I'm slow to judge, but Trembley officially lost me tonight

[brooksie05]

We are emulating the Rays model at this point. Unfortunately, we are not at the stage of the 2008 Rays yet, but probably more like the 2001 or 2002 version. There is no easy fix. The team will play better, but a new manager is not going to make us a contender.

We are TRYING to emulate the Rays model now. We are more like the 2003 Tigers now and less the 2008 Rays. I just want a manager who will hold his player's accountable. You don't run out a ball (B-Rob 2009, Lugo 2010), you don't play.

[Sanfran327]

Why can't we just pull the MLB equivalent of a mulligan and fire Trembley, cut Atkins and Lugo, and just refuse to cary any more dead weight? Other organizations do not tolerate this level of productivity. In most other places, if you can't produce, you'll be replaced by someone who can.

[Bradysburns]

unfortunately I'm finally jumping on the fire Trembley bandwagon as well. I didn't want to put all the blame on him and I still think it isn't entirely his fault. My men's slowpitch softball team could out hit this team and we are all out of shape. The team needs to take responsibility but Trembley at the helm has never worked. He tried restoring fundamentals at the beginning but that got old pretty quickly. He has been here for parts of four seasons and has a record of 174-256. What is worse is that his winning percentage (or should I say, the team's winning percentage) has dropped in each season he has been manager -- including the abysmal current .143 winning percentage.

A change needs to be made. I'm wondering: who takes over? Crowley? He should probably be canned as well. Shelby? Samuel? Datz? Probably not, he is a Trembley guy. Dunn? We see how well the bullpen coach taking over has worked. Kranitz? He has done well with our pitchers. Or do we bring someone in from the outside?

On an unrelated note, I truly hope that BJ Surhoff will become hitting coach in the near future

I LOVE the BJ suggestion... He's the perfect kind of guy to have in the clubhouse... Nobody held himself more accountable than BJ...

[glorydays]

Basically, Trembley is here because of his ability to work with and help our younger players progress towards reaching their full potential. When I have been able to watch games this year... it has only been through the opponents feed, so I don't get the close up shots of DT that you all may get.

My biggest concern now... and I admit this is something that should have been a concern in the past - is that his inability during the game to council (it doesn't even need to be a good chewwing out) vet players who don't run out balls or make just silly baserunning/fielding/pitching errors will begin to have a long term negative impact on player developement of our younger players.

If he is failing to even react to these problems during game play... I agree that its time for DT to go - for the good of our young players.

[Nigel Tufnel]

What happened to the seemingly tough as nails guy who stood up to Tejada when he refused to take infield practice? Or the guy that said that he wanted to stress the fundamentals?

Was he not ready for the AL East's level of competition or did he not get the staff he was promised and had no idea how to manage in a creative and challenging way?

I am very disappointed because I really liked DT as a manager. There was something paternal and smart about the guy but this malaise or whatever is infecting our team needs to go immediately if we have the slightest hopes of approaching .500 in 2010.

MSK

I think he may have just found out how hard it was to get the players to listen to him. As a guy who had never played professional baseball and who worked on a series of 1-year contracts, it must have been hard for him to get the players' respect. He could call out Tejada that first year, because he didn't know any better, and because Miggi had completely fallen into disfavor with the organization. And he could call out Pie, because he was the 25th man. But he probably worried that if he tried that with anybody who was popular, he'd lose the clubhouse.

I think Dave decided to instead go with plan B, which was to try to be everybody's friend, and hope they would listen because they liked him. That rarely works.

It's a shame, because I think most people like DT as a person and want him to succeed, but, yeah, it's time for a change.

[tennOsfan]

I believe I'm done with Trembley also. I am sick of watching Oriole hitters run half-heartedly to first base. They've done this for years, and it is indicative of the culture of losing and failure that accompanies this team.

Show effort on the little things, and then you might convince me you care about the big ones.

I remember Jimmy Rollins getting publicly fined not long ago for not running out a grounder. Imagine, the NL MVP getting fined by his manager! Rollins manned up and admitted he was wrong. I bet our players would admit the same if we had a manager, and system, that demanded 100% effort. Either play hard or you don't play.

When an infielder knows that the batter is going to be running all-out to first, a throw might be rushed, a ball might be muffed, all because they know they have a limited time to make their play. When they know Roberts, Lugo or whomever else (fill in the blank) will be trotting his way down, they know they have plenty of time and can be as careful as necessary. You cannot tell me that effort and good/bad breaks don't have some correlation that can contribute to your win/loss record.

I for one am sick of following a team that doesn't care enough to run out grounders. Get a manager in here who demands effort, all the time, out of everyone.

[Neusbaum]

With an off day tomorrow I predict Dave Trembley's flight goes to Baltimore and not to Boston...New Manager hired by Tuesday.

Lets just hope its Dave Martinez from Tampa Bay

[AlbNYfan]

Basically, Trembley is here because of his ability to work with and help our younger players progress towards reaching their full potential. When I have been able to watch games this year... it has only been through the opponents feed, so I don't get the close up shots of DT that you all may get.

