The Brewers' Next Manager; Latest -- Valentine may have inside track to the job; Cora, Melvin, Roenicke also finalists

[Never Outhustled]

The Pittsburgh Pirates bailed the 2008 Brewers out. Not Dale Sveum.

Well, the Pirates and the Mets combined to help. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

Well then the Marlins belong part of this too, for beating the Mets. It was Fredi Gonzalez who used his closer in the 8th inning, the biggest spot of the game, that was huge in beating the Mets. I'd love a manager with the courage to do that. Fredi is the guy.

 

[GAME05]

 

Well then the Marlins belong part of this too, for beating the Mets. It was Fredi Gonzalez who used his closer in the 8th inning, the biggest spot of the game, that was huge in beating the Mets. I'd love a manager with the courage to do that. Fredi is the guy.

ok, i'll be on board with Fredi Gonzalez as the next manager.

 

 

[BrewCrewForever]

hawing]

The Pittsburgh Pirates bailed the 2008 Brewers out. Not Dale Sveum.

 

Sveum has some good characteristics, but I don't want anyone whose thought process leads to starting Jeff Suppan over Yovani Gallardo in an elimination game managing the Brewers ever again.

Well, the Pirates and the Mets combined to help. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

 

If we had undeniable proof that Suppan starting that NLDS Game 4 was 100% Sveum's decision, I'd be more inclined to agree with you.

Yes, I to wonder who really made the call to start Suppan in game 4 when Gallardo was available and did end up pitching in relief that game. I still think that Melvin and/or Attanasio had a lot to do with that decision and not so much Sveum.

[pitchleague]

Well then the Marlins belong part of this too, for beating the Mets. It was Fredi Gonzalez who used his closer in the 8th inning, the biggest spot of the game, that was huge in beating the Mets. I'd love a manager with the courage to do that. Fredi is the guy.

Pardon me since my eyes may have been deceiving me, but hasn't Macha used Axford in the 8th inning for 4+ out saves (or at least attempts) several times over the last month or so?

[twobrewers]

Sveum has some good characteristics, but I don't want anyone whose thought process leads to starting Jeff Suppan over Yovani Gallardo in an elimination game managing the Brewers ever again.

Sveum definitely had some head scratching decisions.

 

However, since a MLB manager has a fairly limited impact on the game, I'd prefer a manager that the players want to play for. As far as I can tell, no one has had too many positive things to say about Macha. (McClung went out of his way to say bad things about Macha) At least the players like Dale.

[GAME05]

Yes, I to wonder who really made the call to start Suppan in game 4 when Gallardo was available and did end up pitching in relief that game. I still think that Melvin and/or Attanasio had a lot to do with that decision and not so much Sveum.

 

that would make for a gigantic degree of meddling by Melvin if he was actually telling Sveum who he should be starting in the game. i have my doubts that a GM would go so far as to do that, even more so that Attanasio would have done that. his regular-season stats aside that year, he was brought on specifically to be a big-game pitcher, which he'd proven to be. and wouldn't Gallardo have been on short rest if he'd have pitched that game, too? if DM had thought so little of Sveum at that point, then Sveum would have never been promoted to Interim Manager in the first place.

[Sage]

Alright, I felt the need to bring this up. Since Sweet Lou retired, and Quade took his place, I've been hearing that the Cubs will not be looking at Ryne Sandberg to be their next manager. So, would you guys want Sandberg as the next manager of the Brewers, and do you think he'd be open to managing the Brewers?

[RockCoCougars]

GAME05]that would make for a gigantic degree of meddling by Melvin if he was actually telling Sveum who he should be starting in the game. i have my doubts that a GM would go so far as to do that, even more so that Attanasio would have done that. his regular-season stats aside that year, he was brought on specifically to be a big-game pitcher, which he'd proven to be. and wouldn't Gallardo have been on short rest if he'd have pitched that game, too? if DM had thought so little of Sveum at that point, then Sveum would have never been promoted to Interim Manager in the first place.

