Macha Selected As New Brewers Manager (reply 667ish)

[brewmann04]

I think melvin Limiting himself to those 3 guys is a big mistake.

[Invader3K]

That report doesn't cite any sources at all. I don't really believe it.

[endaround]

Don't understand the Kapler thing. I mean obviously the right player manager is Mike Rivera. Its not like he has to worry about playing and managing at the same time. In addition he's backup catcher, and we all know backup catchers make the best managers!

[giffted1]

Melvin's whole experienced/successful criteria is just silly, imo. Melvin should choose candidates based on their philosophy on baseball, not whether they happened to manage good teams or not. Sure Brenly had success in Arizona, but anyone would have had success in Arizona with that team. Then look at Joe Maddon. He may lack experience and previous success, but his philosophy on baseball is solid. His punting of the closers role has been masterful. I would much rather have some relatively unknown guy with baseball smarts than a well-known, respected idiot who was lucky enough to manage a great team.

[bklynbrewcrew]

How many managers have there been that have won despite there in game deficiencies. Any dope would have won with Johnson and Schilling. I would much rather have a guy like Manny Acta who is very good strategically but has had to manage terrible teams in washington. Im sure if a guy like this was available Melvin wouldnt want him because he has a bad W/L record and that is just completely shortsighted.

[logan82]

How many managers have there been that have won despite there in game deficiencies. Any dope would have won with Johnson and Schilling.

Any dope did win with Johnson and Schilling. Unfortunately, much like with evaluating pitching, some people value wins as a good judge of talent with managers.

[Diskono]

Then look at Joe Maddon. He may lack experience and previous success, but his philosophy on baseball is solid. His punting of the closers role has been masterful.

Troy Percival kind of helped him out by getting injured.

[giffted1]

Troy Percival kind of helped him out by getting injured.

Yes, but most managers would just place another reliever in Percival's role.

[rluzinski]

Trying to measure the skill of a manager by the win/loss record of his team is like trying to measure the skill of a batter by looking at his team's record. It's a waste of time.

[Hammer]

Trying to measure the skill of a manager by the win/loss record of his team is like trying to measure the skill of a batter by looking at his team's record. It's a waste of time.

I think that a lot of the people here understand that rluz...but the general media needs to cater to the multitudes of bandwagon fans that wouldn't understand this concept...

[fondybrewfan]

Firejoemorgan.com should be required reading for anyone who wants to write about baseball.

[Gobias Industries]

I haven't been watching the WS, but I thought Maddon was pretty poor in the ALCS. He's also the idiot that intentionally walked in a run in the 9th this past regular season, so maybe that clouds my judgment as well.

 

I'm still hoping for Cirillo to be named hitting coach. I don't know why it's always some guy that has been out of the game forever. Cirillo has faced a lot of the pitchers still pitching today.

 

I hate the 3 choices leaked to the press. Gun to my head: Macha>Randolph>>>>>>>>>>Brenly

[TooLiveBrew]

Yes, but most managers would just place another reliever in Percival's role.

 

You mean, like David Price? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

 

I don't like -- at all -- hearing even a slight rumor that Melvin has picked Brenly.

 

I hate the 3 choices leaked to the press. Gun to my head: Macha>Randolph>>>>>>>>>>Brenly

 

I won't go as far as "hate", but I certainly agree that the trio is very underwhelming, though I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Macha.

[homer]

If I hadn't heard about the near clubhouse revolt in Oakland I'd be all for Macha. I admit though I don't know much about Randolph's in game tactics. Is that covered somewhere in this thread? He may be a guy that flourishes outside of NYC.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Randolph is strategically inept and the players revolted against him leading to his firing. He is as bad if not worse than Brenly.

[joepepsi]

...I certainly agree that the trio is very underwhelming, though I admittedly don't know a whole lot about Macha.

Well, Macha has been a successful at several levels. Here's a bit from his wiki bio:

He retired as a player in 1985 and joined the Expos as a major league coach in 1986. He spent six seasons with the Expos before moving to the California Angels as bullpen, then third base, coach. He joined the Boston Red Sox organization in the fall of 1994.

The 1997 season marked Macha's first as manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox. In the previous two seasons he managed the Double-A Trenton Thunder to first place finishes, including a league-best 86-56 record and another division crown in 1996. He was chosen as 1996 Eastern League Manager of the Year. He was also picked to manage the American League affiliates in the Double A All-star game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Macha

The '97 Pawtuckets were 81-60, 2 games out of 1st place in their division. Suppan was on that team. In '98 they were 77-64. Shouse was on that team. By '99 he was coaching for A's under Art Howe.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't think W-L is anywhere near being a good stat to analyze managers, since it's a team stat. When you add in using minor-league W-L records, I think it's really inaccurate.

