Elias' Brady comments (Connolly article)

[royalstillman]

Good God y'all,what is it good for?

 

[mdbdotcom]

1 minute ago, royalstillman said:

Good God y'all,what is it good for?

 

Absolutely nothin', say it again.

[weams]

On 12/4/2018 at 2:12 PM, NashLumber said:

I guess one day we’ll know, if Angelos’ will is public knowledge when that time comes. Not trying to be morbid or flip (or anticipating Peter Angelos’ passing anytime soon). Just that people who are considered family are sometimes in one’s will. 

[Bradysburns]

On 12/4/2018 at 1:25 PM, Moose Milligan said:

I think you're preaching to the choir here.  With the caveat that if Elias sees value.

Value as what? Honestly, the real question is: Is Brady taking up oxygen in the room that belongs to someone else? Could someone else fill that roll better? Given that Brady went from essentially Bro-in-Chief to assistant VP in about three weeks, I have my doubts.

I just can't think of a credible case where Brady as exec VP is the best qualified person for that role, given Mike Elias's completely different (thankfully) approach. 

So if Elias sees value, it's not as a state-of-the-art, quantitative roster magician... It's as a kind of organizational gadfly. Those types, however, are never loyal. That's their nature. They secretly believe they should be running everything (well, most of us do, but these guys REALLY believe it)... 

Anyway, I have nothing personal against Brady. But let's get serious. He has no business in an executive roll in a front office right now. 

[foxfield]

16 hours ago, Bradysburns said:

Value as what? Honestly, the real question is: Is Brady taking up oxygen in the room that belongs to someone else? Could someone else fill that roll better? Given that Brady went from essentially Bro-in-Chief to assistant VP in about three weeks, I have my doubts.

I just can't think of a credible case where Brady as exec VP is the best qualified person for that role, given Mike Elias's completely different (thankfully) approach. 

So if Elias sees value, it's not as a state-of-the-art, quantitative roster magician... It's as a kind of organizational gadfly. Those types, however, are never loyal. That's their nature. They secretly believe they should be running everything (well, most of us do, but these guys REALLY believe it)... 

Anyway, I have nothing personal against Brady. But let's get serious. He has no business in an executive roll in a front office right now. 

Completely agree.  We will see.

[waroriole]

Maybe Brady thought Dan was full of shite. Maybe he thinks Mike knows what he’s doing. Maybe he’s right. 

[sportsfan8703]

On 12/1/2018 at 10:37 AM, mdbdotcom said:

We'll know more when Brady's contract expires, which should be in January or February, based on when he joined the baseball operations team.

Looks like we’ll get our answer by March. Where is Brady?  Oh, his contract expired. 

[bobmc]

Brady hits 55!  May he reign long and prosperously! 

" ... Brady Anderson, who is turning 55 but could legitimately pass for 35. Brady was a mainstay atop the Orioles’ lineup from 1988-2001, and is the club’s all-time leader in stolen bases with 307. He also ranks in the Birds’ top five in hits (1,614), runs (1,044), doubles (329), and triples (64). Anderson now serves in some vague role in the O’s front office where it seems like he’s constantly just getting in the way. But Mike Elias has kept him around, so perhaps Brady can serve a purpose if he has an actual, specified job with clear accountability.

https://www.camdenchat.com/2019/1/18/18187274/orioles-news-links

[Redskins Rick]

On 12/22/2018 at 8:29 PM, Bradysburns said:

Anyway, I have nothing personal against Brady. But let's get serious. He has no business in an executive roll in a front office right now. 

Based on what, how the OH feels about Brady?

None of us, knows what goes on inside the warehouse, with the exception of a couple of folks.

I bet 90% of the crap thrown at Brady is just that crap.

My own thinking is, Brady is just like anybody else from the previous regime.

If Elias wants to fire him or let him go, then that's his right as the King GM of the org, and we have given him the car keys to run things.

If he wants to keep him, then lets keep him some breathing space to mold his organization, into the org that he wants.

