Hargrove Definitely Staying???

Bill Bavasi will continue to lead our baseball operations and Mike Hargrove will continue to manage the team.

It didn't say for how long, or mention anything specific about 2007.  It's standard boilerplate PR - if the M's were my company, after Grover was fired they'd send out an email saying "we wish him well in his future endeavors".

Bavasi, Hargrove to return in 2007

Seriously.  Howard and Chuck have got to go.  It's waaaay past time.

oh well...GO M'S!! no matter who the captain is!

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060928&content_id=1687794& vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea

:Runs away:

Then Cameron throws this comment up at USSM.

"I was wrong, obviously. Sorry. The information I get on almost everything from these guys has turned out to be accurate, so there wasn't any reason for me to not believe the same people when they talked about the managerial decision. Clearly, they either lied to me, embellished the truth, or weren't in a position to understand the full dynamics of the situation. If the situation was as bad as I was told it was, Hargrove wouldn't be back in `07. So, the only conclusion I can come to is that the information I've been given on the situation all year isn't reliable.

Sorry about that. I'll try to keep from making the same mistake again. "

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I don't think Hargrove sticking around for the 2007 season is impending doom.  The real meat and potatos is what happens in the off-season.  One thing that stands out in recent memory is that Team Bavasi fully admits to this being a young club.  So what is the focus going to be in the off season?  Will Bavasi try to make some smart acquisitions that help fill the need of the club at a good price or will he spend chunks on gritty veterans?

Seriously, if Bavasi can avoid picking up or keeping parts that we will desparately need to get rid of during the season this team will be in good shape.

Also, No Joel Pineiro, no Gil Meche, no Eddie Guardado, no Carl Everett.  The ball is in Bavasi's court as to what kind of season we'll have in 2007.

Now it's obvious I(we) will not win.

So I surrender. You win Mike. Congratulations.

Now we all get to pay the price.

Hey Corey, long time no comment. Hope you still read USSM and such. I remember talking with you about that at my job-shadow game...

My thoughts? My thoughts are that this decision shows one thing to the fans. Safety is more important than winning. Choward Linstrong is concerned with making cheap, afforadble, mediocre signings like Claudio Vargas that make the team reach 81 wins than they are about being bold and reaching out for guys like Jason Schmidt and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Many people will cite Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson as examples of the front office being comfortable handing out contracts for big name players. With a disappointing first year, Beltre may have made Choward Linstrong wary about signing big-ticket free agents. However, the two have had great years this year... Beltre's basic rate stats are .266/.327/.450 For a third baseman who plays gold glove D and is a right hander playing half his games in Safeco, that's an all-star performance. Sexson is slugging nearly .500 again. Big players perform. 2001 was the worst thing to ever happen to this organization, because it taught the suits that cheap players are superstars. But it was a matter of career-year luck.

Talent evaluation is key in free agent signings however. The Mariners were fooled by Jarrod Washburn's shiny 3.20 ERA in 2005. They failed to realize he stranded 81% of his baserunners, which is something that isn't really a repeatable skill. Sure enough, Washburns hit, HR, and BB rate are all pretty much the same, yet his ERA is about a full point higher. Jarrod's a solid pitcher, a #2 or #3...but he deserves a 4 year, $27 Million dollar contract. Not 4 years, $37 million. They hired a stat guy for a reason--Choward! Consult Mat Olkin more often!

Carl Everett is a proven run producer. Yeah, that sure was a good idea....

Personally, I think the idea that Mike Hargrove is staying will scare off hundreds of season ticket holders. Keep in mind, with Chris Snelling rotting away in AAA, Mike gave 300 ABs to Carl Everett. When Jose Lopez was slugging .500 in May, Mike Hargrove told him to lay down a sacrifice bunt THREE TIMES! Next AB, Raul Ibanez, who has not laid down a successful sacrifice bunt since 2003 is asked to lay down a sac bunt. Needless to say, we lost in extras. Why? Oh yeah, Mike was afraid to use his closer in a tie, so Everyday I blow a save Eddie gave up a walk-off home run.

There's more, but I digress. Mike loves his veterans. This team needs a manager who has fire. Who will play the youngsters. Who is noticably the boss. That man is Dan Rohn. Unfortunately, he said what everyone on U.S.S. Mariner, Lookout Landing, etc. all thought--that Mike Hargrove is a terrible manager. Loyalty is valued over competence in Seattle, so of course, Mike stayed, Dan is gone. No questions asked. The Mariners will only win a World Series under Mike Hargrove if they win in Spite of him. If Thome, Baerga, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Robby Alomar, Kenny Lofton, Charles Nagy, the good version of Jose Mesa, and Omar Vizquel, all in their prime, can't do it...no one can.

I think this move is in essence writing off the 2007 season, Corey. Honestly, if you want a more fun job, start looking Corey. Don't be like the rest of us. Look for a team that is concerned with winning, not a 2.5 million fan-per-year goal. Winning brings fans. The front office needs to quit being such penny pinchers. Spending leads to wins, wins lead to fans, fans lead to money. Be bold, and you will win. Win, and the fans will come. Bring the fans, and it will bring in the dough. The organization is too gun-shy. Loyalty and continuity matters more than the product they sell their fans. Being bold is a necessity. I would like you to stay Corey, you're a good writer, but you deserve better. If you can...find a team that wants to win.

Howard Lincoln stated the team's mission statement of mediocrity perfectly...

"All you have to do is walk around and talk to people in the stands. It's apparent there are fun things to do besides baseball. Sometimes you can sit with a group of 20 or so, and there will be one guy with his arms crossed saying `Why don't they do this or that,' and the rest are there for other reasons." -- Howard Lincoln.

What about those of us who don't go for the social event, just to have fun? What about those of us that love baseball? What about those of us that DO sit there with our arms crossed saying "Why didn't they do this or that?" What that tells me, is that Howard Lincoln doesn't care what I think, he doesn't care about my money. I wish I'd be able to stay away. But I won't be going to thirty games next year. Maybe I'll go to ten. And I won't spring for the good seats. $7 seats all year. At least I hope they're $7. They raised after we lost last year. At least with as many people abandonining this team after hearing Hargrove is back, I'll be able to sit wherever I want.

Good luck Mariners Players!

I hope you lose your jobs, Mike Hargrove, Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong!