Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

[mjb2124]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

People who do not watch the A's assume that Macha is the right manager for the A's. I watched over 140 games this year, and I can say with complete confidence that the guy was a joke. If it wasn't for his horrendus management of our bullpen (which reared its ugly head in the playoffs in games 2 and 4), lack of motivation, and lack of communication with his team and fellow coaches, we could have easily won over 100 games.

The guy is a pacifist, and like I said, he cannot communicate with his team. The reason we lost this series was because we got outmanaged by Jim Leyland -- and half of that had to do with Macha's failure to get his team to compete.

IMO managers don't have that big of an influence on the game. They don't hit, field, pitch or call the pitches. The players do and Oakland needed more hitting, pitching against DET, not a manager that needed to fire them up.

Like atomicdookie said, if a manager needs to fire up a player for the playoffs, then the player has no heart.

[joeysosa]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

I didn't watch many A's games this past year but if the manager has to get his players ready "to compete" in the playoffs, then those players don't even belong in the game.

Then tell that to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have virtually the same team they've always had, but I never saw them show up in previous years. But now they have Jim Leyland. And, I'm sure you can all see the difference. Jim Leyland, aside from the blossoming of their bullpen, might be single handedly the reason this team is so hot right now, and are in the World Series.

Name me a manager who, after his pitcher gave up two hits to lead off an inning, came on the field, ripped his pitcher, resulting in 3 STRAIGHT K'S.

And that is just one example. The guy is a genius, and it showed this season. Macha is not, and that also showed.

[mjb2124]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

Then tell that to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have virtually the same team they've always had, but I never saw them show up in previous years. But now they have Jim Leyland. And, I'm sure you can all see the difference. Jim Leyland, aside from the blossoming of their bullpen, might be single handedly the reason this team is so hot right now, and are in the World Series.

It's not virtually the same team. Verlander pitched 6 innings before this year. Zumaya pitched 0 innings. Granderson had less than 200 AB's before this year. Thames had half his career AB's this year. How about the addition of Magglio? Maturity of the young pitching staff?

It's all about the players IMO. I do think Leyland changed some of the attitudes of the players, but in the end, they had to execute to win. I think the players I listed above played a huge part in that (not to mention a few other's I didn't mention).

Yes I have seen managers walk out and chew out pitchers only to see the pitcher respond well. Might not be 3 K's, but it was 3 outs. Doesn't matter how the outs occur as long as the pitcher gets out of the inning unscathed.

[GBrushTWood]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

The reaction of the A's players after losing Game 3 was pretty embarrassing to me. I recall Eric Chavez saying "we are losing to a better team than us". Um. The series technically wasn't over yet, but that kind of attitude from one of a team's supposed leaders or best players is a bad indictment of the manager to me.

That kind of attitude in the clubhouse won't help win championships. Look at the 2004 Red Sox, they were also down 3-0 and they were just looking to compete the next day, not concede that the Yankees were better than them..

This is probably the right move for the A's..

[Psyblast]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

For the record, Leyland didn't "rip" Nate Robertson when he went out to the mound.

[1StUnA]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

"For the last two years, our relationship has deteriorated to nothing, " back-up catcher Adam Melhuse said, according to the Chronicle. "He didn't even speak to me for well over the last month. For me, as a backup, all I want is communication. Every other coach, I get along with great, but with Macha, it is not an exaggeration to say he doesn't speak to me -- not 'Hi, ' not anything.

"It's tough to go to work every day knowing you're working for someone who doesn't think much of you as a player and on top of that, doesn't even acknowledge you."

Earlier this season, Macha refered to disabled players Joe Kennedy and Rich Harden as "non-entities."

[CMH]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

Earlier this season, Macha refered to disabled players Joe Kennedy and Rich Harden as "non-entities."

What runs through some people's minds?

how can you be a manager, who knows he is on the hot seat, and say something so stupid as the above? Calling players non-entities? Was the guy asking to be fired?

[sportsdude]

Re: Apparently Ken Macha is on the verge of being canned for Girardi

Yep they wanted a new manager last season but couldn't find anyone suitable. This will be VERY interesting if they hire Girardi as he puts an emphasis on small ball rather then playing for the big inning. Girardi loves the NL style of the 1980s and it served him well in Florida. I don't think he can do that in Oakland tho.

I guarantee Beane will tell Girardi not to touch the team during the regular season as the team streaks towards the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, Beane will let Girardi micro-manage NL style all he wants.