Ned's Last Stand: When would it happen?

[jazzytrav]

In my opinion, it'd have to be something really, really bad, for DM to do it because firing Ned would basically mean conceding that the season is over and they have nothing to play for.

I actually think the opposite. I would say a Yost firing would mean that Melvin or Attanasio DON'T think the season is over and they see the need to make the change in order to possibly save the season.

 

I'll put my vote in for Monday, May 19th. If we lose the Cards and Dodgers series (not get swept, but lose the series at least), things will get a little tense. We then have two nationally televised games on Saturday and Sunday against Boston. If we get embarrassed on national TV again like we did in the 19-5 thrashing on ESPN, someone's getting the boot on that Monday (which is an off-day).

[Roscoe Chill]

In my opinion, it'd have to be something really, really bad, for DM to do it because firing Ned would basically mean conceding that the season is over and they have nothing to play for.

 

I know it's your opinion, but that's a hard stance to get behind. You fire Ned Yost and you're saying the season is over? In my humble opinion, if say the Brewers lose three more to the Cards this weekend, fall to 16-20...potentially 9 games behind the laughingstock Cardinals on May 11th? KEEPING Ned Yost is saying you're conceding the season. Firing him, is saying you're holding him and the team accountable.

 

Nothing to play for if you fire Ned Yost? I just don't get it. I'm not saying firing Ned Yost will magically turn things around for sure, but why in the hell not TRY?! What has Ned Yost done that makes him so loved by some people? I mean really, what has he done to make him even bulletproof if you don't love him or even like him? The guy has no track record to make firing him such a drastic idea. It should have happened within a week of the season ending last year.

[xisxisxis]

I mean really, what has he done?

 

Ned's been a team player from the beginning and Melvin has shown loyalty beyond reason to his managers. I've stated this in a number of threads, but I don't see anything happening to Yost until there is a drop in revenues because of fan discontent no matter what the record. Until they lost money they'll keep spinning excuses.

 

 

And since the Cardinals bully the Brewers no matter who is on the field for either team for whatever reason, I will say Monday is N Day.

 

I don't like LaRussa much, but I believe a vast majority of the reason the Cardinals own the Brewers is because he manages circles around Yost.

[tigerbrew]

I really hope DM doesn't wait till the team is mathematically out of the playoff race to fire Yost. I really don't understand DM's love for Yost, I think Yost should be fired tomorrow 05/08/08.

[trwi7]

I really hope DM doesn't wait till the team is mathematically out of the playoff race to fire Yost. I really don't understand DM's love for Yost, I think Yost should be fired tomorrow 05/08/08.

 

 

According to Ned we're never out of the playoff race. Remember, right now the math is on our side. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Roscoe Chill]

Ned's been a team player from the beginning and Melvin has shown loyalty beyond reason to his managers. I've stated this in a number of threads, but I don't see anything happening to Yost until there is a drop in revenues because of fan discontent no matter what the record. Until they lost money they'll keep spinning excuses.

 

Well if you're right, Doug Melvin will be canned too. And that's too bad, because I really think he did a good job building the team up from when he took over. His major fault is who he had managing the team. And if he can't realize it regardless of how much of a team player he is, then he deserves to be fired as well. I think it will come to a point where if Melvin doesn't act...Attanasio will...on both of them.

 

And if that is the case, I would predict within two weeks after the draft for both of them.

[ozzybourne]

yost will be fired after the sunday may 18 game in boston--monday is an off day. otherwise it will be after the wed june 7 game--thursday is an off day.

[bucks2281]

I mean really, what has he done?

 

Ned's been a team player from the beginning and Melvin has shown loyalty beyond reason to his managers. I've stated this in a number of threads, but I don't see anything happening to Yost until there is a drop in revenues because of fan discontent no matter what the record. Until they lost money they'll keep spinning excuses.

I believe you're absolutely correct. The attendance is expected to phenomenal this summer; three million could really happen. If the Brewers were to play at, say, a 10 under .500 clip the entire summer, how bad of a hit would the attendance take? This is a tough pill for me to swallow: I desperately want the Brewers to fill Miller Park every night, but if that happens, I don't believe any changes will happen. IMO, a terrible collapse would have to happen for the attendance to drop, so I think it would take a lot for Yost to get the boot.

 

I know I stated if they're 17-27 on May 19, I believe Yost will get fired. That was a best-case scenario for me. To me, a revenue drop = Yost is gone.

[rluzinski]

I think Yost is pretty inept but it's pretty easy to see the Brewers troubles and Yost is about 5th right now.

[xisxisxis]

Well if you're right, Doug Melvin will be canned too.

