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sbk92
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A's fire Bob Geren; Bob Melvin interim
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. -- With his banged-up team mired in a nine-game losing streak and rampant speculation about the tenuous status of manager Bob Geren, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane felt he had no other choice than to make a change.
The A's fired a manager during the season for the first time in a quarter-century on Thursday, letting Geren go after four-plus seasons and bringing in former Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners skipper Bob Melvin for the rest of the season.
"It felt like at this point a change was necessary," Beane said. "It got to the point where the emphasis was on the status of the manager on a daily basis and no longer on the field. When that starts to happen, you need to shift the focus to what's really important, which is performance. That's how we came to this decision."
Geren's tenure in Oakland was marked by numerous injuries, a lack of offense, questions about his communication skills and high-profile departures as he was unable to post a winning season after taking over an AL West championship team from Ken Macha.
Geren posted a 334-376 record, including a 27-36 mark this season that has left Oakland eight games behind the Texas Rangers in last place in the AL West.
The A's currently have four starting pitchers on the disabled list, including a season-ending shoulder injury for Dallas Braden. Oakland was also without injured All-Star closer Andrew Bailey for the first two months and is last in the American League with just 223 runs through the first 63 games.
"Bob Melvin will inherit some of the challenges that Bob had," Beane said. "Bob lost four starting pitchers in the space of three weeks. That was a tough body blow for the team. That was very difficult from Bob's standpoint."
Melvin, 49, took the helm for the series opener in Chicago against the White Sox on Thursday night. He posted a 493-508 record in seven seasons as manager with Seattle and Arizona. He led the Diamondbacks to the NL West title in 2007 and also won 93 games in his rookie season with the Mariners in 2003.
Melvin was also on Bob Brenly's staff as bench coach in 2001 when the Diamondbacks won the World Series and the following year when they won the NL West. Melvin also coached for the Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers.
He was fired by the Diamondbacks 29 games into the 2009 season but got another chance when Beane decided it was time to let Geren go.
"This is a difficult situation," Melvin said. "It was difficult for Billy. It's going to be difficult for everybody involved here. It came together so quickly because we've know each other for so long and have so much respect for each other, know what the other one's strengths are."
Melvin played 10 seasons in the majors as a catcher with the Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and White Sox. He batted .233 with 35 homers and 212 RBIs in 1,955 career at-bats.
Melvin is a Bay Area native who was born in Palo Alto, went to high school in Menlo Park, played college ball at Cal, spent time with the Giants in the majors and now gets to manage the A's.
"It's a dream come true," he said. "This doesn't happen very often in baseball, where you literally get to come home in the capacity that I do."
The beleaguered Geren had come under criticism from his bullpen in recent weeks for a lack of communication with reliever Brian Fuentes and former Oakland closer Huston Street publicly criticized him.
That started the speculation about whether Geren would make it through his final season under contract.
"I can't say it was a surprise," Fuentes said. "Regardless whether it was our team or any other team, when things don't go well there are always moves that are made."
It was the rash of injuries and the total lack of offense that led to the current losing streak that finally spelled the end of Geren's tenure.
With no homegrown hitting stars and disappointing starts by offseason acquisitions like Hideki Matsui and David DeJesus, the A's find themselves in last place despite a stellar young pitching staff headed by All-Star Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and recently injured Brett Anderson.
"It's got great pitching, good athletes and we're going to try to play the game we're suited to play," Melvin said. "We're probably not going to sit around and play for three-run homers a whole lot. We play in a ballpark that's probably more conducive to being aggressive and that's what we're going to try to do."
The current skid is the longest for the A's since a 10-gamer in July 2008 and the fifth-longest single-season losing streak since the team moved to Oakland in 1968.
This is the first time the A's have fired a manager during the season since getting rid of Jackie Moore after 73 games in 1986. Jeff Newman took over for 10 games on an interim basis before Tony La Russa was brought in to start a run that included four division titles and the 1989 World Series championship.
Beane said he started the process of evaluating Geren's status a few weeks ago before making the ultimate decision.
"Whenever you replace your manager, it's a drastic move," Beane said. "I've never had to do it in my tenure as general manager. This is a new script for myself. I don't know if you ever know what the right time is."
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. -- With his banged-up team mired in a nine-game losing streak and rampant speculation about the tenuous status of manager Bob Geren, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane felt he had no other choice than to make a change.
The A's fired a manager during the season for the first time in a quarter-century on Thursday, letting Geren go after four-plus seasons and bringing in former Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners skipper Bob Melvin for the rest of the season.
