Johnny's goin down, and he's taking the USS Mariner with him
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 10:06 AM PDT
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PrintJust tried to check in on USS mariner and got what looks like a 403 error message which quickly rerouted me to Baker's Blog. I found this irritating, and tried a few more times to load USSM, until I noticed that Baker's latest entry is regarding Johnny Mac and his just announced canning. So there it is folks. Just to forestall any unwarranted celebration, I'd like to remind people about last July, when Grover left the team and we all thought 'Whew, he sure sucked at his job".
I know that conventional wisdom and research (no refs, sorry, but we all read the same stuff more or less) show that managers don't really have a great deal of on-field impact. Mac, it seems is the exception to that. His lineup construction, as discussed at length, has been consistently close to worst possible - he would have done better by randomizing it every day, I'm sure. He has devoted himself to protecting the psyches of players who are either done or were never true major leaguers. He called for bunts and steals in silly situations, as if it were spring training still... The list goes on.
But the thing that really stands out to me, maybe because it is easiest to apply numbers here, is his total lack of understanding of his pitchers' skill sets. How many games have been lost because a side-arming righty was left in to face a lefty slugger with runners on? How many times was Washburn allowed to 'finish what he started' because he had lucked his way through 6 one-run innings? What did the outfield look like when Washburn started? We all know his sins, and I can only hope that there is a special baseball hell awaiting him.
I've gotta say though, considering how bad this team is it's been a pretty exciting season so far.
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if you email me a link
I’ll be happy to post it (and credit it) in the post. Else just post below.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
On second thought
I dont really care about this team. Back to the drawing board/
by Robert on Jun 19, 2008 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Looks like Jim Riggleman is taking over.
If anyone in that clubhouse is worse than Mac, Jim would be it. At least the FO is devoted to the Strasburg Sweepstakes, I suppose.
In any case, so long Squinty McClusterfuck. Go take a nice long vacation, you’ve earned it. No one should have to manage this disaster of a team.
Also, a message to Mr. Riggleman: SEND BRANDON FUCKING MORROW TO AAA TACOMA RIGHT NOW!
I am so glad Joe Maddon beat his ass in interviews.
by R.J. Anderson on Jun 19, 2008 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Also
Didn’t Riggleman admit he abused Wood’s arm to win a few extra games?
Morrow should take Felix and Bedard with him.
by R.J. Anderson on Jun 19, 2008 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions
I think Stottlemeyer is smart enough to beat the living shit out of Riggleman if he tried that.
At least, I hope.
Mel Stottlemyre has the look that tells me that he wouldn't hesitate to initiate a clubhouse confrontation.
But hey, if we lose these next 3 games, we’ll have lost twice as many as we’ve won, so, uh, we got that going for us.
He's capable of recognizing when enough is enough from a pitcher.
Ad least I’d hope so. Sure he’s philosophy is fastball fastball fastball moar fastball, but he seems to know when a pitcher can’t go any further.
Why?
Let him do the Joba Chamberlain thing. It’s not like it matters, and it would at least be entertaining to see another good fastball in the rotation.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm for it.
he’s got what look like good secondary pitches and his command seems SSSolid. Since it doesn’t really matter, let him take his lumps here in the majors.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Poor Ms fans
I watched Riggleman manage the Cubs. Perhaps the worst manager I have ever seen. Ever. And that includes Whitey Lockman, Pedro Gomez and Lee Elia. And don’t you have him, too?
Where is Mick Kelleher when we need him?
by 3744nsheffield on Jun 19, 2008 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions
Did he bat the worst hitter in baseball third?
No? Then he’s an upgrade.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
Odds on next
Richie Sexson: 3-5
Jose Vidro: 3-1
Jeff Clement: 9-2
Howard Lincoln or Chuck Armstrong: 20-1
Miguel Cairo: 150-1
This is stupid
What’s the point in firing him now?
And now we might suck in the future too because of this
If Riggleman finishes the year playing decently and our new GM is pressured to keep him instead of getting his own guy.
I doubt that's going to happen.
This team still sucks. Once August rolls around and the team has dumped Sexson/Vidro and is forced to play people like Brian LaHair, the team might actually get worse.
Besides, I’m somewhat skeptical Lee P. is going to be the new GM of the future. Whoever they hire won’t want Riggleman around.
It'd be incredibly stupid to make any of the long term replacements from in house
So put your money on the long term replacements to be from in house.
But then why not just keep McLaren until the end of the year?
If we’re going to suck either way why even take the chance that this team will somehow find a spark with the new manager and pressure whoever the new GM is into giving him a shot? I don’t think it’ll happen but it’s completely unnecessary to fire McLaren now instead of at the end of the season when we’re playing for nothing except a high draft pick and everyone knows it.
