Say what you will about Sox ownership, but at least they don't pick up the guitar and start writing breakup songs when they fire someone.
Counsell is a better manager IMO than Bochy, who was super lucky his team made the playoffs this year and has always been a mediocre at best regular season manager. Counsell's teams, on a shoestring budget, have made the playoffs 5 of the last 6 years and missed the other year by 1 game after trading Hader at the deadline.
Bochy strikes me like Tito - he manages the season as a slog and the playoffs entirely different ly - and it’s led to 3 titles for him.
Damn that’s right. Crazy impressive. Get to the playoffs in any way than turn it up.
I don't think any of us have much of an idea what kind of impact specific managers actually have, but maybe he should manage a little differently in the regular season then, as only 4 of his 13 SF teams made the postseason.
What makes one a more qualified candidate? They interviewed at least eight candidates and the only two who have managerial experience were Counsell – in which case I think they made the correct decision on not being worth a bidding war – and Andy Green, who was by far the least interesting option of the bunch.
Thanks very much for the article. I did not know about this, which makes Vogt's hiring much less bizarre:
Even if this only constitutes a season of actual coaching, it's not nothing, which is what I thought he was coming into the job with.
I am really stuck on this:Ross is out and not moving up to the FO
https://theathletic.com/5038015/2023/11/06/cubs-craig-counsell-david-ross-jed-hoyer/
I hear there may be an opening a year from now for a team he once played for.
Who knows, maybe Breslow is currently buying him drinks at an out of the way Legal Seafood with Cora having no knowledge of it.
If I could buy one thing it would be the baseball signed by the Beatles from the Shea Stadium concert.
He might be worth a gander - if nothing else, at least he got his teams to play hard after the trading deadline the past two seasons.
Impressive indeed. I'm a bit torn on how to feel about Cruz
Dusty Baker just retired at age 74. He was perfectly acceptable the last 3 years, no? Bochy is 68. I do remember hearing the Braves' players raving about Washington's coaching. The Sox could have used him to teach base-running and defense this past season.
I must admit, my hatred of this move lessened a lot when it was announced as a two-year deal. That makes me think that (1) they are going to trade Trout and (2) they are going to spend the next two years trying to rebuild.
This is like saying Pete Carroll is a good coach in his 70s, so maybe we should hire Rex Ryan as our coach - he's only 60! Ron Washington has not been a particularly good manager at any age.
No, I think it's like saying that older candidates shouldn't be discriminated against
There are rumors that the White Sox might be looking to Mike Monaco to replace him.