"It felt like at this point a change was necessary," Beane said. "It got to the point where the emphasis was on the status of the manager on a daily basis and no longer on the field. When that starts to happen, you need to shift the focus to what's really important, which is performance. That's how we came to this decision."
Geren's tenure in Oakland was marked by numerous injuries, a lack of offense, questions about his communication skills and high-profile departures as he was unable to post a winning season after taking over an AL West championship team from Ken Macha.
Geren posted a 334-376 record, including a 27-36 mark this season that has left Oakland eight games behind the Texas Rangers in last place in the AL West.
The A's currently have four starting pitchers on the disabled list, including a season-ending shoulder injury for Dallas Braden. Oakland was also without injured All-Star closer Andrew Bailey for the first two months and is last in the American League with just 223 runs through the first 63 games.
"Bob Melvin will inherit some of the challenges that Bob had," Beane said. "Bob lost four starting pitchers in the space of three weeks. That was a tough body blow for the team. That was very difficult from Bob's standpoint."
Melvin, 49, took the helm for the series opener in Chicago against the White Sox on Thursday night. He posted a 493-508 record in seven seasons as manager with Seattle and Arizona. He led the Diamondbacks to the NL West title in 2007 and also won 93 games in his rookie season with the Mariners in 2003.
Melvin was also on Bob Brenly's staff as bench coach in 2001 when the Diamondbacks won the World Series and the following year when they won the NL West. Melvin also coached for the Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers.
He was fired by the Diamondbacks 29 games into the 2009 season but got another chance when Beane decided it was time to let Geren go.
"This is a difficult situation," Melvin said. "It was difficult for Billy. It's going to be difficult for everybody involved here. It came together so quickly because we've know each other for so long and have so much respect for each other, know what the other one's strengths are."
Melvin played 10 seasons in the majors as a catcher with the Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and White Sox. He batted .233 with 35 homers and 212 RBIs in 1,955 career at-bats.
Melvin is a Bay Area native who was born in Palo Alto, went to high school in Menlo Park, played college ball at Cal, spent time with the Giants in the majors and now gets to manage the A's.
"It's a dream come true," he said. "This doesn't happen very often in baseball, where you literally get to come home in the capacity that I do."
The beleaguered Geren had come under criticism from his bullpen in recent weeks for a lack of communication with reliever Brian Fuentes and former Oakland closer Huston Street publicly criticized him.
That started the speculation about whether Geren would make it through his final season under contract.
"I can't say it was a surprise," Fuentes said. "Regardless whether it was our team or any other team, when things don't go well there are always moves that are made."
It was the rash of injuries and the total lack of offense that led to the current losing streak that finally spelled the end of Geren's tenure.
With no homegrown hitting stars and disappointing starts by offseason acquisitions like Hideki Matsui and David DeJesus, the A's find themselves in last place despite a stellar young pitching staff headed by All-Star Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and recently injured Brett Anderson.
"It's got great pitching, good athletes and we're going to try to play the game we're suited to play," Melvin said. "We're probably not going to sit around and play for three-run homers a whole lot. We play in a ballpark that's probably more conducive to being aggressive and that's what we're going to try to do."
The current skid is the longest for the A's since a 10-gamer in July 2008 and the fifth-longest single-season losing streak since the team moved to Oakland in 1968.
This is the first time the A's have fired a manager during the season since getting rid of Jackie Moore after 73 games in 1986. Jeff Newman took over for 10 games on an interim basis before Tony La Russa was brought in to start a run that included four division titles and the 1989 World Series championship.
Beane said he started the process of evaluating Geren's status a few weeks ago before making the ultimate decision.
"Whenever you replace your manager, it's a drastic move," Beane said. "I've never had to do it in my tenure as general manager. This is a new script for myself. I don't know if you ever know what the right time is."
sbk92
2
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- 12,134
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Joba Chamberlain likely done for year
By Andrew Marchand
ESPNNewYork.com
NEW YORK -- Yankees setup man Joba Chamberlain has a torn ligament in his right elbow and will likely miss the remainder of the season, manager Joe Girardi said.
"My guess is he probably is going to have to have surgery," Girardi said.
Girardi said Chamberlain will likely have Tommy John surgery.
"With Tommy John, you are talking [being out] 10 to 14 months," general manager Brian Cashman said.
"This sucks," Chamberlain said. "There's no way to sugarcoat it. It's something I didn't expect with no pain. The most frustrating part is not being there for the team. [But] everything happens for a reason. I'll come back and be even stronger."