 

[Moose Milligan]

4 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Based on what, how the OH feels about Brady?

None of us, knows what goes on inside the warehouse, with the exception of a couple of folks.

I bet 90% of the crap thrown at Brady is just that crap.

My own thinking is, Brady is just like anybody else from the previous regime.

If Elias wants to fire him or let him go, then that's his right as the King GM of the org, and we have given him the car keys to run things.

If he wants to keep him, then lets keep him some breathing space to mold his organization, into the org that he wants.

 

You're right, none of us knows what goes on.

My issue is that the lack of qualifications.  He's just failed his way upwards to where he is now.  I don't know what Brady has done that's been GOOD.  I don't know what makes him qualified to be in the role that he's been in.  

If Brady was a strength and conditioning guy, fine, I can buy that.  But working with pitchers?  

It's a weird, gray area that he lives in and no one's quite sure what he actually does, I think that has something to do with it.  There's no defined role.  But there are certain things that have been reported on that he's been a part of that are head scratchers, especially considering his background as a player.  

If Elias wants to keep him around, sees value, I won't argue with it.  

[Redskins Rick]

4 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

You're right, none of us knows what goes on.

My issue is that the lack of qualifications.  He's just failed his way upwards to where he is now.  I don't know what Brady has done that's been GOOD.  I don't know what makes him qualified to be in the role that he's been in.  

If Brady was a strength and conditioning guy, fine, I can buy that.  But working with pitchers?  

It's a weird, gray area that he lives in and no one's quite sure what he actually does, I think that has something to do with it.  There's no defined role.  But there are certain things that have been reported on that he's been a part of that are head scratchers, especially considering his background as a player.  

If Elias wants to keep him around, sees value, I won't argue with it.  

Lack of qualifications, how many years has he been working in the front office for the team.

How was Flanny qualified to be co-GM?????

How was Brady working with pitchers,  conditioning? Tillman and others have long said praises of Brady and his work them

[Bradysburns]

28 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Based on what, how the OH feels about Brady?

None of us, knows what goes on inside the warehouse, with the exception of a couple of folks.

I bet 90% of the crap thrown at Brady is just that crap.

My own thinking is, Brady is just like anybody else from the previous regime.

If Elias wants to fire him or let him go, then that's his right as the King GM of the org, and we have given him the car keys to run things.

If he wants to keep him, then lets keep him some breathing space to mold his organization, into the org that he wants.

 

You are right, of course, that I have no idea what actually happens inside the Warehouse, or Brady's brain, either. And I am a huge fan of Brady the player. But I'm skeptical. Let's look at the timeline here. 

Brady in 2012 was hired (by Dan Duquette? PA? Who?) as the "special assistant to the VP."

Why? Did Dan seek him out b/c he was that sharp? (And Brady does seem very sharp.) He hadn't mentored under any previous executives. He hadn't served any time as a scout or player-development guy, or an analytics person. From what I can tell, he hung around and gave fitness tips, with no official title. Within 12 months, he began his front-office career AND ascended to VP of Baseball Operations! Nothing fishy about that. 

My sense is: He hasn't paid his dues as a front-office guy. He hasn't humbled himself to actually REPORT to a great executive. 

Nothing he has done has looked to me like entering a mentor-mentee relationship with a great exec, like Elias did with Luhnow, etc. 

Those elite guys don't give out their knowledge to just anyone floating around. You have to earn the right to be their peons, essentially. 

All that said, I wonder what the Dan/Brady relationship was really like. Maybe Brady really did absorb a ton of great old-school wisdom from Dan. 

I kinda doubt it, which is why I"m skeptical. 

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, Redskins Rick said:

Lack of qualifications, how many years has he been working in the front office for the team.

How was Flanny qualified to be co-GM?????

How was Brady working with pitchers,  conditioning? Tillman and others have long said praises of Brady and his work them

Well, I think you've pulled out your "jump to conclusions mat."

