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There's been too many changes to offer up an accurate guess as to who's gonna get the axe.



Maybe you should have put this one up around the All Star Break.

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Riggs had done some good things for that club.

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I'm not sure I would call a guy who is not under contract being given 1.5 million dollars to not come back a firing. More like a divorce.

I'm not sure it was the right thing to do, but something needed to be done, and I don't think we have seen the last of the departures from Fenway. Tito was the Red Sox Manager for 8 years, that is a damn long time for an organization that rarely keeps a Manager for more than 2-3 years.

Michael Jordan’s two-word press release announcing his comeback: "I’m back.”
Robin Ventura’s first two publicly spoken words as manager of the White Sox: "I’m here.”

The baseball world’s one-word reaction to the even more stunning news that Ventura had been hired to manage the Sox:

What?

There are those who are saying "bad move” and those who need time to sleep on general manager Ken Williams’ second managerial hire. But very few are lauding it as a great hire, not when Terry Francona, Davey Martinez and Sandy Alomar were out there, to name a few.

Ventura, 44, a popular, well-liked and highly respected former Sox star whose only professional coaching experience is four months of work as an advisor to Sox scouting director Buddy Bell, will have his opportunity to make it a great hire with a multiyear contract in hand.

"I realize that he wasn’t on anyone’s list out there,’’ Williams said on a conference call Thursday. "We caught many of you by surprise.”

Considering Ventura has no experience as a manager, "many of you” is the understatement of the year. That lists includes Ventura himself, who said he didn’t set out to be a manager when the Sox hired him in June to be an assistant to Bell. When things unraveled to the end with Ozzie Guillen and his impending jump to Miami, Williams heightened his interest in Ventura — whose thoughts about being in the dugout never extended beyond a coaching or instructional situation.

"Things progressed fairly quickly when Ozzie wasn’t the manager anymore,” Ventura said. "When I first went home and talked to my wife [Stephanie] about it, it really turned us upside down because I have a good thing going.

"I was easing my way back in there. Now it seems I’ve jumped all the way in. I jumped right in the deep end.”

Ventura’s lack of experience is sure to come under scrutiny. The Sox will seek permission Friday from another team to interview a potential bench coach who likely will have experience as a major-league manager.

"I realize I haven’t managed,’’ Ventura said. "But I am in a place where I will get the support to grow and do the job.’’

Not having managed before, Ventura will need it.

"Not having managed before, I did have apprehension,’’ Ventura said. "[Williams] never had to talk me into it — it was about whether I would be committed to do it. When we finally had a face-to-face last week, I knew and my wife knew. That was the time we knew it was the right thing to do.’’

Williams said he would have preferred to see Ventura develop so he would hit the ground running when he was hired, but Guillen’s departure expedited his ascension at light speed.

"The need for him at this time with the current roster, and our future roster, he is just the guy that we have to have,’’ Williams said.

Williams lauded Ventura’s communication skills "that will translate into working well with our veteran players and young players who are still trying to find themselves in big leagues, and veterans trying to rediscover themselves.

"He has ability to discipline with seriousness, he has a sense of humor and [he will] create a professional yet fun environment to be around at the ballpark every day. And he’s familiar with our minor-league system.’’

When Williams approached chairman Jerry Reinsdorf with the Ventura idea, he said Reinsdorf responded with a small grin. Reinsdorf told him the next day the idea was growing on him.

"From the very first day he put on a White Sox uniform,” Reinsdorf said in a statement, "it was apparent that Robin was a born leader.”

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Tony La Russa Retires!  That mooning the Emperor Big Time!

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Think big Mac will try his hat? Will the owners let him? He lost a lot of respect after pleading the 5th in front of congress. I didn't lose any respect for him, man can still hit a baseball a shit ton mile! Steroids might make you stronger, but they don't make you see the ball better! Yeah, I said it!

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Epstein gave Mike Quade his walking papers.



I think that club may be something in a few years now with Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein at work.



Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

The Chicago Cubs fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday, and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein seems to have ruled out a popular name to succeed him in Ryne Sandberg.

The last part of that statement seemed to exclude Sandberg, and in fact Epstein did call him to say he wasn't in the running.

"The managerial search process begins immediately," Epstein said. "We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can build a foundation for sustained success. The next manager must have leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level."

Theo called me 10 minutes after they issued the press release (on Quade) and told me that they have a list of guys and I'm not on it,'' Sandberg said, according to the Daily Herald. "He wished me good luck and said he hoped I got a chance somewhere soon.