The High Ups Want to Show...
that they are try to turn this around…so they are going to start handing people their walking papers…I just wish someone would send Chuck his pink slip.
Ding Dong Mclaren's Gone...
So—which move’s next? Vidro? Sexson? One of the dancing groundskeepers?
Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum
So long Johnny Mac
You’re a great guy – but maybe not the best manager, at least when presented with a mediocre lineup
I uhhh......
No. Not a good manager. Didn’t even do well with the players he had.
he was a shit manager
maybe he was an okay bench coach, I don’t know. He was a shit manager.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Its too bad Mac's firing now makes this photoshop obsolete.
Jl/Robert '08: Promise for a CoachCage tomorrow!
I feel bad for Jeff
Once Vidro, Sexson, and Cairo are gone, there’s not much left to talk about with this team on a daily basis.
Go Fo Broke!
He found stuff to talk about in '04
Once the team supplants these guys with similarly dumb moves like calling up Bryan LaHair and starting him everyday, he’ll have plenty more to talk about.
Given a choice
between an overpaid assclown who can’t hit and field well enough to be a MLB ballplayer, and a minor leaguer who can’t hit or field well enough either, give me the minor leaguer. At least LaHair will have a story to tell his kids about playing ball at Safeco and getting to play in the major leagues, like Bucky will.
Like I said, I think LaHair ~= John Mabry (Mabry’s minor league hitting stats sucked too)... but as has been pointed out, even Mabry did some notable things.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions
This is a well-reasoned arguement.
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions
Mabry's a better outfielder than Ibanez right now.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
...and there's the off chance that LaHair goes on a hot streak and inflates his trade value
of course our guys would have to recognize that to use it to their advantage… aw fuck it.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
nice
its about subtlety
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions
I figured it would be Elia, but whatever.
Bye, Squinty McClusterfuck. Don’t let the door with the retarded lineup taped up on it hit you in the ass.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 10:31 AM PDT reply actions
Elia as interim manager for this disaster would have been great
by JoeyJoJoJuniorShabadoo on Jun 19, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Exactly.
Good quotes and from what I gathered from Baker, he’s not really interested in the full time gig at 70, so you could say “Look, we want an interim guy, we’ll pay half a million or so, then you can go golfing in October”.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
mlb.com article
Accidental Mariner - P3 W1 L2 (.333)
Sponsor of Jamie Burke's baseball-reference page
about time
Now they just need to get Wlad back up and put him in LF, move Ibanez to DH and DFA Vidro and play LaHair (as horrible as that’s gonna be).
All this newfound relatively smart management
is making it hard for us to scapegoat.
Coach/Butthol '09: We shall overcome.
what smart management?
your optimism is misplaced. This is all about clearing the way for whoever’s brought on by the new GM.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Joe Morgan
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
The Mariners are clearly doing it wrong
the proper course of action would be to fly Squinty to Atlanta, win tomorrow night’s game, the fire him at 3 in the morning.
No, the right thing to do would be to fly him to Afghanistan
on a secret scouting mission. He will be wearing a special camouflage american flag shirt, hat, uncle sam beard. He will be paradropped along the pakistani border. We are all counting on him.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions
because spies like us, that's why
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions
awesome.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions
the o network.
or sometimes lifetime. Just keep watching, it’ll come on.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions
But the freaky fiddle cat and mickey and the KKK are just fine?
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions
You are an interesting individual.
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions
The monkeys are the worst part.
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions
Not a post invite though.
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions
It's on the CL post, I believe.
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I'll spare NOLA and not post it again
But here’s a link to it
Read some Grimm's Fairy Tales sometimes.
Compare and contrast with Veggie Tales or Dora the Explorer.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions
I know I was read the original Snow White in school.
All I can remember is one of the step-sisters being crushed with a millstone.
I did a project on rumplestiltskin
..in my video class this year. Turns out the original rumplestiltskin rips himself in half or something. And no, it wasn’t my choice.
The Grimms were bloody thirsty little bastards.
They freak me out, but because they are not animated, it’s not quite the same.
Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I know baseball. Yes, I even drink beer.
by Kirsten Schlewitz on Jun 19, 2008 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions
its amazing how heavily censored the first
english translations were.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Heh.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 19, 2008 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Smart of USSM to save their battered server and reroute traffic to Baker for now
Meanwhile, keeping the static, empty-headed manager wasn’t going to help the team make any progress in sorting things out for 2009, so good that they sent Squinty packing. Riggleman might be more of the same, but he has nothing to lose, so he may be willing to try some different things and different guys.
Also
"Does that mean you'll play the young guys more?"
Lee: No, not at all.
Welcome to Fals Hope.
Population: Mariners fans in 2008.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
No.
I blame JI and Robert- I want my subject spellcheck, >:
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions
While Soriano becomes rolaids relief man of the year and Greg Norton winning the batting title?