 

I hope I'm wrong because as many here know I've never been a fan of Ned Yost. I lobbied heavily against him for manager and started the Fire Ned Yost fan club the day he was hired. I road that bandwagon alone for many years and it's nice to see the converts. And I fully expect if Doug doesn't jettison Ned at some point they'll both go, but as much as many here like to think Doug is the greatest GM in the world, he has to be held accountable for this team at some point and if they hang a single injury out as the main cause for a possible failure this year then what is the likelihood that a great GM couldn't plan for the loss of a rookie pitcher.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

DM is nowhere near the hot seat...Ned (rightly or wrongly) is right on it.

 

It is funny that the fire-Ned contingent was on the warpath last year, but there hasn't been much to point to this year. When your starters can't go 5, your sluggers don't hit and your $10M closer can't close...he hasn't even had the chance to really blow anything. It's more the general frustration with performance. Rightly or wrongly, sometimes a change needs to be made. I thought the comments of frustration by Ryan Braun the other day were very telling. It was the first sign I have really noticed of some clubhouse discontent with the recent production. That's why I'm starting to think this happens. DM & MA won't let this thing bleed with all of those tickets sold for this summer.

[DougJones43]

I mean really, what has he done?

 

Ned's been a team player from the beginning and Melvin has shown loyalty beyond reason to his managers. I've stated this in a number of threads, but I don't see anything happening to Yost until there is a drop in revenues because of fan discontent no matter what the record. Until they lost money they'll keep spinning excuses.

Unfortunately, I think a drop in revenue would be kind of a delayed effect if the team is bad this year. They're pretty much assured to have decent attendance this year, no matter what happens from this point forward. But if Mark A. thinks that results aren't going to eventually catch up to them, and be what drives steady revenue, and he thinks a piss-poor showing this season couldn't result in 2003-like attendance in following years, I think he'll end up in a world of hurt.

[AdvantageSchneider]

In my opinion, it'd have to be something really, really bad, for DM to do it because firing Ned would basically mean conceding that the season is over and they have nothing to play for. 10 games under at the All-Star Break would be my guess, unless he publicly disgraces the franchise by pulling an Ozzie Guillen or something.

The only full season the brewers made the playoffs, they fired their manager mid-season, so firing Yost would not mean conceding the season is over. Not by a long shot, especially with the wild card.

[jakesdaddio]

This reminds me of 1982. The Crew was 22-24, and playing tight. Expectations were high, and the team was feeling it. They fired Buck Rogers, and hired Harvey "Wallbangers". He told them to relax and have fun. The team started winning, hitting home runs, and had a blast. He wasn't a genius manager. He just helped them relax. I think Ned is wound too tight, and needs to go. They need someone who the team can believe in, and trust, to turn them around, and make them relax. The best hitters are relaxed. These guys look as tight as Jennifer Anniston's behind.

[JohnBriggs12]

I agree with Rluzinski. This team has to play a lot better for Yost to start messing it up.

 

Question I have for everybody. Isn't Melvin in trouble too? He put this underperforming team together. He hired Yost. He extended Yost. He hired Skaalen. He hired Maddux. He signed Suppan. He signed Gagne. He signed Turnbow to a multi year deal.

 

If things continue down this path and this team loses 90 games, I want them all out the door including Melvin.

[JohnBriggs12]

This reminds me of 1982. The Crew was 22-24, and playing tight. Expectations were high, and the team was feeling it. They fired Buck Rogers, and hired Harvey "Wallbangers". He told them to relax and have fun. The team started winning, hitting home runs, and had a blast. He wasn't a genius manager. He just helped them relax. I think Ned is wound too tight, and needs to go. They need someone who the team can believe in, and trust, to turn them around, and make them relax. The best hitters are relaxed. These guys look as tight as Jennifer Anniston's behind.

jakesdaddio,

 

That 82 team was a veteran bunch. If not for the stupid strike in 81 and the dumb idea of split seasons and an extra tier of playoffs, they would have been in ALCS the year before, and most likely the World Series. Most were also part of teams that won 93 and 95 games in 78 and 79. This group is young and has done nothing even approaching what that group had done prior to 82.

[Pedro]

I think/hope it's sooner rather than latter as I have this sneaking suspicion that Yost garners little respect in the clubhouse among many players and coaches. While I'm currently in a self-imposed Brewers exile for a while, I admit I check in a few times a day with the faint hope of seeing this thread title:

 

"[Designated Yost Thread] Is Yost stifling this team? EDIT: Yost Fired!"

[hawing]

I admit I check in a few times a day with the faint hope of seeing this thread title:

 

"[Designated Yost Thread] Is Yost stifling this team? EDIT: Yost Fired!"