Starting Suppan over a healthy Gallardo was not a decision any sane 'baseball man' would have made - even if Gallardo would have only been able to go 4-5 innings. It will take a lot of convincing for me to believe that this decision wasn't a mandate by Attanasio- no matter how it was conveyed to Sveum. It's generally accepted that Yost's dismissal was a mandate by Attanasio, so why would this one be a stretch? I certainly wouldn't exclude Sveum from consideration solely because of this decision.

[Never Outhustled]

Well then the Marlins belong part of this too, for beating the Mets. It was Fredi Gonzalez who used his closer in the 8th inning, the biggest spot of the game, that was huge in beating the Mets. I'd love a manager with the courage to do that. Fredi is the guy.

Pardon me since my eyes may have been deceiving me, but hasn't Macha used Axford in the 8th inning for 4+ out saves (or at least attempts) several times over the last month or so?

 

Yes, Macha has done that, and its worked well. However, Gonzalez didn't use Gregg for a 4 out save in that game. He went to his set-up guy to close it out in the 9th. Gregg was used to get 2 outs in the 8th.

 

The difference in Macha and Gonzalez is their leadership abilities. Macha isn't a bad strategist, except when he bats Escobar 2nd.

[Baldkin]

X ellence]The difference in Macha and Gonzalez is their leadership abilities. Macha isn't a bad strategist, except when he bats Gomez 2nd.

Fixed.

Or, I'd say when he plays Gomez anywhere but CF defensively. Ridiculous to put your best CF in RF... especially 4-5 times when the guy playing CF couldn't even run his Achilles was so bad.

Macha is also about to break Kameron Loe's arm by over use, and brings him in yesterday in a 5 run game when any one of the other 6 relievers would've been a better choice. He's now at 39 appearances and 42 IP in 76 games since being called up. That's on pace to blow away the team record for appearances and would be the most IP by a Brewers reliever in over 25 years.

[logan82]

Don't forget Macha batting Kendall leadoff last year.

[trwi7]

Don't forget Macha batting Kendall leadoff last year.

 

Or Corey Patterson.

[logan82]

Don't forget Macha batting Kendall leadoff last year.

Or Corey Patterson.

Ugh, some things are better left forgotten.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Macha seems to be a relatively sound strategist, and mildly creative.

 

He uses a power guy in the 2 spot.

He uses his closer for 4+ out saves.

He uses his loogy for a full inning on occasion (such as last night)

He plays lefty righty splits.

He doesn't make the Ned Yost-like managerial moves that just make you say "HUH?!?!?!"

 

I don't like the way he's flip flopped Braun and Fielder, and occasionally has a 300-ish OBP guy hitting 2nd (Escobar, Gomez), but those moments aren't enough for me to seriously question his baseball acumen.

 

I think most people's biggest beef with Macha is that the guy doesn't outwardly display any passion, and that he doesn't order retaliatory beanballs.

[Baldkin]

He uses his loogy for a full inning on occasion (such as last night)

That's my biggest beef with Macha so far this season, aside from Gomez hitting second. Braddock has no business being a loogy. His stuff is way too filthy. Let the man pitch to RHB's.

[RockCoCougars]

My major beef with Macha is the following:

 

Macha's Milwaukee record vs. Pittsburgh: 20-10

Macha's Milwaukee record vs. everyone else: 120-140

 

The guy inherited a playoff team, and this is what he's done. Yes, they were a borderline playoff team, and lost a lot in C.C. and Sheets, but Macha has shown me nothing. He may be a solid strategist (which I question), but a computer could do that. This team is poor fundamentally, and that falls to him. Going further, I just don't get the vibe that he is too popular with the players. He needs to go sooner rather than later.

[rickh150]

Bo Ryan of your and my Wisconsin Badgers....................... His teams overachieve. That's what I want in Milwaukee. I would like to be pleasantly surprised with how great our team has become.

