Macha Selected As New Brewers Manager (reply 667ish)

[1992casey]

Let's let this topic focus on the news in the blog entry and keep discussion of Sveum alternatives in this thread.

 

The first and biggest offseason question: Who's the manager in 2009? (merged with Who replaces Ned Yost/Dale Sveum?)

 

Thanks.

[GormanHarvey]

I am glad to hear DM is headed down there to talk to Dale. I really hope they retain Sveum

[homer]

Why I don't like Sveum:

 

- ignored reverse splits and went RH heavy lineup against Hamels (not the end of the world but still)

- brought in Torres in bottom of the ninth in Game 3 to face two lefties when Shouse was available. I hate it when managers use guys just cuz 'that's their role' instead of managing to the situation. Yost did that all the time. (handling of the bullpen is huge and probably the most important thing a manager does.)

[logan82]

homer wrote:

- brought in Torres in bottom of the ninth in Game 3 to face two lefties when Shouse was available. I hate it when managers use guys just cuz 'that's their role' instead of managing to the situation. Yost did that all the time. (handling of the bullpen is huge and probably the most important thing a manager does.)

Yost actually once or twice brought in Shouse to face lefties at the start of the 9th inning in a save sitation. At least once it didn't work.

 

I thought Sveum went a little overboard with the smallball in a few games. I didn't have a problem with Cameron leading off or Hall 2nd against lefties. I did however have a huge problem with dropping Weeks/Durham to 6th in the lineup and Counsell 2nd against righties. Durham and Weeks were arguably our 2 best hitters in the month of September(I know Fielder had a good month, but that was more like 2 good weeks since he sucked at the start of the month). I really hate the "go with the veterans: attitude from Sveum. I also didn't like giving Durham more than one start a series, but that is more of a minor quibble since the big reason behind that is not wanting Durham to burned out. However since there wasn't much of the year left That doesn't really bother me.

[Ennder]

Why I don't like Sveum:

 

- ignored reverse splits and went RH heavy lineup against Hamels (not the end of the world but still)

- brought in Torres in bottom of the ninth in Game 3 to face two lefties when Shouse was available. I hate it when managers use guys just cuz 'that's their role' instead of managing to the situation. Yost did that all the time. (handling of the bullpen is huge and probably the most important thing a manager does.)

Sadly even the best managers in baseball don't seem to understand that change up specialists excel against opposite handed batters and you need to stack your lineup with same handed guys. When you face Santana, Hamels etc you want to stack lefties, not righties.

 

He actually brought in Torres to face 1 lefty and then a pinch hitter and a switch hitter. The time to bring in Shouse was for the last out of the 8th inning, 2 outs, runner on 2nd and back to back lefties up to bat. I don't think it is a huge deal personally, I'm much more upset by Suppan starting that game than any other move Sveum made and my guess is that was a team decision and not a Sveum one.

[bcf5575]

I can understand not liking "small ball" as a general principle, but I have no problem at all with what Svuem tried to do with incorporating some of it into some of the games after he took over. the offense was in a horendous slump for the whole month before he took over. I was be more upset if he just sat there and expected not doing anything to be a better solution. a bunt > than watching another strikeout...

[davego]

Unless a candidate comes forward that is clearly better then Dale, I'd prefer the 'Crew stays with him.

[davego]

I'm going to wonder out-loud if Bobby would be the right fit for this team? I certainly don't know, but he is quite the personality. Would he become a distraction? I know his act in New York got pretty old (or seemed to from what was reported at the time). Doesn't 'seem' to be a fit with DM.

[bcf5575]

i dont have any problem with svuem (yet), but I hope this interview is a part of a process and that other qualified canditates are interviewed as well. I think that Melvin deserves some credit in being able to find the best guy.

[logan82]

I can understand not liking "small ball" as a general principle, but I have no problem at all with what Svuem tried to do with incorporating some of it into some of the games after he took over. the offense was in a horendous slump for the whole month before he took over. I was be more upset if he just sat there and expected not doing anything to be a better solution. a bunt > than watching another strikeout...

They stayed in their horrendous slump after he took over. Bunting and giving away outs is a terrible thing to do when a team is slumping.

[joepepsi]

I can understand not liking "small ball" as a general principle, but I have no problem at all with what Svuem tried to do with incorporating some of it into some of the games after he took over. the offense was in a horendous slump for the whole month before he took over. I was be more upset if he just sat there and expected not doing anything to be a better solution. a bunt > than watching another strikeout...

They stayed in their horrendous slump after he took over. Bunting and giving away outs is a terrible thing to do when a team is slumping.

A better way to break a team wide slump is to use more favorable matchups on a game by game basis. I would have sacrificed catching defense every once in a while for a better hitter in Rivera. Inserting lefties like Nelson in RF and Lamb at 3B against righties would have improved the odds of a better offensive attack.

 

The joy that Ned and Dale took in playing 3 automatic outs (Hart, Counsell/Hall, Kendall) everyday the last 6 weeks was inexcusable.

[logan82]

joepepsi wrote

The joy that Ned and Dale took in playing 3 automatic outs (Hart, Counsell/Hall, Kendall) everyday the last 6 weeks was inexcusable.

Many people, myself included, though Kendall should have had more days off. I am not sure how much better Rivera is as a hitter than Kendall, but I think Kendall would have been a better hitter with more rest.