 

That's not to say that I inherently believe Macha is a good/bad manager. I just think W-L for a manager is like using it for a P.

[Boy Jeenius]

This Brewers situation reminds me of Ron Wolf hiring an "experienced guy" in recently fired Ray Rhodes, while Philly takes a little known QB coach named Andy Reid off of our own staff.

 

None of these candidates are exciting at all.

[BREWCREW5]

Its amazing how negative these boards are 90% of the time....

 

In Melvin we trust boys...

[bobskube]

Its amazing how negative these boards are 90% of the time....

 

In Melvin we trust boys...

Praise the lord. If the guy stinks, then we can rip em. Let's see what he can do first.

[piccione88]

While I am not very excited about any of the candidates mentioned, I do not think that the football comparisons are fair. The reason is that, to me anyway, MLB coaching staffs do not have a very big effect on the overall outcome of a season. A coaching staff has an effect, but I do not think a coach will generally win or lose more than 2 or 3 games over a season. In the NFL however, a coaching staff just has so much to do, that a coaching staff will also probably win or lose you 2 or 3 games over a season, which makes a much bigger difference over a 16 game season, as opposed to a 162 game season.

 

As long as the Brewers do not hire a Royster, I think we will be alright. Although it would be nice to get an earl weaver.

[PeaveyFury]

Brewers.com confirms that Melvin is done with interviews, and it will be one of Macha, Brenly, or Randolph:

 

http://milwaukee.brewers....ws_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil

[logan82]

Trying to measure the skill of a manager by the win/loss record of his team is like trying to measure the skill of a batter by looking at his team's record. It's a waste of time.

I think that a lot of the people here understand that rluz...but the general media needs to cater to the multitudes of bandwagon fans that wouldn't understand this concept...

Why? Reporters are doing fans a disservice by continuing to cater to outdated and just plain wrong thinking.

[BrewCrewForever]

Well all the Valentine or Johnson hopes are crushed. I'm willing to give any of the three guys a chance, but they all have faults. But they all seem to bring some positive things to the table as well. And one big positive is none of them are named Ned Yost.

[dpapo]

I found a few interesting things in Haudricourt's article this morning,

"One interesting connection in the search is that Melvin, Macha and Randolph all played together in 1974 for Pittsburgh's Eastern League team in Thetford Mines, Quebec. Melvin also came up through the Yankees' system as a video coordinator and later farm director in the '80s, and knows Randolph from then."

"Macha was dismissed in 2006 after Oakland won the AL West but was swept by Detroit in the ALCS, and reports surfaced that there was a "disconnect" between the manager and several players, including catcher Jason Kendall, who now plays for the Brewers. But Melvin said he looked into that situation and thinks there were extenuating circumstances that led to Macha "getting frustrated" there."

"Melvin knows Randolph so well that he let scouting director Jack Zduriencik ask most of the questions during their interview earlier in the week. Randolph told the New York Daily News that he noticed Zduriencik kept checking his BlackBerry and didn't know why, until it was announced the next day that Zduriencik got the job as Seattle's general manager."

"Should Brenly get the job, it might signal a return to the organization of Dale Sveum and Robin Yount, who returned as bench coach at the end of the season when Sveum was named the Brewers' interim manager. Yount was Brenly's bench coach in Arizona in 2004 and resigned out of loyalty when Brenly was fired that season."

If I had to guess, right now I think Macha is probably the favorite, then Brenly and Randolph 3rd. There is a past playing history with Macha and Melvin wanted to hire him back when he hired Yost, but Macha took the Oakland job instead. Also, Melvin sticking up for Macha, could be another sign that is where he is leaning. Plus, Haudricourt keeps saying that he is hearing a lot of talk about Macha.
With Randolph, there is a history and Mark A. being a Yankee fan might be more interested in Randolph, but I still think that it would be a bit odd if Melvin hired Randolph without giving him an interview. Yeah, he probably doesn't really need to as he seems to have a history with him, but still it will look bad if he hires Randolph without giving him an interview, even if it's just for show.
With Brenly, he's the only one that really fits one of the things Melvin said he was looking for. Someone who is familiar with the Brewers and the division. It might mean Yount coming back as bench coach. Haudricourt also hints that it might make it more likely that Sveum comes back which Melvin wants, but I'm not sure why Brenly would be more open to having Sveum back then say Macha, unless they are really good friends. He's also a name that might be attractive to Mark A. A name that Brewer fans and fans in the area will be familiar with due to his time as a Cub broadcaster and he's won a world series title as manager. Those things might be appealing for Mark A.

So, I guess a case could be made for all 3, though it would seem on the surface that Macha is the favorite at the moment, Brenly a close second and Randolph 3rd. At least that is my take of things at the moment.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/33285809.html