The Internal Candidates

Beane said that communication and development of young players will be absolutely key for the next manager to do well:

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.

From my perspective, especially with 20-20 hindsight, it was interesting to see Bob Geren rise to a higher level of prominence as the season drew to a conclusion. Geren was almost always the one exchanging lineup cards, and there was the one game where Macha handed him the reins to run the game - all the way up to the pitching changes.

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?

simply because he wants to run an aggressive style of offense which is EXACTLY what the A's need to be doing. The A's no longer feature a line-up designed to walk and bash. Instead, they have a bunch of guys with good bat control and a bit of athleticism. We might not have a bunch of base stealers but the hit & run should be a staple of the offense. Any time you can get the pitcher to split his focus between the batter and the baserunner you have gained an advantage offensively.

Wash yearns for that type of gameplan.

to choose another manager?

I would rather have Wash, Bud Black, Orel Hershiser or Don Mattingley.

Wash is out there, he's approachable, and players are vocal about his performance. But just because we don't hear as much about Geren, DeFrancesco and Lachemann doesn't mean they're less than Wash.

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.

are internal, that they will dispense with the charade of "formal interviews". Beane knows these guys, and surely knows which one he feels would be the best choice at this time.

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.

that Bobby V would bring to the A's. Can you imagine?

is that a proven outside candidate like Bobby V would probably want to bring in their own coaches, which I don't think is on the table... it seems that Curt Young and Perry and them are staying, so this reduces the outside option somewhat.

Shocked: http://bleedcubbieblue.com/comments/2006/10/16/164336/11/4#4

didn't see this last time i was on the net at 0500 this morning...been flying all day, so if fire up the macbook after dinner here in denver and see this thread!  immediately go to yahoo sports and back to here.....gonna be some good reading before i go to sleep.

and here's why- it's obvious that most everybody on here, and plenty of A's fans who aren't, and folks throughout baseball for that matter, think highly of him and want him to get the shot.
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?

just code for "we ain't spending much on the manager?"  Like many I'm in the Ron Washington camp, think he will be good and could be great.  But it's almost beside the point.  The Macha firing is a shock not because of the problems, but because of the solution:  until now it's always looked like the Beane regime didn't think any manager meant that much.

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.

Power hungry cuss that he is, I could actually see he and Beane co-existing. Buck's last three stops have all been in places where there has been weakness (perhaps more preceived than actuall) in the GM position. This weakness created an opportunity for Showalter to try and expand his influence.

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.

I wish they would select him. How many young players attribute some of their success directly to Wash's help and instruction? Let him earn the position his work has merited...WITH US!

There isn't necessarily anything wrong with any of the internal guys. Wash would make a good manager somehwere else. He is too valuable with the A's in his current position and his player relationships would be akin to the guy next to you at work replacing your boss. Good for him, he may deserve it, but it will be an awkward transition and his replacement will pale in comparison. None of the other three jump off the page...Latch has tried it and seems to be perfectly happy in his current role and the other two, well, blah.

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.

Beane's money ball forumla of OBP is just wack.  Ok, he got his wish...his men on base but they leave them on base.  Time to get some RBI guys this off season and some pitching to match the Angels.

even ray ratto agrees with the majority of AN that wash should be the next manager!

maybe that won't be such a good idea after all?

ray ratto article

fisrt of all, I was glad when Macha was "gone" last year, then I was cursing when he was brought back, now I'm happy again about he leaving the town, and I hope he doesn't come back again, he has never been my favorite (nothing personal Ken, sorry).

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!!!

(Jennifer, can you start the glitter shirts?)

. . . to Billy Beane's Dr. Frankenstein" analogy is bunk, I think.  That is to say, I don't believe that's what Beane is truly interested in, despite his own comments from last year (e.g., Macha is "good enough").  

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.

The really bold choice for the next manager?

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...

1. History with the team.
2. Ultimate baseball guy.
3. Big stylistic change from Macha will stir things up.
4. Will piss off George Steinbrenner (who will wish he thought of it first).
5. The dead come cheap.

And if things don't work out, we can always bring back Connie Mack....

this might be a good thing.  I didn't really have an opinion either way, but seeing what the players thought, it now makes sense.  We have to get someone out of the Macha/Howe mold.  I think that has a lot to do with our team taking the first two months off.  Nobody really gives them that drive to start playing well, and it appears that the players are the ones who are doing that after the turn-arounds occur anyway.  I mean, wouldn't it be nice if we had a guy who is motivating this team from the get go, and we finish April/May 12 games over .500??  I can dare to dream, I guess.

link

FIRE MACHA YESTERDAY!!!!

I was just pondering what change would really dampen my Athletic devotion, and I really couldn't think of a player I dispise that much. Thank you AN for sending shivers up and down my spine. BUCK SHOWALTER! Are you FU***** kidding me? AGHHHHHHH. Maybe thats the dealmaker for whoever they choose, no matter our opinion we will be forced to say at least is wasn't Showalter.

is our next manager.  He just messaged me on myspace.

Hey, you're not going to come across a guy who helps make a 5 time gold glove winner every day. He wants to do more than any one I heard of

Wash is my first choice, but I'd also be fine with 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