Connolly: Heads may roll today

[Moose Milligan]

33 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I disagree. You may know some of this because I'e been leaking a lot of this over time in posts, but Dan basically just confirmed that the team is made up of several "architects" and that Brady was the one in charge this offseason. He also made some great points, if Duquette is fired, that pretty much concludes that Brady will be the major architect o the rebuild. If none of Buck's coaches are fired or Buck himself, it means that Buck will continue working with Brady on the rebuild and will be back.

If Buck's coaches are fired, it would mean that Brady is putting down the law and that Buck is vulnerable after he season unless Brady know the manager of the future that he wants and he's available.

The article was right on the nose from what I know.

Well from that perspective, yes, it's good information.  But from the perspective of "there are some rumblings in the warehouse today, heads can roll..."  not really, IMO

 

 

[Pheasants]

A question that affects my view on firing Coolbaugh: Who taught Hays his new upper-cut swing that's led to such regression?  If that was Coolbaugh's idea of how Hayes needed to change to make the majors, get rid of the guy.  If Hays made the decision or one of the current major leaguers convinced him what to do, keep Coolbaugh.  Who is influencing so many of the players to do things the same bad way?

[sportsfan8703]

1 hour ago, DirtyBird said:

It doesn't matter who we get - we get a much needed culture change. We get someone who can start fresh and make decisions based on who players are instead of who they were.

Buck was the culture change. 14 years of losing before him. 

We need to keep him and get a workable power structure.  Buck needs to manage. We need a GM to make all player decisions. 

Brady needs to get removed from the situation. Maybe he can throw out a first pitch or two. 

[NashLumber]

1 hour ago, Bradysburns said:

Problem is, it should have been neither. It should have been Dan, and then we'd know. That's the problem with wishy-washy reporting structures. They provide everyone with plausible deniability... and when trust starts breaking down, even a little bit, accountability goes out the window, and knives come out. 

I’ve run out of giving rep today and it’s not even 11am. But I agree 100%. An actual GM and not some fluid job title like VP of Baseball Operations is what’s needed, a guy who is paid to make the decisions, is allowed to make the decisions and when they don’t pan out, you don’t have to wonder if the field manager or some nebulous roving body builder / former center fielder is guiding the ship. 

 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

 

[DirtyBird]

5 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Buck was the culture change. 14 years of losing before him. 

We need to keep him and get a workable power structure.  Buck needs to manage. We need a GM to make all player decisions. 

Brady needs to get removed from the situation. Maybe he can throw out a first pitch or two. 

Buck was the culture change in 2010. That was a long time ago.

He is now emotionally invested and attached to players and team that isn't producing.

[Tony-OH]

Just now, wildcard said:

You have to be kidding.   Schoop is a middle of the order hitter.  MVP of the team last year.   He may take a week to find his timing but his defense alone will help this team.  Peterson should be much better at 3B than Alvarez.

Rickard in the leadoff spot and playing right field  could be a great up grade over Santander.   He adds speed which the O's have lacked.  Joey has been tearing up AAA and the O's need to find out if he is a full  time player or just a platoon player as he was used before.     Adding Joey  moves Mancini down  in the order.   

Melville is pitching well as AAA and  should be much better than Tillman.  The other 4 starters are doing well now and adding a 5th could be help reduce the stress on the pen.   

Santo's minor league stats look good.  He could be a good  long reliever/spot starter.   And he has options something that adds flexibility to the relief staff.  Wright does not offer options.    The O's are first in line for an AL waiver claim so if they want him he should be theirs.    

I think all four players could be a boost to the O's in the next couple of weeks.

Wait, wait, are you really suggesting that Rickard is some kind of answer to being better? You mean the guy with a career 229/.275/.317/.593 slash line against RHP in the major leagues? 