Pedro, I think that particular development would get its own thread.

 

[1992casey]

Maybe we'd reopen the winter-long monstrosity. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

DougJones43 brings up a good question, though. What's the correct timing? The end of the season would have worked had it not been for the two votes of confidence. Given all that, I think Memorial Day is the soonest Ned could be fired without making ownership look like a rudderless ship.

[Nottso]

I think Ned was the right guy to bring in when they brought him in. He took an absolute train wreck of a team and made it better. Now, however, he has outlived his purpose. Trying to take the team from where it is today, to the next level, has him completely out of his depth. It is time for Ned to move on to the next train wreck, and for the Brewers to hire a manager capable of taking this team on to greater things.

[Oldcity]

Everyone keeps talking about the '82 team and the similarities if Yost is fired within the next month, but I don't see them. This is a much younger team than that was, and more importantly, that team didn't lose a great starting pitcher for the entire season.

[RU Rah Rah]

I will start thinking about a timetable when I start reading "Is Brewers' Yost on the hot seat?" stories bubbling up in the JS and then rippling out toward the national media. (Or have they started already?)

 

I do think that these things have a way of progressing from hard-core folks (read: us) toward the mainstream media and then becoming conventional wisdom. That's when Ned will really have to start to worry. I don't see it happening for at least another month, though -- unless the wheels really fall off the cart in the next couple of weeks.

[sheethead]

Everyone keeps talking about the '82 team and the similarities if Yost is fired within the next month, but I don't see them. This is a much younger team than that was, and more importantly, that team didn't lose a great starting pitcher for the entire season.

Isn't it time to stop talking about Yo? And using it as an excuse for Ned? If the time hasn't come yet, I sure hope it comes soon cause I'm sick of hearing about it.

 

As for the thread topic, the sooner the better works for me (like right now, any minute). Realistically... I think Melvin waits too long, the Brews are 10 games under .500, and its after Memorial Day. Only if Melvin could send BA and BS packing with Yost, now that's the day I get re-energized.

[Fatter than Joey]

Everyone keeps talking about the '82 team and the similarities if Yost is fired within the next month, but I don't see them. This is a much younger team than that was, and more importantly, that team didn't lose a great starting pitcher for the entire season.

 

I agree insofar, as the 82 Brewers were a team that would benefit from a managerial change, it's not a good analogy -- however, if Yost has lost the team, firing him is not going to hurt anything. I doubt that firing Yost is the magic bullet we need to win the WS, but if he has lost the team he should be canned regardless.

 

I hate Ned Yost being the Brewers manager.

 

I feel like DM is very committed to Yost, if he had any inkling of firing Ned, he would have done it at the end of last year, when Ned filled his diaper on the national stage.

 

My guess is that you will see these things happen first.

 

1.) Silly Scapegoating -- Some players or managers will get tossed under the bus. Skaalen could get fired, Gagne could lose his closer job, Hall/Hardy/Weeks could get benched. I believe something like this will happen in May.

 

2.) Anytime the Brewers lose 6-0, we will be reminded that Yo tore his ACL -- regardless if it was Yo's turn to pitch, or the fact our bats scored 0 runs.

 

3.) The Brewers will bring up some pitchers and players from the minors. -- DiFelice/Weaver and probably LaPorta to buy Ned Yost some time

 

4.) There will be some "Linebrink" type trades.

 

I think the fanbase is going to have to go renegade as well. If you see/hear a lot more booing, attendance drops off, more FNY.com T-shirts at the park, etc. --- that will get the owners attention. I think if we were losing some 6-5, 9-7 type of games the fanbase will be pretty forgiving -- but paying money to watch games like the last two in FL will be pretty hard to stomach.

 

I think Yost is here for a minimum until July, probably around until the end of the season if we hover around .500.

 

Doug Melvin should be nervous about his job as well.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I would concur on the similarities between '82 & '08 Brewers...other than they play baseball in Milwaukee and live and die with the long ball, there really aren't any. Our core group are all a few years younger than Yount and Molitor were that year, and they were the young guys.

 

A guy like Buck Rogers had success with younger players, it was with vets he fell on deaf ears. The one similarity could be that the '82 team played tight and there were internal conflicts in the clubhouse between the manager and the team. Rogers lost them. I have yet to see that evidence here with Yost (not that I would neccessarily be in that position). I think the reason they kept him this year was its a fragile group of young, talented and developing players with good chemistry between themselves and the manager. The biggest question is how long that lasts with the team sputtering. Melvin is in the best position to make that judgment and if a change is indeed needed, he should make that call.