I never said Flanny, God rest his soul, was qualified to be a co-GM, either.  I'm not sure why you're bringing that up.  Flanny, IIRC, was not qualified to be in the role that he was in.  Pitching coach, sure.  

Sure, if Brady is working on conditioning with pitchers, fine.  If he's teaching them to throw a slider, that's another story.   I still don't know what he's done to qualify himself to be a key figure in a front office of an MLB team.  Just because he's around a front office that has struggled for the past few years doesn't mean he's qualified.

I can't believe we're having this conversation.  I mean, I can believe it but I can't believe it.  Here:

https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/brady-andersons-role-with-orioles-a-topic-of-debate-032017  @TonySoprano

Quote

Anderson, a former outfielder who played 14 of his 15 seasons with the Orioles, fills a multitude of roles for the club – coaching, overseeing the team’s strength and conditioning program, influencing player moves and occasionally assisting in the negotiating of contracts.

Quote

His position is unique within the industry, his duties unusually broad for someone with no previous coaching or front-office experience.

Until the Elias hiring, the Orioles were an ass backwards organization.  If they were a forward thinking organization, constantly on the cutting edge of analytics, front office organization, player acquisition and development, I'd be cool with it.  But they weren't.  Having a unique position in the industry with broad sweeping duties for someone with no coaching or front office experience didn't make sense.  That'd be like me, a 37 year old white dude trying to dress like Travis Scott, it doesn't belong.  It DOES makes sense for a 26 year old rapper who's influencing hip hop culture and style.  

Moving on:

Quote

Duquette, manager Buck Showalter and center fielder Adam Jones are among those who praise Anderson as an asset, with Showalter saying, “We view him as nothing but a positive.”

Others with past or present ties to the Orioles, however, consider Anderson a source of friction and tension as he blurs the lines between executive and former player.

Buck and Jones were company men.  Maybe they really did feel this way, maybe they were just trying not to rock the boat.  Buck, for sure, wouldn't air grievances to the press.

Quote

But to some, the downside of Anderson’s status is that it creates the perception that he can operate freely without fear of being challenged.

“I like Brady. Everybody likes Brady,” former pitching coach Dave Wallace said. “But one of the problems is, when you have a role in an organization where you have total autonomy and really no accountability, that’s tough.”

Brady, viewed as a guy who's got Peter Angelos' ear, can operate with carte blanche, essentially.

Quote

Wallace, 70, and bullpen coach Dom Chiti, 57, both left Showalter’s staff after three years at the end of last season, in part due to what Wallace described as Anderson’s rising influence and interference.

Wallace said that he had planned to retire from major-league coaching, but that Anderson was part of the reason he resisted overtures to remain with the Orioles in a player-development role.

Chiti said, “I’m not going to deny that Brady was part of why I left,” but declined further comment.

Dom Chiti, a guy everyone loved but didn't know why they loved him (other than the cool name) appears to have left because of him.  Wallace left because of him.  I get that Wallace might not be everyone's favorite but to me this infers that Brady was working with pitchers on stuff outside of conditioning.  I'm not saying I believe that 100%, but follow the logic:  If Wallace was wanted in a player development role, he most likely wouldn't be working with hitters, correct?  So if he was going to provide input on pitcher development, why would he not accept the job if Brady was strictly working on conditioning?  To me, it sounds like Brady was doing more than that.  I'm not saying that it's 100% fact, but I think it's a certain possibility.

Quote

Some players, too, are uncomfortable with Anderson’s presence.

Anderson last played for the Orioles in 2001, but he has a locker inside the team’s clubhouse at Camden Yards, where he gets into uniform to coach.

“A baseball clubhouse is always going to be something that players want to keep locked down as much as possible. That’s where it’s a fine line,” said former Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, who recently ended his eight-year tenure with the club by signing a free-agent contract with the Nationals.

“Brady was a great player for a long time. He was a member of that clubhouse. At the same time, when you get into the season, the 25 guys in that clubhouse are who you want in that clubhouse.

“It’s just a different situation there. It’s a former player who wants to be on the performance side as well as on the front-office side. It’s tough balancing the two.”

