After getting swept in Philadelphia, and giving away their lead for the Wild Card in the process, there really was no other option than what just happened today. It's been something years in the making, perhaps, but Ned Yost has been finally been fired. This is the Press Release from the Milwaukee Brewers:-------------------------------------------------------------
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers today announced that Ned Yost has been dismissed from his position as manager of the Club. The announcement was made by Brewers Executive Vice President and General Manager, Doug Melvin.
“This was a very difficult move to make, and we appreciate all of the work that Ned has done to develop this team into a contender,” Melvin said. “In the end, this was a collaborative decision made to put our Club in the best position for the final two weeks of the season.”
Dale Sveum, the Brewers third base coach, will take over in an interim role as manager for the remainder of the season. Bench Coach Ted Simmons has been reassigned to an advisory role. Any other coaching changes will be announced later.
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Unfortunately, this may be too little too late. Clearly, something wasn't working in that dugout, and the Brewers needed a change. After pushing all his chips into the middle of the table, Doug Melvin is not going to let Ned Yost steal the pot.
I wonder what the last straw was. The daily batting order slotted by position? Having two wins in the last two weeks? It's likely a mixture of everything, but don't be surprised if Melvin is also a little more than pissed that his toy CC Sabathia didn't pitch in that Phillies series.
The Brewers have twelve games left on the schedule, that's it. They are tied for the Wild Card, and that's really the only way they are getting in to these playoffs. But will the players really starting hitting because Dale Sveum is the manager? Can this managerial switch do the same wonders it did for the Harvey Wallbangers back in '82? Or is it one final move of desperation in a season that may have already gotten away?
We'll know in two weeks.
4 comments:
Any research the buckychannel.com can do noting the correlation between record & managers being fired & of games left in the season. Lets see it.
What, do you think I'm made of time?
Oh... wait.
I'm not sure about the decision.. is Sveum really the guy we want coaching the Brewers in a hypothetical playoff run?
Right now we Brewer fans have to take the move at face value, but the underlying message appears to be:
"We have so little confidence in Ned Yost's ability to direct a team that's tied for the Wild Card lead with two weeks to go that we'd rather wipe the slate clean now & give Sveum a shot.
Furthermore we feel that under Sveum's guidance the team will at least avoid falling another 6 games back over the next two weeks."
I actually think Ned did a better job of managing games this year, but that's because he had more talent to work with. Over the winter break, Doug Melvin will have to search for someone who resonates more with the team. Also, it's imperative that Melvin look to add some contact hitting, high OBP, & lefties to the lineup to complement the myriad, free swinging power hitters that have simultaneously been a blessing & curse all year.
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