, complete with a C on his jersey. The caveat is that this will not be announced in advance and will only be awarded with a vote of more than 50% of the roster in the last week of spring training.
f) Has a connection to the A's glory years.
The guy is Carney Lansford. I know that he lacks any big league managerial experience, but you have to start somehwere. He is more than capable of adapting and immediately succeeding with the current personnel. There has been very little mention or support of Carney on AN, but if the move was made we would all welcome him with open arms.
by southofcruiseamerica on Oct 16, 2006 8:17 PM PDT reply actions
Lol
by Threepwood XX on Oct 16, 2006 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe Billy will pull a Napolean
by Dann on Oct 16, 2006 8:20 PM PDT reply actions
Kill two birds with one stone:
Washington
I would be very satisfied if Washington got the chance.
A few caveats:
- The manager needs to be able to get several of his own guys on the coaching staff.
- Geren needs to go on assigment to the minor leagues. it is wrong to hire someone and then say, oh and by the way my best man will be watching your every move and reporting back to me while barbequeing.
- If Wash is amenable, use Lachemann as a bench coach.
- How about Rod Carew as a hitting coach? sorry GP.
- Beane needs to stay out of the clubhouse and tell his players that his manager is the guy. maybe take calls from the player rep only.
- The manager needs to be held accountable, but they need to be free to do it their way. if it doesn't work, fire him.
- I know performance based salaries are difficult to pull off for players, but what about managers? also, why not incentivize the various coaches based on what they control?
hitting coach gets a bonus if total runs produced for the year are greater than what those players produced the previous year.
infield coach gets a bonus based on how many DPs are turned, etc.
Wash for Manager
That being said, I would be happiest if it was Wash and will be very dissapointed if it is not.
by NewPosterMojo on Oct 16, 2006 8:46 PM PDT reply actions
That sums it up pretty well-
Those are fightin' words (trust me)....
Disappointed doesn't even begin, if Wash doesn't get the call!
by still bills kingdom on Oct 16, 2006 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Beane needs to let the next manager do his thing..
by What Would Rickey Do on Oct 16, 2006 8:48 PM PDT reply actions
if it is whack
BB doesn't like sacrifices and I don't either, all statistical evidence suggest it is a bad idea in the AL particularly.
A bunt however is not a bad idea, but yet the A's don't do it. To read some of the stuff on this site you would think BB managed the team during the game or made out the lineup card, just not true.
by china bob on Oct 16, 2006 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions
If there was ever a team
by Salvatore on Oct 16, 2006 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions
hmm
maybe that won't be such a good idea after all?
Washington or Beane himself
If Beane cannot allow such diversity and some independence, he really should choose himself for the position. The A's would not be well served by a season of sniping and squabbling; nor would they be well served by a passive surrogate, hopping up at each ring of the phone.
by FanSinceKC on Oct 16, 2006 8:56 PM PDT reply actions
Thoughts on Macha's firing
Macha obviously pissed off a lot of the players this year. Some of his comments seemed weirdly hostile and insensitive at times, but a lot of the gripes appear to stem from guys bitching about playing time. Melhuse has a point, but Kotsay was complaining about being platooned (which he deserved) and Payton complained because that's what he does when he has to sit for a couple of days. Did Macha suddenly become a jerk, or was there something else going on?
Macha managed the end of the season like someone trying desperately to save his job by playing the same guys every day. I guess he was right to be paranoid.
Geren might be a wonderful manager, but he won't be that in Oakland. Here, he will be Billy's Best Friend, or Billy's Stooge, or (on bad days) Billy's Dummy.
Washington is my choice among the internal candidates, if only because he's the only option that promises to be a partial break from the past. It might not work, of course, but organizations benefit from a little creative tension. You never know how he will handle the in-game stuff until he has the job. I assume he won't get it, though.
Personally, I would seriously consider Bud Black. The guy isn't just getting lucky down there, and he seems highly regarded in baseball. But that would be going outside the organization, which I would be surprised to see happen.
I won't miss many of Macha's head-scratching moves, but he wasn't the team's main problem.
Read the website of the Oakland A's
by china bob on Oct 16, 2006 10:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Bud Black would be my number one
by Tyler Bleszinski on Oct 17, 2006 12:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Kotsay and Payton may have
Our next manager.
