Ned Yost's midseason grade

[There isnt a Spoon]

D-

 

Ok with the Bench moves, worse than horrible with the pen/starters.

 

Ned Yost = Buck Rodgers - can him please.

[giffted1]

I'd give Ned a B. Ned's doing pretty well considering Ned's parents didn't send him to school with enough supplies. Someone stole one of his notebooks and his expensive box of crayons is missing a few colors. His dad recently got him a nice 3 subject notebook, but Ned could really use some good pens. Some of his pens tend to explode on him and his good ones will run out of ink by the end of the school year if he uses them too much.

[Glennron]

I'd give Ned a B. Ned's doing pretty well considering Ned's parents didn't send him to school with enough supplies. Someone stole one of his notebooks and his expensive box of crayons is missing a few colors. His dad recently got him a nice 3 subject notebook, but Ned could really use some good pens. Some of his pens tend to explode on him and his good ones will run out of ink by the end of the school year if he uses them too much.

Hah, I like the analogies.

 

I'd probably give him a C. There are certainly times I want to give him a much lower grade, ie bullpen management and how he handles his starting pitchers. "McClung's struggling this inning, but if he gets these next two guys he'll get a 'W'!" On the other hand, after watching some other teams play, I'd have to imagine I'd be going berserk much more often. Bob Melvin double switches guys out of the game as early as the 4th inning and bunted with the clean-up hitter. Clint Hurdle didn't bring in a lefty in the first two games of this series to face Prince in a high leverage situation. He hit a home run and was then IBBed. I like that Yost doesn't play small ball really at all, and rarely intentionally walks guys (except that stupid Braves game at MP...) There are definitely worse managers than Ned, but I still don't like him too much.

[UndraftedFA]

Solid B. To pilot a team to one of the best records in the NL deserves no less than a B.

[Bruce Ciskie]

Everyone has a weakness, no matter the walk of life.

Ned's stubbornness is likely to kill this team long before it ever helps this team.

[RU Rah Rah]

C+

[Tbadder]

Yost:B Hitters:D+ Pitchers:B- Defenders:C+

[sheethead]

Hitters:D+

 

But they hit a ton of HRs. That clearly merits them at least a B http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Ennder]

I'll give him a D. He still rests people at the silliest of times like giving Weeks time off against lefties instead of righties etc. He still is pretty inept at managing a bullpen. Last year I would have given him an F.

[sgtcluels]

C-. Better then last year, but still to stubborn . Loyalty to a player to a fault. See.. Turnbow, see... Mota.

[naivin]

Mota had to pitch and I don't blame Yost for going to him. As for why Mota was in the bullpen in the first place...

I think there may be more to this than people are willing to recognize. This is more of a Doug Melvin issue than a Ned Yost issue. Would people's preference really be that he only use 11 of 12 pitchers? Would overworking those guys really be a better alternative? Perhaps last night, but talk to me again in August and September. Now, this strikes me more as a Lou Piniella type of move than something Ned would do, but perhaps sending him out there is also in some ways an attempt to get Doug Melvins's attention and tell him to get this guy out of here and bring in someone who might be able to get an out.

 

People can call it loyalty to a player, and I will agree...Its loyalty to Villanueva, Torres, Shouse, Riskie...Not being willing to burn those guys out in the first half because the GM can't find enough competent guys to put in that bullpen.

 

As for a grade...B. This team could have folded up in the first month or two when things weren't going well, and they did just the opposite, despite Neds' failures to hold people accountable, or to use his etiquette school training during post-games.

[Thurston Fluff]

As for a grade...B. This team could have folded up in the first month or two when things weren't going well, and they did just the opposite, despite Neds' failures to hold people accountable, or use his etiquette school training during post-games.

 

I was going to post something similar to this but you did a better job than I could have.

 

Ned's loyalty is a two edged sword. It can and probably does cost a couple games. But what it does for other players who see such loyalty is keep them from pressing out of fear of being replaced and making a short cold streak into a prolonged slump. It isn't easy to see how allowing someone to right themselves wins more games than the loss which are so visible. But that doesn't mean there isn't a net gain. On occasions the player isn't good enough and they end up costing more games than they should. That is offset by others who struggle less due to the loyalty factor.

Really if the manager did replace players quicker I wouldn't have a problem with it. Just like I don't have a problem sticking with them. It's a matter of opinion of which is better. As long as they are consistent with it I'm willing to allow the manager to manage his charges the way he sees fit. As long as the team is playing up to their abilities. No complaints on that front this year.

[ozzybourne]

but perhaps sending him out there is also in some ways an attempt to get Doug Melvins's attention and tell him to get this guy out of here and bring in someone who might be able to get an out.

i think this is accurate, and i believe i have seen yost do this at least one other time this year (if you believe he was trying to send a message to melvin). but please, please ned do not do this in a one run game, and put the team out of position to win.

