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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Who stays, who goes?

With l00 losses in the books (and two more likely to follow), I sure hope change doesn't begin and end with the coaching staff.

I can't tell you for sure that I know what any of those guys actually do beyond the pitching coach and hitting coach. By that I mean what they do beyond the obvious. Tolman must have other responsibilities beyond standing in the box, flashing signs and sending and holding runners. Right?

St. Claire seems like the always safe guy and I keep reading he's well regarded. I assume that's justified just based on what I've read but I have no real clue. Do any of you? Has he really developed a pitcher since the Nats have been in Washington? Has he had the chance - has there been a serious pitcher to develop?

Who stays? Anyone? Is St. Claire still safe?
Who goes? I think Lenny Harris is an obvious choice.

Thoughts? Would it bother you to see a complete wipe out of the coaching staff?

13 comments:

Brian said...

Keep: Randy St. Claire & Rick Aponte

Go: Lenny Harris, Tim Tolman, & Jerry Morales

Aponte is close to Acta so I'm not sure he'd go. Tolman is also an old friend of Acta's but I'm not sure he stays. Third base coaches seem to have short shelf lives

The one name I didn't put up there was Pat Corrales. Corrales could very well retire and I'd hope the Nats would bring on another experienced guy to give Acta another sounding board.

JayB said...

Nope, fire them all if you like.

Randy St. Claire is fine but he is not any better than middle of the road among his peers in the league…..of course for this staff that is the pinnacle. Harris and Tolman would be dead last in a comparison of their peers. Oh and yes Tolman has other responsibilities among them he plans and organizes Spring Training…that time when players on real teams drill the fundamentals like bunting, calling balls, hitting cutoff men, base running you know…..all the stuff the Nats are so poor at………so yes he sucks at every part of his job.

Acta should be on a very short rope too.....by the end of May 2009 if he still is making excuses for his young team, that players who have to learn how to play baseball at the major league level are not accountable for anything, yet again, then, fire Acta too and promote the strong Bench coach you hired to replace Pat Corrales.

Anonymous said...

Bowden goes and the new GM gets to start from scratch.

MikeHarris said...

Including the manager? I'm not ready to go there - yet.

JayB said...

If we get a new GM....then Acta is out.....A great day for the Nats because of the GM and if the cost is Acta so be it. He is nothing special that's for sure and I bet season ticket sales would go up next year.

MikeHarris said...

I just don't feel like I can judge Acta yet. You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.
I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

WFY said...

Acta and St. Claire should stay, Tolman and Harris need to go. I think the Strength and Conditioning coordinator needs to go too.

Steven said...

I'm with Mike re: Manny. And I don't know how you don't respect his ability to keep this team motivated. Two horrible years, and they've never quit on him.

Brian--I'd be interested in your take on the strenghts and weaknesses of these coaches--who *should* go, not just who will go based on the tea leaves of political loyalties.

JayB said...

Steven,

Yes the team did not completely quit on him (except for Lopez, Lo Duca, Estrada, Rob M and others like them).......but you know that is not really the mark of a good manager. Like you would say, who cares if a bad team wins 50 or 60 games? Good managers do not keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Putting Pena and Lopez out there night after night was criminal. Good Managers do not make excuses for poor fundamentals and poor execution and Acta has become the King of excuses. How many outs has this team run into? What was the point of emphasis for the year coming out of Spring Training? That is right, not giving up outs on the bases.

The whole argument that a team of professional athletes have not quite on a manager who does not ask much of them and never holds them accountable for improving there skills just seems hollow to me. You see what you see and I see what I see but I would say allowing professional entertainers to walk out to their positions at the start of an inning let alone game tells me a great deal really about why Acta is popular. Low expectations, not conflict, high pay, great work if you can get it. Why would hey quit on a job like that.

Anonymous said...

I'd have to agree that they can all go, including Acta. If a new GM wants to run is his way, then fine, let him do it. I'd rather see the back of Bowden and Acta if it means I never have to see Bowdens ugly mug again!
PS - I don't like chicken salad. I'd rather a steak and fries.

Unknown said...

I have a feeling that if we get a new GM, presumably, Rizzo, Manny stays.

How about Leo Mazzone for a pitching coach?

MikeHarris said...

Mazzone did great when his pitchers were Smoltz, Glavine, Maddux. What did he do in Baltimore? I'm asking, not challenging. I seriously don't know.

MikeHarris said...

Apparently, they all go but St. Claire. I say apparently because I can't get it to open, I can only read the headline.

Well, Johnny is talking about it now. Everybody not named Acta and St. Claire is gone.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080928&content_id=3565496&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was