ANtics Episode 2.33: As the Macha Turns

by louismg on Oct 22, 2006 11:19 PM PDT in News

Macha's sudden dismissal after the ALCS sweep surprised a lot of people, but here at the ANtics, we should have seen the warning signs.

He offered Adam Melhuse to be ejected instead of Bradley. (ANtics 2.32)
He said it was "Us against the world." (ANtics 2.27)
He threatened players with the "Vulcan Death Grip." (ANtics 2.23)
Rather than arguing with umps, he offered them jobs. (ANtics 2.21)
He openly called for "Kenny-ball" and threatened to subvert Billy Beane's plans (Antics 2.20)
He feuded with Melhuse over alleged gum theft. (ANtics 2.12)
He threatened to cut Saarloos if the pitcher didn't get a haircut. (ANtics 2.11)
Saying things were "nebulous", he offered no strategy to break the team's inconsistency. (ANtics 2.10)
In a Dusty Baker-esque move, he once challenged Zito to pitch from both sides of the mound. (ANtics 2.6)
And always... the lineups. As the season dawned, he promised to bat Kendall cleanup. (ANtics 2.1)

That's just ten examples of how we knew there were "Disconnects" with Macha this season - and we didn't even break into the 2005 ANtics. As you know, Macha's been let go, and every day brings new insight into the clubhouse tumult that apparently defined the A's year. We look into the struggles, in "As the Macha Turns".

Click to See Larger Comic

Also: Take the Poll: When Did You Know Macha Was A Goner?

2005 Comics | 2006 Comics | All Comics | Poll

Poll

When Did You Know Macha Was A Goner?

Still not sure. We could re-hire him.

9 votes

As soon as we lost to the Tigers.

8 votes

When I read about it in the Chronicle.

31 votes

What? Macha's gone? You're kidding!

1 votes

Other (Write-In Below)

2 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

you know,

it just occurs to me that maybe I'd have rooted harder for Macha if he wasn't a dead ringer for my ex-father-in-law.

He wouldn't have played Kielty either, the panda jerk.

I love me some Esteban, even though he scares the hell out of me.

by Leopold Bloom on Oct 22, 2006 11:34 PM PDT reply actions

"Other"

When Beane said he was "good enough" ... nothing's ever good enough for Billy. He should know that!

"He threw the batting gloves up there and the coffee landed on me. That's just baseball." -- Esteban Loaiza

by Bixby23 on Oct 22, 2006 11:36 PM PDT reply actions

which site to start...

FireGeren.com or FireWashington.com?

by Zonis on Oct 22, 2006 11:42 PM PDT reply actions

Buy Both

Sell to the highest bidder. Hopefully for you, Geren is the pick, and then you can go back to trying to fire an entire state out of the Union.

More than just ANtics: http://www.louisgray.com/live/

by louismg on Oct 23, 2006 12:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Can we get an article about The Scuffer's er

"The Gambler's" start in game 2?

by coberloco on Oct 23, 2006 12:26 AM PDT reply actions

nevermind

I just like making myself look dumb on here

by coberloco on Oct 23, 2006 12:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Wasn't dirt. Wasn't pine tar. It was . . .

stuff

"He threw the batting gloves up there and the coffee landed on me. That's just baseball." -- Esteban Loaiza

by Bixby23 on Oct 23, 2006 12:57 AM PDT up reply actions

so the parents were right?

by OaklandSi on Oct 23, 2006 7:35 AM PDT up reply actions

Hey managers are hired

to be fired. Believe that. Anyone want to put money on when the first "fire whomever" now appears on an AN poll? I'm guessing within the first hour of him being hired.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Oct 23, 2006 10:09 AM PDT reply actions

If you liked

the blandness of Howe and Macha, then you'll love Bob Garen.

by Salvatore on Oct 23, 2006 12:58 PM PDT reply actions

Geren has a ton of personality

He was always doing crazy stuff with the players when he was in Sacramento and he's also one of the funniest guys on the team.

Anyone who says Geren has no personality doesn't know Geren at all. I read the stories regularly in the Bee about all the fun stuff he did with the team. He's really a howl.

by Tyler Bleszinski on Oct 23, 2006 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions

You're right...

I don't know Garen at all, personally. I just figure if Machiavelli,( BB), is seriously considering him, as has been reported, he's probably not going to be a guy who's a threat to cut into Machiavelli's TV commercial gigs and stuff like that. Don't think that a guy like Beane considers those things--these guys are just as much in competition for the advertising money as they are for anything else. As for Geran's managerial sytle at Sacramento, well , if it wasn't MoneyBall style there, it will be in Oakand--a continuing of the same old tired Howe/Macha.

by Salvatore on Oct 23, 2006 2:10 PM PDT reply actions

I always thought

BB was Sun Tzu, not Machiavelli?

I love me some Esteban, even though he scares the hell out of me.

by Leopold Bloom on Oct 23, 2006 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions

I wish BB

was Sun Tzu with a little bit of Commander-in-Chief -George Washington.

by Salvatore on Oct 23, 2006 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd like a little

late-eighties, untouchable Governator too, just for cockiness and snappy one-liners.

I love me some Esteban, even though he scares the hell out of me.

by Leopold Bloom on Oct 23, 2006 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions

The fact that Geren is Beane's friend

will probably mean he gets a longer leash than another manager would, not shorter.

"...but we're also always open to hearing about other sandwiches if it can make our lunch better." -- Nico, channeling Billy Beane

by iglew on Oct 23, 2006 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions

He can still Sell

Comcast On-Demand.

Very convincing.

Keep working on those golf tips dude.

UC Davis Athletics KDVS 90.3FM www.kdvs.org/streams.cfm

by Hit4TheCycle on Oct 23, 2006 11:38 PM PDT reply actions

just got around to viewing the comic

Well done....caputred, as usual, the appropriate photos for the captions.

rip 2006, it was nice while it lasted.

by ak_A on Oct 24, 2006 7:16 PM PDT reply actions

Payton just backed Macha

I haven't seen this elsewhere on AN & I hope this is not "old news" but Jay Payton wrote a letter clarifying his experience this year with Macha. See for yourself from today's Tribune/Argus:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/turn2/ci_4540692

Jay Payton steps to plate for Ken Macha
Article Last Updated:10/24/2006 07:13:43 AM PDT

I JUST wanted to let you know that Ken Macha was right (in Carl Steward's Sunday column "Macha voices dismay"). I really didn't have a problem with him; I only had a problem with my role.
At the beginning of the season, after about 40 or 50 rough at-bats, I was deemed the odd-man out. It was exactly how he told it. I went in, I yelled, he yelled back, he told me to produce more. I told him I would if I played. We shook hands and never really had any problems the rest of the year.

I just wanted to shed a little positive light on the situation, because I know firsthand what it is like to get things blown out of proportion for one or two little incidents.

Nobody is perfect, all we can do is try to be the best we can and learn from our experiences. I don't like to say mistakes, because what one person considers a mistake, someone else may not.

I know this letter probably won't get printed, but a little blurb somewhere would be nice for a man who is taking a rough hit right now.

Thanks.

Jay Payton

Oakland A's outfielder

by erica on Oct 24, 2006 9:48 PM PDT reply actions