5 comments to “Talk about Stormy Weathers”

1. smartelf says:

   July 8, 2007 at 5:10 pm

   Damn it, were you trying to jinx Weathers, RHM? Auspicious timing for that headline indeed. But the boys pulled it out and finish the first half on a big positive note. You know its just a handful of games to get to the middle of our division and I really think we can finish the season respectfully under the interim manager. I don’t look for a manager change until the off season, and right now this guy Mechanin (or whatever) is in the mix for consideration because this team was liefeless before he took over.

2. KC2HMZ says:

   July 9, 2007 at 11:27 am

   Mackanin would be a candidate to have the interim title eventually removed, if not for the fact that his two most immediate predecessors, Dave Miley and Jerry Narron, ascended to the helm in precisely that manner, and the fans aren’t likely to buy anything less than a proven manager being hired for next year.

   So the Reds will cashier Pete, and hire somebody else, whether it’s Bob Brenly or Joe Torre or Tony LaRussa or Buck Showalter or whoever. Meanwhile, some team like the Orioles will snap up Mackanin and he’ll lead them to a surprise playoff berth next year.

3. smartelf says:

   July 9, 2007 at 2:08 pm

   I agree with your assessment, it would take a 2nd place finish for him to win the job. Still, you never know. A 1 year contract isn’t exactly written in stone and they could take a shot on that if he finishes strong.

4. KC2HMZ says:

   July 9, 2007 at 5:16 pm

   A significant upward movement in the division standings doesn’t strike me as being all that far-fetched.

   To begin with, I don’t think any of us really thought this team was as bad as it looked before Mackanin traded in his advance scout’s credentials for a uniform.

   On top of that, the bullpen, which was a major contributor to the first-half debacle, no longer has Narron mishandling it and also figures to get some help as soon as Guardado and Bray become healthy again.

   And then, I think back and fondly recall [url=http://www.red-hot-mama.com/comments.php?id=582_0_1_0_C]RHM’s self-fulfilling prophecy about Destiny, the Cubs, and the cellar[/url] last year, reminding me of the effect that losing Derrek Lee to an injury had on the Cubs in 2006. Which in turn reminds me that the division leading (for now) Brewers had Bill Hall go on the 15-day DL with a sprained right ankle on Friday (he’s expected to be out 4-6 weeks), and haven’t won a game since.

   The Cubs are still the Cubs, and the Pirates are still the Pirates – two teams that don’t even know who’ll be running the show next year.

   That leaves the Astros or the Cardinals to storm from behind and win the division. I expect that one of those teams will do exactly that. The other will catch whatever disease the Reds had before the carrier of the disease (Narron) was dismissed, and start losing regularly.

   That would set the stage for the Reds to climb past a few teams on the NL Central ladder. Whether or not that will get Mackanin retained as the manager for 2008 is debatable. Kriv-Dawg might go for it since he hired the guy back into the organization to begin with (Bowden fired him as the AAA manager a few years back). But I think that for Mr. Castellini to also buy it would require, among other things, an overwhelming grass-roots demand for it from the fans. I’m not so sure that’s going to happen, and I’m not so sure even that would be enough to sell the idea to Mr. Castellini in any event. I mean, look how long the overwhelming grass roots demand from the fans to fire Narron went on before that trigger was finally pulled.

   In the meantime, I’ll defer to [url=http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070709/SPT05/707090335/1027]Lonnie Wheeler[/url] and call him Pete McCanWin – and kick myself for not thinking of that nickname in the first place.

   HMZ

5. smartelf says:

   July 9, 2007 at 5:41 pm

   Well let me play Devil’s Advocate and say that I am sure Bob isn’t entirely pleased to have to pay Narron’s 2008 salary while he coaches his daughter’s basketball team. I don’t think it will take any kind of grassroots activism, because these guys do what they feel like doing no matter what we say. If Mackanin finishes them respectfully I think they would have to like the idea of paying him cheaply for one more year while they eat Narron’s salary and giving him his chance to see what he can do from Spring Training on… even if the fans get pissy they will just say its a 1 year contract only and if he starts slowly he can be replaced in midseason with a bigger name candidate. I just don’t see them paying out millions during the off season and also absorbing narron’s contract — IF Mackanin is doing a respectable job. PLUS if Bob has shown one thing it is loyalty to people who work for him. If this guy performs he will be rewarded, even if it is just a trial contract for 2008.

   And seriously why is Girardi any better? He got some young guys to play better than they should have? Wasn’t exactly any pressure on him was there? Brenly? He’s been broadcasting Cubs games the past few yrs, is he ready to come in here and lead us? LaRussa has the star power but he’s going to demand BIG money and probably want to replace the entire coaching staff — again more money and more firings.

   So, honestly, I think the best bet — if the Reds continue to improve — is that this guy is the manager in 2008.