[BREWCREW5]

My major beef with Macha is the following:

 

The guy inherited a playoff team, and this is what he's done. Yes, they were a borderline playoff team, and lost a lot in C.C. and Sheets, but Macha has shown me nothing.

Wow.

 

If you take away any "playoff teams" number one and number two starter, they wont be a playoff team anymore. Especially when one of them goes by CC. Take him off of the Yankees last year, and it would be interesting to see if they make the playoffs either.

 

Don't get me wrong, I want to see a positive change too. The Brewers were not a playoff team last year or this year.

[DHonks]

RoCo, the team doesn't have a LOOGY.

[Invader3K]

Wow.

 

If you take away any "playoff teams" number one and number two starter, they wont be a playoff team anymore. Especially when one of them goes by CC. Take him off of the Yankees last year, and it would be interesting to see if they make the playoffs either.

 

Don't get me wrong, I want to see a positive change too. The Brewers were not a playoff team last year or this year.

Yeah, Macha inherited a team that ended up having one of the worst starting pitching staffs in the majors, two years in a row. I'm not saying he should get a complete pass; but not many teams are going to playoffs with terrible starting rotations. It just doesn't work.

[jeffy]

Since Sweet Lou retired...

 

How about they hire Lou and keep Mach, too. Macha can actually run things, maybe from the club house...or even better from a suite on the club level. Lou can be in the dugout and do all the things fans think are important, like yelling, kicking dirt on umpires, and ordering bean ball wars.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Since Sweet Lou retired...

 

How about they hire Lou and keep Mach, too. Macha can actually run things, maybe from the club house...or even better from a suite on the club level. Lou can be in the dugout and do all the things fans think are important, like yelling, kicking dirt on umpires, and ordering bean ball wars.

BRILLIANT. (and I'm pretty sure I'm not being sarcastic)

[RockCoCougars]

I can't believe that Macha still has supporters. I guess that people like to root for the underdog or something. It comes down to one thing, the team has played badly under him and he needs to go. Like it or not, the playoff season raised the bar here. Going further, he has the personality of a head of lettuce, and judging from things I've read over the past couple of years, I'd be willing to bet that he's unpopular with most of the players- I have a feeling there will be a lot of guarded type barbs from players next spring regarding how 'we did things last year' when they are contrasting the old and new regimes.

 

Some may say that he did not have the pitching, etc., and that's mostly true. Maybe Melvin should be held accountable as well.

[rluzinski]

It comes down to one thing, the team has played badly under him and he needs to go

 

And that's why managers are replaced at a comical rate in MLB. The fans demand it!

 

I don't think Macha is a particularly good manager but I don't blame him for not making the playoffs the last couple of years. These teams don't have playoff caliber talent. Before Macha managed a single game, the team was picked by everyone to NOT make the playoffs. Are we supposed to just ignore that so we have someone convenient to blame?

[RockCoCougars]

It comes down to one thing, the team has played badly under him and he needs to go

 

And that's why managers are replaced at a comical rate in MLB. The fans demand it!

 

I don't think Macha is a particularly good manager but I don't blame him for not making the playoffs the last couple of years. These teams don't have playoff caliber talent. Before Macha managed a single game, the team was picked by everyone to NOT make the playoffs. Are we supposed to just ignore that so we have someone convenient to blame?

I don't think the Brewers are a playoff team either, that said, I don't think they've been playing to their talent level. They've haven't even been a .500 club, dominating the Pirates and generally playing poorly against everyone else. I guess the argument is that Macha hasn't caused the team to underachieve. Though I would argue that he has, he most certainly hasn't caused the team to overachieve. Many teams have overachieved and made the playoffs because of it. Going back a few years, though they never made the playoffs, Phil Garner had several teams in relative contention at this point in the season, without anywhere near the horses and/or payroll that Macha has.