Impressions of Roenicke so far (part 1)

[RockCoCougars]

I haven't seen him lean against a pole and yawn yet, so he has that on Macha. As for the players still liking him, I think it's just the honeymoon period- time will tell, but at this point he seems a better fit for this team than Macha was.

[MVP2110]

I actually believe RRR has done a good job. has he been perfect no, but not many are. People always are going to find complaints with the coach. There are a ton of options to do on every aspect of the game and a coach can only pick so obviously someone out there is going to disagree with him. I love the stealing, especially with 2 outs and trying to get into scoring position. You can already tell the players love him more than they ever did with Macha. His lineups have been much better lately now that everyone is back with the team, and I haven't had to much of an issue with the bullpen usage. My only issue with him is how he uses his bench,(ex. Starting Kotsay multiple times a week) but we'll see if that trend continues now that Nyjer is back. The shifts seem to be working to although I don't have the stats to back me up on that. But he seems to be a smart baseball mind to me and the players respect him so overall I think he has done good.

[Thurston Fluff]

Trying to judge a rookie manger based on 50 games is like judging a player based on his first 50 games. It just can't be done to any degree of accuracy so why even try? Is there really even a need to judge now? Doesn't attempting to now cloud the issue so it makes it harder to do so objectively when there is enough information to make one? Why is there such a rush to do so anyway? This is who we will have for at least two years and the team is winning despite more injuries than I thought it could survive and still win. Whether that has anything to do with who is the manager I have my doubts but it seems he isn't preventing the team from playing up to expectations. Given how little managers really matter anyway I'd say anyone who doesn't get in the way is all that is necessary to be getting one with at this point.

[cwolf2012]

"Trying to judge a rookie manger based on 50 games is like judging a player based on his first 50 games. It just can't be done to any degree of accuracy so why even try?"

 

There's no sample size with managers. Decisions are very clear cut and purely mental. He has made bad decisions.

 

I'm not saying he can't improve, but you can absolutely judge a manager on a 50 game sample size. A hitter, no.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'm curious to see what Roenicke does now that he has everyone healthy on offense. Hopefully his lineup decisions won't look as stupid as they have at times this year. Today I can understand with Hart sick and Nieves catching Wolf, but hopefully he keeps running out better lineups on a regular basis. I'd like to see how he'd run an entirely healthy bullpen also. He hasn't had Saito for almost the whole year, Hawkins clearly can't be used a lot yet, and we currently have no lefties in the pen. If everyone ever gets healthy, maybe he can settle on a clear plan for the bullpen.

[ilovebeer]

I was actually going to bring this topic up today, I was not sure how I felt about him. i defiantly like him more than Macha. I agree you need a manager that the players like, Only thing I haven't liked is Kotsey in center field and Gomez batting 2nd.

[Funketown]

Roenicke seems like a nice old-fashioned baseball guy with a good personality. Unfortunately, his understanding of both offensive and defensive talent is poor to say the least.

 

Hard to rail on him for starting Morgan today given that Hart is injured. I'm really hoping that he understands how much more valuable Morgan is than Kotsay against RHP. Perhaps he at least understands that Morgan is a far better defender given that Morgan is getting the nod against a lefty?

 

Up to this point, I'll give him a D. He just has not done an adequate job of maximizing this team's likelihood to win. I'd like to say he's better than Yost, but I just don't know if I can.

[ilovebeer]

Hart is not injured he is sick.

[Ennder]

Today's lineup, Morgan against a lefty instead of Hart, Lucroy out, and Gomez #2. Inconceivable. DPR strikes again.

 

Hart is sick, Gomez is probably the best #2 guy in that lineup and Lucroy does have to sit sometimes as a C. There is nothing wrong with today's lineup.

 

I give him a C overall. He does things I disagree but I usually at least have a little bit of an understanding of where it comes from(unlike Yost who routinely put in the worst player for the job on the entire roster in a big situation) and he does seem willing to change when it becomes really obvious that one is needed. He moved Lucroy up when he started hitting for power, he didn't when he just had an insanely high BABIP. He moved Gomez down when we had a clear upgrade at #2 though he took long to do it. He started playing Morgan over Kotsay vs RHP etc. He needs to curb the baserunning with our bad baserunners like Fielder, McGehee and Gomez but I like the improved aggression from Braun, Weeks, Hart etc. The players really seem to like playing for him, nobody barked out during the big losing streak and it never seemed like anyone has given up on a game on the season.