Surprisingly, Chamberlain said he feels "no pain" and has "no idea" how the injury occurred. But he felt tightness after throwing long-toss on Tuesday and went in for an MRI on Wednesday, which revealed he had a strained flexor tendon.
Chamberlain was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, but a dye contrast MRI on Thursday morning revealed that the injury was more significant.
"I was just trying to get out of there before I broke down," Chamberlain said of his reaction to the devastating news "I shed a couple tears. (But) you can't let it beat you. You gotta get stronger and get better."
Chamberlain's MRI results will be sent to renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, where it will be determined whether or not he needs to undergo Tommy John.
At this point, Chamberlain has no plans to see Andrews.
"There's not much more we can do," Chamberlain said.
Heading into the season, the Yankees bullpen was expected to be a strength, with Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano getting the ball before elite closer Mariano Rivera.
Soriano, who was signed for three years and $35 million this offseason, has been a major disappointment and is on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.
Soriano has not started throwing yet, Girardi said, and is not close to returning. David Robertson will be the Yankees eighth-inning man for now, Girardi said.
After Rivera and Robertson, the Yankees bullpen coniststs of Luis Ayala, Boone Logan, Jeff Marquez, Lance Pendleton and Amauri Sanit.
Besides Chamberlain and Soriano, the Yankees are without lefty specialists Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte. Both may be out for the rest of the season as well.
Girardi said the team is "confused" by Chamberlain's injury because the reliever has not experienced any of the typical symptoms of pitchers who need Tommy John surgery. "He said (Wednesday) was a normal long-toss for him so it really has us all kind of scratching our head," Girardi said on Thursday. "When you talk about the symptoms that someone has when they hurt that ligament, Joba doesn't have them."
When asked about the extent of the injury on Wednesday, Chamberlain said: "If you asked me to pitch today, I would tell you I could pitch today."
On Thursday, Girardi added, "He has no idea when this happened."
Before the latest diagnosis, the Yankees thought Chamberlain would sit two weeks to a month and then start a throwing program, Girardi said.
Chamberlain had emerged as the team's setup man in the absence of right-hander Soriano and in 28 2/3 innings had 12 holds and a 2.83 ERA. The Yankees placed rules on Chamberlain to limit his innings in 2009, when he was used as a starter.
"If there were no 'Joba Rules' in place, could it have possibly happened earlier? I don't know," Girardi said. "There's no exact science because everybody is different."
Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com. ESPNNewYork.com's Michael Mazzeo and Ian Begley contributed to this report.
By Andrew Marchand
ESPNNewYork.com
NEW YORK -- Yankees setup man Joba Chamberlain has a torn ligament in his right elbow and will likely miss the remainder of the season, manager Joe Girardi said.
"My guess is he probably is going to have to have surgery," Girardi said.
Girardi said Chamberlain will likely have Tommy John surgery.
"With Tommy John, you are talking [being out] 10 to 14 months," general manager Brian Cashman said.
"This sucks," Chamberlain said. "There's no way to sugarcoat it. It's something I didn't expect with no pain. The most frustrating part is not being there for the team. [But] everything happens for a reason. I'll come back and be even stronger."
Surprisingly, Chamberlain said he feels "no pain" and has "no idea" how the injury occurred. But he felt tightness after throwing long-toss on Tuesday and went in for an MRI on Wednesday, which revealed he had a strained flexor tendon.
Chamberlain was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday, but a dye contrast MRI on Thursday morning revealed that the injury was more significant.
"I was just trying to get out of there before I broke down," Chamberlain said of his reaction to the devastating news "I shed a couple tears. (But) you can't let it beat you. You gotta get stronger and get better."
Chamberlain's MRI results will be sent to renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, where it will be determined whether or not he needs to undergo Tommy John.
At this point, Chamberlain has no plans to see Andrews.
"There's not much more we can do," Chamberlain said.
Heading into the season, the Yankees bullpen was expected to be a strength, with Chamberlain and Rafael Soriano getting the ball before elite closer Mariano Rivera.
Soriano, who was signed for three years and $35 million this offseason, has been a major disappointment and is on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation.
Soriano has not started throwing yet, Girardi said, and is not close to returning. David Robertson will be the Yankees eighth-inning man for now, Girardi said.
After Rivera and Robertson, the Yankees bullpen coniststs of Luis Ayala, Boone Logan, Jeff Marquez, Lance Pendleton and Amauri Sanit.
Besides Chamberlain and Soriano, the Yankees are without lefty specialists Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte. Both may be out for the rest of the season as well.