[esmd]

McDowell and Coolbaugh certainly don't seem to be helping, but it's hard to know how much is on them and how much is just on the players.  I don't think Buck gets canned, though PGA wouldn't not can him simply to avoid paying another manager.  They've made in-season moves before with Perlozzo and Trembley, to name two.  DD is another issue, I could see him getting "re-assigned", at least unofficially, and him go on an acknowledged, or perhaps unacknowledged leave of absence.  I just don't think they want to fire the man and embarrass him and hurt his future job prospects.  I dunno, I guess we'll see.

[Bradysburns]

7 minutes ago, NashLumber said:

I’ve run out of giving rep today and it’s not even 11am. But I agree 100%. An actual GM and not some fluid job title like VP of Baseball Operations is what’s needed, a guy who is paid to make the decisions, is allowed to make the decisions and when they don’t pan out, you don’t have to wonder if the field manager or some nebulous roving body builder / former center fielder is guiding the ship. 

 

"Nebulous roving bodybuilder..." Spot on. I love Brady. He's a really smart guy and I have no problem with him as a trainer or whatever. But if we're looking for change at GM, he does NOT represent change... progress... moving forward. His entire frame of reference is the Orioles, pretty much! 

[clapdiddy]

Sometimes I wonder where the team would  be if we had just let Duquette go to Toronto a couple of years ago. 

[NashLumber]

Just now, Bradysburns said:

"Nebulous roving bodybuilder..." Spot on. I love Brady. He's a really smart guy and I have no problem with him as a trainer or whatever. But if we're looking for change at GM, he does NOT represent change... progress... moving forward. His entire frame of reference is the Orioles, pretty much! 

Ever since I was walking from my hotel on Russell St. to OPACY around ‘99 or ‘00 (when the grimy Holiday Inn was there under the overpass) and saw the shirtless buffed up Brady on a giant promo billboard sized poster, I pretty much quit taking him seriously. 

[Bradysburns]

2 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

Sometimes I wonder where the team would  be if we had just let Duquette go to Toronto a couple of years ago. 

It's hard to imagine we'd be worse off. But I just read Tony OH's rundown of the actual power structure inside the Warehouse... and it's shockingly disturbing.

Anything other than Dan Duquette making final personnel decisions -- with an Angelos signoff -- is absolute insanity and explains 100% why this team is a patchwork of ill-fitting pieces. 

There is no single architect. There is no single vision. And that means, effectively, there is no vision at all. 

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Firing Buck because their are a lot of injuries, non performance, the hardest schedule to begin the  season in the  Majors is not a smart move.   Let's see what happens when Schoop, Britton, Rickard are back and Mancini knee is healed.   Tillman and Wright being replaced will also help.    The team starts playing well and things will look better.

That does not change the fact the the O's free agents need to be traded.  The O's have dug too big a hole to contend this year but this team can play a whole lot better with its injured player healthy.

I expect the team will start playing better at some point, though it hardly matters.    The organization is a train wreck now.    Not only are they losing, they’re boring to watch.   More than boring — unenjoyable.

I think the lack of leadership at the very top of the organization is palpable     Ownership needs to show fans they have some kind of a plan.  

 

[LC_O's_87]

1 minute ago, clapdiddy said:

Sometimes I wonder where the team would  be if we had just let Duquette go to Toronto a couple of years ago. 

Well if you believe much of whats being posted here and elsewhere, pretty much exactly where we are right now.

It seems like a combination of PA and sons, Brady and Buck who are responsible for all the personnel moves that haven't worked out since 2014 (slight hyperbole).

Certainly it's Duquette or an ally of his who's going to Connolly and Rosenthal with these stories the last couple months.  The truth often lies in the middle and I find it hard to believe Duquette's been a passenger here since 2015.

But, I guess we will find out soon enough.

[Finisher]

12 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

Sometimes I wonder where the team would  be if we had just let Duquette go to Toronto a couple of years ago. 

Probably in the same place. DD lost most of decision making and Buck and Brady assumed it. Would've happened regardless.