Jl/Robert '08: Promise for a CoachCage tomorrow!
"How did John take it?"
“John took it hard”
Translation: He sobbed into his pillow all night.
Translation: not only was there no lube, they added sand.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
I like this Baker more and more.
When just 14 points separates your slugging from someone else’s on-base, it’s time to consider a different type of job.It gets even worse. In June, the M’s have the worst slugging percentage in all of baseball at .348. There are six AL and two NL squads with higher on-base percentages for the month.
Why would you expect otherwise?
He’s part of the Reign of Error.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Groz: When are some players going to be fired?
Translation: WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO DFA RICHIE SEXSON’S SORRY ASS!?
Oh real news
Lee Elia becomes the new bench coach and will remain the hitting coach.
Correction
Jose Castro will be the new hitting coach, but will act under the direction of Elia.
Whatever Armstrong.
Lee isn’t doing anything, he’s just your fucking mouthpiece right now.
Architect of the team
That’s a little generous of a label for Bavasi.
Jl/Robert '08: Promise for a CoachCage tomorrow!
If Bavasi was a real architect...
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
You've gotten your fucking money's worth out of Beltre.
You’re a bunch of fucking idiots.
is the press conference over or am I just going to listen to this douchebag for the next hour?
Determined, Jonesing Commentor
Well...
Beltre IS one of the few players on the team with trade value.
Which means, of course, the M’s will trade him for some magic beans. :(
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions
His high strand rate
was from hitters suffocating on the gas that inevitably resulted from those magic beans
Have we ever heard of a newly hired manager, fmr. bench coach not being one?
Coach/Butthol '09: We shall overcome.
So has jason Stark every written anything that was close to being accurate?:
Aceless in Seattle? Bill Bavasi got booted in Seattle as much for what he wouldn’t do (fire his manager, trade his Opening Day starter) as for anything he did do. So the biggest initial impact of his firing is that it means Erik Bedard is now officially on the market.The first order of business for interim GM Lee Pelekoudas, according to one rival exec, was to “call around, and give instructions to all his scouts, to quietly get the word out that they’re open for business.”
heh
One team’s nomination of a club to watch on the Bedard front: St. Louis—a place where the fans embrace everybody, where they’re tired of piecing together a patchwork pitching staff, and where their farm system has improved enough to assemble a decent package.
Cody?
The hell?
Colby Rasmus for Bedard!
by seattlebruin on Jun 19, 2008 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions
• Junior Griffey Rumor of the Week: It’s officially OK to ignore last week’s Rumblings item that suggested our man Junior was no longer interested in a triumphant return to Seattle. In recent days, he’s been telling players on other clubs he now wants to finish his career in Seattle. Meanwhile, we’re hearing more and more people in baseball say that because his bat looks soooooo sloooooow, that final chapter needs to come sooner, not later.“I keep thinking he’s going to get traded to Seattle for next to nothing, spend the last two months there and then retire,” said an official of one team. “If I were him, I’d just retire at the end of the year—retire as a Red or a Mariner, tip your cap and say goodbye. Does he really want to bounce around and end his career by getting released by Tampa Bay in July? Is that really how he wants to go out? Based on the way he’s playing, that’s a scenario you could actually see happening.”
This isn't 1998. Tampa Bay doesn't do that anymore.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
What good prospects do St Louis have to offer for Bedard?
Jl/Robert '08: Promise for a CoachCage tomorrow!
Ryan Franklin/Joel Piniero/Ron Villone
Shave and a haircut two ti- hey hold on.
by PhilKenSebben on Jun 19, 2008 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I think I'd take Ankiel.
We need a CF. Not straight across, but I wouldn’t mind him being included in the package.
I like midgets more than I should.
How 'bout Pujols.
They’d give us Pujols for Bedard, right?
amiright?
God I wish we had an awesome 1B…
Where Brent Lillibridge hits a walk-off two run homer
by seattlebruin on Jun 19, 2008 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Well now you're just being silly.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
by Aaron Campeau on Jun 19, 2008 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Jayson Stark said that the Phillies are interested in Jarrod Washburn
he did not elaborate on what they had offered, though it’s safe to say that they’ll be keeping the eighteen year old ballgirl for Jarrod.
by seattlebruin on Jun 19, 2008 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions
If someone would take Carlos SIlva
I think it would be worth it to pay part of his salary. Yes, I’d pay cash money to have Carlos Silva play somewhere else.
TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT TAKE IT
See if we can get a non-retarded live person for him.
Shave and a haircut two ti- hey hold on.
by PhilKenSebben on Jun 19, 2008 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions
I endorse this trade
Philly has plenty of high schools for Jarrod to get his dates from, anyway, so it’s win-win.
by eponymous_coward on Jun 19, 2008 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions
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