Girardi said the team is "confused" by Chamberlain's injury because the reliever has not experienced any of the typical symptoms of pitchers who need Tommy John surgery. "He said (Wednesday) was a normal long-toss for him so it really has us all kind of scratching our head," Girardi said on Thursday. "When you talk about the symptoms that someone has when they hurt that ligament, Joba doesn't have them."
When asked about the extent of the injury on Wednesday, Chamberlain said: "If you asked me to pitch today, I would tell you I could pitch today."
On Thursday, Girardi added, "He has no idea when this happened."
Before the latest diagnosis, the Yankees thought Chamberlain would sit two weeks to a month and then start a throwing program, Girardi said.
Chamberlain had emerged as the team's setup man in the absence of right-hander Soriano and in 28 2/3 innings had 12 holds and a 2.83 ERA. The Yankees placed rules on Chamberlain to limit his innings in 2009, when he was used as a starter.
"If there were no 'Joba Rules' in place, could it have possibly happened earlier? I don't know," Girardi said. "There's no exact science because everybody is different."
Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com. ESPNNewYork.com's Michael Mazzeo and Ian Begley contributed to this report.
Cythim
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I like the idea of a DH in both leagues. Pitchers are becoming too specialized to worry about them hitting and more pitchers will be open to playing in the NL. I think MLB needs to adopt a universal set of rules and umps so inter-league play isn't as odd as it currently is.
sbk92
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That's pretty much my take. I want to see professional at bats.
But I've heard many baseball purists say that it would take away a great deal of the managing aspect of the game. They look at the DH as a cheap gimmicky thing. The managers in the NL earn their pay for more than their AL counterparts.
All I know is as a fan I want to see a professional hitter up at the plate as opposed to a pitcher. And I certainly agree that the rules should be the same in both leagues.
But I've heard many baseball purists say that it would take away a great deal of the managing aspect of the game. They look at the DH as a cheap gimmicky thing. The managers in the NL earn their pay for more than their AL counterparts.
All I know is as a fan I want to see a professional hitter up at the plate as opposed to a pitcher. And I certainly agree that the rules should be the same in both leagues.
Cythim
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I wouldn't be heartbroken either way because I do love seeing pitchers like Mike Hampton help himself out by being a decent hitter. Just so long as they make the rules the same. I don't think the Yankees or Red Sox will allow the DH to go away so the path of least resistance seems to be giving the NL a DH as well.
C
Cr122
Guest
That's the way it should be though, everyone on the team should be batting if you're playing a position.
I'm for all pitcher's batting as well.
I'm for all pitcher's batting as well.
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Either. I lean towards the NL side. It does make managing a little more challenging with the pitcher hitting. (when to pull pitcher, pinch hitting, batting line up, etc...)Just make it uniform where both leagues are doing the same.
If the DH is in both leagues they should make it mandatory where the DH has to log so many innings in the field as positional player during the season. I don't know how they could monitor that but it seems fair to have a player actually have to use a baseball glove once in a while instead of a bat anchored to his hand.
If the DH is in both leagues they should make it mandatory where the DH has to log so many innings in the field as positional player during the season. I don't know how they could monitor that but it seems fair to have a player actually have to use a baseball glove once in a while instead of a bat anchored to his hand.
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DH. And I'm a purist. I think at this point, its better for the game.
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If you're advocating a major change to the way the game is played, then no, you arn't a purist. lol
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Baseball is slipping further and further behind football and basketball. Everything that can be done at this point to make the game more entertaining, needs to be done. I'll amend my statement. I USED to be a purist. I'll piss on Nap Lajoie's grave if it means watching David Ortiz bat over Doug Davis.
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I wouldn't be against it.
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I don't know how it is in all markets, but from being near the Philly area, i can definitely say baseball around the tri state area is alive and well. The Phils sell out pretty much every game and whenever games are on, people are watching and talking about it.
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Phillies are a top team. Baseball does well in Boston, New York, Philly, Dallas, San Fran...but what about Baltimore, Kansas City, Florida, Seattle, Pittsburgh, so forth and so on.
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I don't know.. i don't have the attendance figures for those markets so i couldn't tell you. That's what i was saying earlier. Im sure its like any sport though, the teams that lose constantly don't have as many fans coming out to see them. You're never going to change that no matter what sport it is.
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Problem baseball has is that even teams that win (Marlins) can have trouble bringing fans in.
sbk92
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That's due to the spending.
Bring a salary cap into baseball and you'll see more interest in those cities.