 

Counsell in any role other than a bench player getting 1-2 starts a week is a bad idea. I have no problem with the role Hall was put into as the right handed part of a platoon at 3B. Putting that platoon in the 2 hole was a bad idea as well especially when Counsell is the big half of the platoon.

[joepepsi]

The problem is Hall hit .182 in September; .207/.292/.326 were his rate stats after the All Star break. Ned couldn't resist playing him against against righties, presumably because Bill is a good guy and Ned wanted to keep him happy. Platoons only work if you stick with them. Dale appeared to have a better understanding of that.

[jeffy]

Very few of the bunts weren't in appropriate places, in fact I find it hard to remember a single one.

Durham bunted in the first inning in one game...but that was later said to be his own idea, not Sveum's. In the same game, JJ Hardy bunted with 2 strikes, while it was "successful" that does not make it a good strategy.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I disagree with those who argue Sveum using Kendall every day was a mistake. The time to rest Kendall was May-August so he could play everyday down the stretch in September. By the time Sveum took over, why wouldn't he roll Kendall out there everyday with only two weeks left, versus Rivera who barely played all year? This was a Yost problem, not a Sveum problem IMO.

[azcheesehead]

I was at Maryvale today watching some youngsters and heard it out of Melvin's mouth himself while talking to some "baseball guys". He had a meeting with Dale recently and told him to wait. They don't know what their team is going to look like yet and aren't going to hire someone until they know what their team looks like. Now what that means exactly, I don't know....but I heard it from his mouth today.

[Harold Hutchison]

Unless a candidate comes forward that is clearly better then Dale, I'd prefer the 'Crew stays with him.

Agreed. The first rule with something like this is "do no harm." If Doug can't find a better manager than Sveum - he needs to keep Dale around.

[BrewCrewForever]

Unless a candidate comes forward that is clearly better then Dale, I'd prefer the 'Crew stays with him.

My exact thoughts. But if there is someone better out there they should look that way. But if I was Melvin the interview would start like this: "Dale, thanks for having me over and that to have this meeting we are really considering you to be the Manager of the Brewers in 2009 and that, we like how the team played and responded to you the last 12 ballgames and that, however I do have to start this off with a very important question. Why did you start Jeff Suppan over Yovani Gallardo in game 4 of the NLDS if you were willing to use Yovani out of the pen for 3 innings? I would like a good answer please."

[brewcrewkid14]

...and that" http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[RockCoCougars]

I'd stick with Sveum, even though I'm still sore about him starting Suppan. I'm assuming that he will come cheap, so if he falls on his face, a move can be made in short order. Better than giving more money to dolts like Ken Macha or Mike Hargrove.

[markedman5]

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/default.aspx

[BREWCREW5]

I am excited to see what happens with Sveum but I really want to hear Melvin get an extension soon so we can get going on building off of the playoff experience.

[Crew2323]

An update from Haudricourt. I'm glad Melvin is looking at other possible candidates. I almost get the sense from the article that Melvin is hoping to hire someone else. Maybe it's just me.

[Team Canada]

Latest update from TH:

 

Melvin considering other candidates

 

By Tom Haudricourt

 

Boston - I just spoke on the telephone with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, who told me he is considering a "short list" of other managerial candidates in addition to Dale Sveum, the team's interim manager at the end of the 2008 season.

 

Melvin said he has been contacted by a few people with previous big-league managerial experience who expressed interest in the Brewers job and said he felt obligated to speak with them.

 

"I owe it to myself and the organization to make sure we're not overlooking somebody else out there," said Melvin, who is still in Phoenix after interviewing Sveum on Monday night.

 

"We're a little more attractive club now than we were in 2003. I'm getting some people reaching out and saying they're interested in the position. I've got to make sure I explore some of these situations. I'm looking at more experience there. Dale has the advantage of familiarity."

 

Melvin said those on his "short list" all have previous big-league managerial experience. That group could include Bob Brenly, former manager in Arizona now a TV broadcaster for the Cubs; Willie Randolph, fired by the Mets during the 2008 season; Davey Johnson, who managed Team USA in the Olympics; and Mike Hargrove, who stepped down in Seattle this year citing "burn out."

 

One recent report said Bobby Valentine, now managing in Japan, would be interested in the Brewers' job but Melvin said he had not heard from Valentine.

 

As Sveum told me yesterday, Melvin said he doesn't want to drag the process out for long, in part because he wants to tell his coaches what their situation is. All members of the coaching staff were signed only through 2008.

 

"I'll probably talk to two or three other people, at the most," said Melvin. "I'll determine if they'd be a fit or not. It's a very short list. I don't want to talk about who I have interest in and who I don't.

 

"We're in a position now that we can sustain some success, so things have changed from 2003 (Melvin's first year as GM with the Brewers). Things have changed. All of a sudden, we're getting some names interested in the job.

 

"I'm not ruling Dale out at this point. Right now, Dale is the manager. I told him I'd like to let him know by the end of the week. I don't know if I'll be able to do that but I don't want it to go too long."

 

Melvin said he remains in talks with owner Mark Attanasio for an extension of his contract, which is set to expire after the 2009 season. "We're getting close enough" (to move forward with the managerial search)," said Melvin.

Presumably TH is just making up that list himself. Cmon, Davey..

[markedman5]

"I'm not ruling Dale out at this point. Right now, Dale is the manager. I told him I'd like to let him know by the end of the week. I don't know if I'll be able to do that, but I don't want it to go too long."

 

If I were DS this wouldn't make me rest any easier about my future with the club..............