My biggest concern now... and I admit this is something that should have been a concern in the past - is that his inability during the game to council (it doesn't even need to be a good chewwing out) vet players who don't run out balls or make just silly baserunning/fielding/pitching errors will begin to have a long term negative impact on player developement of our younger players.

If he is failing to even react to these problems during game play... I agree that its time for DT to go - for the good of our young players.

DT may have been the correct guy a couple of years ago and maybe last year with a low key approach, let the kids play and develop, patient with young pitchers, etc.
It is unfair for anyone, including MacPhail, to expect DT to turn a switch and suddenly be a hard ass manager.
It is time to get a new voice in the dugout. It may not do much, but the time is now. I expect tonight is DT's last night. I think AM has had someone in the wings for a while.

[Tony-OH]

One thing to consider here, would it be fair to any new manager or even an interim manager to start off facing the Yankees and Red Sox for 12 straight games with this team?

Everyone knows I've been a big supporter of Dave, but I certainly understand there comes a time when change is necessary. I didn't see the game last night but I do find the Lugo situation last night to be disturbing, especially considering his response to Thirne when questioned about the situation.

Dave might just be shell-shocked at this point. No one could have predicted a complete melt down by the offense led by the loss of their leadoff man Roberts and followed up by a cold spell by almost every single hitter. No one could have predicted their closer would be terrible then hurt, and a guy who was counted on to be a staple in their bullpen (Koji) would be out all year so far (ok, maybe we could have guessed 'ol Softi-san would miss some time). No one would have guessed that Bergesen was not going to be anywhere near where he was last year (shoulder?) or that Tillman's command would digress.

All of those things have conspired to doom the Orioles this year and ultimately will probably doom Trembley and possibly his staff. I agree with Drungo that Trembley is a pretty conventional manager and to me, he's done a pretty good job with some pretty dismal talent over the last few years. However, no organization can accept losing at this pace, especially when the home crowds have been dismal and now the core fans, such as ones on here are reaching their breaking points.

Trembley might be relieved of his duties soon, and it might even be the right thing to do under the old "change for change sake is good," but if he is let go, it will not be becuase he didn't care or that he didn't prepare as best as he could.

In the end something will probably happen because the natives are demanding a sacrifice and Trembley in the sacrificial lamb position of being a manager on the last year of his contract on the worse team in baseball right now.

[Jagwar]

It seems to me like the team needs a jolt, and it is easier to change one person than the entire roster. Unfortunately, that implies that the manager needs to go.

Oh, if the team isn't hitting, shouldn't Crowley be worried about his phone ringing too?

[DrungoHazewood]

I think Dave decided to instead go with plan B, which was to try to be everybody's friend, and hope they would listen because they liked him. That rarely works.

Actually, I think being a good guy who trusts his players to do the right thing works quite often. Lots of Hall of Fame managers were definitely not out of the John McGraw, Earl Weaver, Billy Martin, Dick Williams mold.

It just doesn't work in all places at all times.

[SoBo]

DT seemed like the kind of guy we're looking for right now when he took over the team, taking infield practice, calling out miggi for lack of hustle, etc... What happened to that guy? He makes Ray Miller look like Ozzie Guillen in the dugout. Teams typically take on the mentality of their skipper and it's clear this team has done just that. I don't know who the right manager is for this team. But it's clear DT is not the right guy today.

[Dwight Schrute]

It's been that way for a week, has it? You've known that the players have been just waiting for it to happen, have you? DT's known it too? Well, how clever of you to keep this a personal secret until after Frobby started his fire-DT thread.

Now, in fairness, it's not just you, it's several folks. Frobby starts it, and people come out of the woodwork, talking about DT in the past tense and claiming that he already knows he's gone. This from people who apparently didn't know that themselves until Frobby started this thread... but the minute that happens, they're suddenly sure about it...

The Me-Too Train is now leaving on Track 47.... All aboard!!!

What is YOUR opinion?

[DrungoHazewood]

I think AM has had someone in the wings for a while.

It would be out of character for MacPhail to not have a list in his back pocket. He's probably talked to several candidates already. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd fire Trembley today and stick Kranitz or Crowley in the job for three weeks while he scuffles around for a replacement.

[NewMarketSean]

It's been that way for a week, has it? You've known that the players have been just waiting for it to happen, have you? DT's known it too? Well, how clever of you to keep this a personal secret until after Frobby started his fire-DT thread.

Now, in fairness, it's not just you, it's several folks. Frobby starts it, and people come out of the woodwork, talking about DT in the past tense and claiming that he already knows he's gone. This from people who apparently didn't know that themselves until Frobby started this thread... but the minute that happens, they're suddenly sure about it...

The Me-Too Train is now leaving on Track 47.... All aboard!!!

Nope. Wrong. People have been critical of DT since the offseason when MacPhail decided to bring him back. Once the team started 1-9, people have been calling for him to be fired.

Now Frobby coming out and saying the same makes it OK somehow.

Thing is, everyone who was speaking their opinion a week ago saying DT should be fired were getting criticized for it.