 

this is one reason why he does not grade out higher with the majority of the posters on this thread.

 

 

(fixed code --1992)

[areacodes]

this is one reason why he does not grade out higher with the majority of the posters on this thread.

I'd say that has more to do with a pure hatred for everything Yost than anything else.

 

[naivin]

I'd say that has more to do with a pure hatred for everything Yost than anything else.

 

I'd agree. Many have made up there minds, and seemingly have given up on objectivity for fear that they may have to change them.

[jazzytrav]

I'd agree. Many have made up there minds, and seemingly have given up on objectivity for fear that they may have to change them.

I'm not sure how you can come to this conclusion. I spent the past few years defending Yost because I liked him, and then I changed my mind and have had to backtrack on things that I've previously said. So obviously we're not afraid to change our minds. And you're assumption that we've "given up on objectivity" is a little unfair and comes off as condescending.

 

I'll give him a C-. I've seen some good things, but I can't give anything higher than a C to a guy that plays Tony Gwynn Jr. as the DH.

[Fatter than Joey]

I'd say that has more to do with a pure hatred for everything Yost than anything else.

 

Can my title be -- Pure Yostian Hatred?

[naivin]

I said many, not all. If you don't fall in that group, fine, but in my opinion, they're out there.

[sweepscc]

B+......... 9 games over after 90 games is about where this team should be after analyzing the roster Melvin supplied Yost and considering our bullpen sucks. Looking for more though in the second half after Melvin added Sabathia to the rotation.

[Fatter than Joey]

I said many, not all. If you don't fall in that group, fine, but in my opinion, they're out there.

 

Hey, my Nana always told me, if you get the opportunity to embrace hatred in its purest form, you do it!

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I give Ned a solid B. I could be guilty of inflating his grade since his improvement seems so dramatic from the end of last year, maybe he just went from awful to average.

 

I do give him credit for a number of things. They seemed more prepared coming into the season...especially defensively. He has not overworked his bullpen as he did last year. The aggressive base running has paid dividends. The clubhouse and attitudes of the team seems very good. They continue to bounce back well from devastating losses...like the meltdown in AZ, followed by a sweep of the Pirates or the run they have had since Boston. This is a team where expectations are high and the players are young...that can often be a frustrating period. I think Simmons has had a nice calming effect on his baseball machismo...hopefully that keeps up in the second half.

 

Plate discipline remains an issue...although youth plays a role. This 7/8/9 inning pitcher stuff, while not as strict as last year is overboard. Put the best player for that night in the highest leverage situation. I know there are reasons to the contrary, but I disagree with them.

 

The second half will be very interesting. This is now a team of very high expectations and the time is now. They are still a young team, although hopefully the pressure of last year will help. The last few days was a little concerning how over-pumped up the team was. JJ Hardy starts swinging at bad pitches, Sheets was too amped up and burned out early...these guys really care and really want this...that's very admirable, but they need to play within themselves. That's how Ned will be judged at year's end.

[TooLiveBrew]

I give him a C-. He doesn't hurt us as much as some might think, but he is definetly not helping either.

 

Yes, fully agree here. C- from me. Ned actually does some things a lot more favorable imo than the vast majority of MLB skippers. Unfortunately, he tends to handle on-the-fly decisions poorly, and those stand out way more than not putting on the hit-&-run, etc.

 

 

Ned's stubbornness is likely to kill this team long before it ever helps this team.

 

This is what troubles me, and I believe it goes with my 'he handles on-the-fly decisions poorly'. Ned appears to feel most comfortable when he can 'define' & 'plan' for things. This is probably a good quality for a bench coach, but is a big weakness for a manager imho.

[tristarscoop]

I'll go with a C.

 

I really, really dislike Ned. I think his attitude is ridiculous, he's stubborn beyond what can possibly be explained and frankly, I'm just sick of him. I'm at the point where I feel like he's costing us more games than he is winning for us.

 

That being said, from the Boston series through about last week, I didn't have any specific gripes on how he had handled situations. As far as I'm concerned, that's what's supposed to happen- I shouldn't notice the manager at all. I still didn't like Ned, but I didn't hate him either.

 

But the Mota situation this week just reminds of how awful I think his bullpen management is and how much I think his refusal to admit he's wrong/stubbornness really effects this team.

 

I'm not entirely convinced that it's Ned that has us at this point - that's to say I think pretty much anyone could manage this talent to the spot we're in. Just my 2 cents.

[bigredrobbo]

B.

 

We are leading the Wild Card race, people. I don't believe any manager in the NL to this point warrants an A.

[TooLiveBrew]

It's interesting to see how many people vote based on his talent.

 

If we had the 2003 roster, and were way out of the playoff chase -- with crappy players -- would Yost get a D?