I have seen Geren and Ron coaching here in the Dominican Winter Baseball League, both with my other team, Tigres Del Licey, Ron didn't do a great job, in fact he was fired; the next season was Geren's turn, and he did a great job, we won the National Championship, the best Final Series I have ever seen in my life, including MLB, it was a best of 7 series, we played 7 nail-biting games, and God we won in our final at bat 9-8, after being down 7-6, Byrnes was here and he was the Regular Season MVP that year, it was great. But getting back to what really matters, even though Geren has my "heart-vote", for what he did here, I'd like to see Ron get a shot at being our manager, he deserves it and what better than here, whoever Beane picks will be better than Macha.
LET'S GO OAKLAND!!!
VAMOS LICEY!!!
Really Interesting Stuff
by Dann on Oct 17, 2006 12:09 AM PDT up reply actions
I like Wash...
Other than that, I know that the A's managerial postion will just be a puppet for Beane, but one who will hopefully show a little more emotion and make the necessary moves to get the job done day in and day out.
My vote still is for Wash.
I have a feeling that Wash might
by china bob on Oct 16, 2006 9:42 PM PDT reply actions
Like I said in the earlier thread...
by Salvatore on Oct 16, 2006 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Why is not managing in the majors . . .
Everyone has to start somewhere...
by Salvatore on Oct 16, 2006 10:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Washington has been saying
Which, I believe . . .
Agreed
Prior managing experience is nice (if you succeeded in that role) but not a prerequisite, IMO.
Brenley could be a candidate for the A's.
by Peter in Montreal on Oct 17, 2006 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions
This is PATHETIC stuff!
by baseballbill on Oct 16, 2006 10:20 PM PDT reply actions
Billy Beane is especially spooky around Holloween.
by Salvatore on Oct 16, 2006 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions
TEAM WASHINGTON!
ok i know ive posted a wishlist on here many times
- Davey Johnson
- Bobby Valentine
- Ron Washington
- Carney Lansford
- Bud Black
Whoever Beane Hires
I hope he doesn't give in to temptations of vanity. To hire a "yes" man. Or hire someone who's "on his team." I think the smartest move for GM who prides himself on smarts is to hire someone whose credibility and job skills cannot be questioned. Someone who has won before and who even Beane could learn from.
Sandy Alderson wasn't intimidated to bring in a Tony LaRussa. To me, the most intriguing choice continues to be Bobby Valentine.
by Dann on Oct 17, 2006 12:35 AM PDT reply actions
The "Seeking Igor . . .
I don't have my copy of "Moneyball" here at work, so I can't pull out quotes, but I'm convinced that BB's personal power trip, as characterised by sports writers, ANers, and Joe Morgan alike, cloaks his real purpose, which is to avoid having a manager in the dugout who falls prey to the dangerous half-truths and (often false) conventional wisdom of traditional baseball.
Even in this thread people have touted the virtues of clutch hitting and sacrifice bunts (base stealing being the third loo-loo), when the statistical evidence -- of which I admittedly know very little -- says that these things are generally more harmful than helpful, and though each has a place, most managers will overuse or rely too heavily on them. Beane knows it and simply wants a manager who is willing to play the high-percentage ballgame that has become an Oakland A's trademark.
I think Beane would actually prefer an aggressive, thinking man's manager (Valentine, Black, and probably Washington, when he gets the chance) to whoever might qualify as the Ollie "Just Following Orders" North of baseball. That said, such a manager needs to be someone who buys into the statistical truths that form the steeple of Beane's Church of Modern-Day Baseball. So bottom line, I don't think it's about vanity or power at all.
My money's on Wash.
You mean you
by Salvatore on Oct 17, 2006 2:37 AM PDT up reply actions
What's the over and under line
It's time to think outside the box!
Billy Martin
Yeah, I know what you're saying... "but he's dead, GreenNGoldSooner."
That just makes the move all the more bold.
Think about it...
- History with the team.
- Ultimate baseball guy.
- Big stylistic change from Macha will stir things up.
- Will piss off George Steinbrenner (who will wish he thought of it first).