[nate82]

He is the same as all of the other managers in MLB. No real difference really. I don't see why everyone fusses so much over the managers.

[MVP2110]

Overall I'd give RRR a B for now. He made some questionable moves at the beginning of the year but IMHO he has started making much better decisions lately. His lineups make sense most of the time. His shifts seem to be working and his bullpen usage has been pretty good. I think Melvin might have actually gotten one right here.

[Baldkin]

If he's the one who insisted on having 13 pitchers, despite basically never using 2 of them, then he gets a D in my book. If that isn't his fault, I'll move it up to a C. He's thrown Loe too much, has used the wrong guys on his bench too often (lots of Kotsay, no Boggs, almost no Counsell) and as far as I remember, he hasn't subbed defensively for Betancourt once this year.

[nate82]

If he's the one who insisted on having 13 pitchers, despite basically never using 2 of them, then he gets a D in my book. If that isn't his fault, I'll move it up to a C. He's thrown Loe too much, has used the wrong guys on his bench too often (lots of Kotsay, no Boggs, almost no Counsell) and as far as I remember, he hasn't subbed defensively for Betancourt once this year.

I don't blame RR for not subbing Betancourt defensively as there is no one on the roster that should be subbing for Betancourt defensively. I still do not understand why Melvin brought Counsell back since he is done last year should have been his last year and they should have brought Inglett back instead of Counsell as he was a cheaper option compared to Counsell. There really isn't anyone that much better than Betancourt defensively on the team at SS.

[Ennder]

Counsell is still an average defensive SS, saying he isn't better than Betancourt is absurd in my mind.

[RockCoCougars]

Again, I'd say that managing is mostly about people skills as opposed to strategy. I'd say about 2/3 to 1/3. Leadership and communication abilities not only make it easier to get on the same page, but likely motivate the players more. I think this is true in any business- some of the 'smartest' bosses that I've had were the worst managers due to their personality and/or poor communication skills. I won't lie, I was less motivated by these people- maybe some aren't but judging from my co-workers, most are. It may not have even been a lack of motivation as opposed to a lack of understanding what we were supposed to do.

[nate82]

Counsell is still an average defensive SS, saying he isn't better than Betancourt is absurd in my mind.

Average at fielding but his range is about as good as Betancourt's range is.

[Ennder]

Counsell is still an average defensive SS, saying he isn't better than Betancourt is absurd in my mind.

Average at fielding but his range is about as good as Betancourt's range is.

No average overall, Counsell's range is fine his throwing arm is a wet noodle at this point though. Counsell is a very clear upgrade defensively over Betancourt at SS, in the order of a win or so over a full season most likely.

[nate82]

I just don't see Counsell as having average range he just does not pass the eye test. When looking at him playing at SS that he has played this year he looks to have as much range as Betancourt does. From watching Counsell and Betancourt playing SS they look about the same range wise.

[Ennder]

Betancourt gets some of the worst jumps on balls of any SS I've ever seen and he moves like he has bricks in his pants. Counsell's range isn't a big positive or anything, it is just better than Betancourt's

[nate82]

Betancourt gets some of the worst jumps on balls of any SS I've ever seen and he moves like he has bricks in his pants. Counsell's range isn't a big positive or anything, it is just better than Betancourt's

I just don't see it. To me they are exactly the same.

[Ayt]

I'd rather have Yost.

[logan82]

Today's lineup, Morgan against a lefty instead of Hart, Lucroy out, and Gomez #2. Inconceivable. DPR strikes again.

 

Hart is sick, Gomez is probably the best #2 guy in that lineup and Lucroy does have to sit sometimes as a C. There is nothing wrong with today's lineup.

Yup, and I posted that we should wait and see in the in game forum. It doesn't excuse the poor choices he has made so far with his lineups. Kotsay in CF is borderline criminal.

[RockCoCougars]

Counsell has the range of, well... a 40 year old man. In the annals of baseball, how many 40 year olds have played shortstop? Not very many. I can think of Vizquel and Ozzie Smith off hand, but there can't be many more. Counsell's reflexes and legs are slowing as is his bat speed. Did you see his at bat last night? The Giants left fielder was playing him similar to when the benchwarmer in little league gets his at bat, like 25 feet behind the shortstop.

[Nottso]

When RR speaks he reminds me a lot of Woody Harrelson. Sounds a bit like him and even has similar mannerisms. I hope this means we're safe from zombies.

[1992casey]

How about moving the discussion of Counsell's defense to either the Betancourt thread or a thread of its own, depending on how you want to frame the discussion. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif