MANAGERS ARE FIRED, CASHMAN LIVES ON
By Murray Chass
October 29, 2017
Let’s see if we can get this straight. The Yankees don’t advance to the World Series so just like the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox they fire their manager. They jettisoned Joe Girardi after 10 years and six post-season appearances.
In effect, although different words were used, Girardi leaves the Yankees in a manner similar to Joe Torre’s departure 10 years ago. General Manager Brian Cashman is the man left standing.
Cashman didn’t fire Torre after 12 years as manager, four World Series championships and six World Series appearances. He just made him an offer he could refuse, and Torre did. Cashman didn’t give Girardi an option. He just said, “You’re fired, Joe.”
No matter what you might have read or anyone might have said …
Keep reading...
NEW RULE: WIN WORLD SERIES OR GO HOME
By Murray Chass
October 22, 2017
The price of winning in baseball has gone up meteorically, in case you hadn’t noticed. This month two managers, Dusty Baker of Washington and John Farrell of Boston, have been fired despite directing their teams to a second successive division championship.
Baker and Farrell weren’t fired for lack of winning but for not winning enough. That is, their teams lost in the division series – the first round – of the playoffs and didn’t win – or at least advance to – the World Series.
In dismissing Baker after two years as the Nationals manager, Mike Rizzo, the president of baseball operations, stated it simply:
Keep reading...
MANAGERS ABANDON STARTING PITCHERS
By Murray Chass
October 15, 2017
Where have all the starting pitchers gone? Look quickly and closely, or you may miss them. This has been probably the most unusual post-season ever, marked by manager after manager rushing from the dugout to the mound to summon relief pitchers with the games still in the early innings.
The managers can’t seem to wave their arms, left or right, quickly enough in the directions of the bullpens to call for new pitchers. Joe Girardi, the Yankees’ manager, set the tone in the very first post-season game, yanking Luis Severino only one out into the American League wild-card game with Minnesota. Other managers quickly followed suit.
Through Thursday night’s National League division series final game …
Keep reading...