- The dead come cheap.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Oct 17, 2006 6:39 AM PDT reply actions
Billy Marlin?
by senork on Oct 18, 2006 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions
KNBR taking all A's callers
by Sashulia on Oct 17, 2006 6:45 AM PDT reply actions
This cheered me up enough to...
Um, oh, yeah. HIRE WASHINGTON!
I'm starting to think
Macha averaged 92 wins per season
It's nitpicky to complain about wanting more of those wins in May and fewer of them in August. Unless you're suggesting that the A's should win 15 games in April, 20 games in May AND 25 games in August, which would mean that you're demanding that the A's average about 110 wins per season. Which would still put them at 0-0 when the playoffs start, just like every other playoff team.
You don't think
I don't feel Blez has my back...
by calvin @ Athletics Nation on Oct 17, 2006 7:23 AM PDT reply actions
Ron Washington
by Alejandro on Oct 17, 2006 7:42 AM PDT reply actions
I hope Girardi gets a good look
Valentine is a good tactician, but I would be hard pressed to believe his personality could keep this team on the same page. Please, please no.
I have to admit I really like Wash, but that's due to the fact that I hear him on the radio more often and see him on the field every game day (when the A's are televised). He seems to have a great deal of loyalty from players and above that respect.
IMO, Geren seems to fit the Art Howe, Ken Macha, flat affect, no energy model. I coule be wrong here but that is a first impression. I don't want the A's manager to fit the emotional mold of an Ozzie Guillen, but there has to be a middle ground, and the A's haven't had that.
by 2DollarWednesday on Oct 17, 2006 8:42 AM PDT reply actions
Ron will not get the job
I would be equally happy with Tony DeFrancesco and have major concerns about the Bob Geren decision. (Friendship could be too much for both).
How about....
Personally, I'd like to see an old-time A's connection in the dugout, and/or some Oakland roots. I'd love Wash as manager (been around here long enough now!), and let's get Carney on the staff.
And how about Rickey as third-base coach? The permanent green light. "Rickey could score on that. God got it right the second time around."
I am, of course, COMPLETELY KIDDING everytime I suggest Rickey. Although I'd love to see the A's give him the opportunity to come back and get to 300 HR's. Maybe next time we play Julio Franco's team. The geezer bowl. They'd have to duct-tape his mouth, though. Wash might have to kick his ass first.
I'd hire him as a third-base coach.
what about Fosse?
Black and Washington
by NoeValley on Oct 17, 2006 9:32 AM PDT reply actions
players want wash too!
During the momentary parting of the ways between the A's and Macha last October, several players tried to point Beane in the direction of Washington. He has forged a bond with pretty much everyone who takes the field, and many who simply work in the same building.
What more could one need to hear
My concern is that it's too obvious. Hello!!!
Beane says he wants to be "deliberate"
Can't say no
by kkdaz on Oct 17, 2006 10:04 AM PDT reply actions
If I'm Wash
Exactly
by kkdaz on Oct 17, 2006 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
I just stopped by to say
by emperor nobody on Oct 17, 2006 10:13 AM PDT reply actions
You know who I'm voting for...
Ron Washington for Prez.
by ronismyhero on Oct 17, 2006 11:58 AM PDT reply actions
Next...
LENNY DYKSTRA
by What Would Rickey Do on Oct 17, 2006 1:07 PM PDT reply actions
Wahington is the right man
If Wash is Manager does he still coach IF
Geren
I think a lot of people are characterizing the friendship thing wrong. They seem to think that because Geren and BB are buddies that Geren will be a yes-man. I think it's just the opposite: BB's tendency is to overcontrol, and he doesn't easily cede authority to his manager. But I think he'd be more likely to trust the manager with independence if it's someone he is close to and trusts, not less. I think Geren would be more Beane-independent than any other Oakland manager could possibly be.
If they do pick Geren, or anyone else who isn't Wash, they should bring Wash in for a meeting and say: We picked the other guy, and we want you to be the first to know. You deserve a job as manager somewhere, so we support you 100% in your interviews, and if you get an offer you'll have our blessing wherever you go. If you don't get an offer, you will be more than welcome here, either as 3B coach or bench coach, whichever you prefer.
I also like Connie Mack's idea that if Wash gets picked as manager, Geren should go back to Sacramento for the first year

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