Some player agents have expressed concern to the Major League Baseball Players Association about Anderson’s role, and also have reported to the union that Duquette and Anderson sometimes communicate different messages to agents, sources said.

The union has made proposals in collective bargaining to prohibit direct contact between management and players, but those proposals have gained no traction, with clubs maintaining that they have the right to talk to their employees.

Anderson said that he never discusses contracts with players and rarely gets involved in negotiations with their agents, saying that part of his role is “the least of what I do, almost non-existent.”

Wow, not much to say after that.

 

Quote

He did help the Orioles re-sign a free agent in each of the past two offseasons – first reliever Darren O’Day, who was represented by Anderson’s former agent, Jeff Borris, and then outfielder Mark Trumbo. Anderson said that he also helps on occasion with minor-league free agents, and Duquette said that he assists with certain arbitration-eligible players as well.

Coaching, though, is a far more important to Anderson, who hosts both hitters and pitchers at his Los Angeles home every offseason for training and conditioning.

Even Anderson’s critics rave about his work in nutrition and conditioning; he hires all of the Orioles’ strength and conditioning coaches, majors and minors.

Great, I'm thrilled he helped re-sign O'Day and Trumbo.  

Quote

“He’s brought over a work ethic that I’d say we had, but now it’s magnified,” said Jones, a five-time All-Star. “Our nutrition side in the clubhouse has changed tremendously due to his influence. He got us a team chef that sometimes I steal her from him – she’s that good.

“That’s what he brought – the work ethic and nutrition, understanding that to play this game at a high level you just can’t sit there and eat McDonald’s and get away with it. He’s been a great source in that regard.”

Good, stay in your lane.

It's a long article, I'm not going to keep cutting and pasting segments, by now I hope you have a good idea.  Sure, he does some good things, but there's a lot of questionable stuff surrounding him.  And not from the OH.

I know I said I'm going to stop cutting and pasting segments but I can't help it, one last one:

Quote

Right-hander Mike Wright joined the Orioles in May 2015 and was an immediate sensation, working a combined 14 1/3 scoreless innings in his first two starts.

After that Wright struggled, producing an 8.90 ERA over his final 30 1/3 innings – and eventually becoming a flashpoint in the discord between Anderson and the Orioles’ pitching coaches at the time, Wallace and Chiti.

--------

Wright was one example.

As Wright struggled in 2015, Wallace said that he and Chiti suggested a number of adjustments to the pitcher, including moving toward the third-base side of the rubber.

“Mike was a little hard-headed about it. Which is OK. I’ve had many players like that,” Wallace said. “But the next spring we come to camp, and we’re summoned to a meeting with Brady. And Brady tells us how we mishandled Mike Wright.

 

“Mike had gone to Brady’s house in California (during the offseason) and I’m sure said some things that weren’t very complimentary of Dom and I. Which is OK. It doesn’t have to be perfect. By the same token, you can come to us. We tell the players all the time, ‘You can ask us why. Tell us if you disagree. We don’t force you to do anything. We make suggestions.’”

Wright said that he spent a month at Anderson’s home during the 2015-16 offseason, joined at various points by other young Orioles players (Britton and Tillman are among the Orioles who stayed and trained with Anderson early in their careers).

“He likes to work with younger guys, kind of speed (up) their big-league process,” Wright said. “I threw probably four or five bullpens through the month of January, mostly just fastballs. Obviously, he wasn’t a pitcher. But he has seen a lot of good pitchers. And he studies the game. He knows a lot about it.”

Wright said that during the season he worked with the Orioles’ pitching coaches, but that Anderson was always available in the weight room to talk. Without specifically indicting Wallace and Chiti, Wright added, “If you get somebody else saying something a different way, sometimes that’s all you need. I felt like Brady and I were really on the same page at a time when I kind of needed it.”

Wallace, though, considers Anderson’s approach counter-productive.

“One of the keys to being a successful coach – and I’ve been a pitching coordinator for many years – is to go into the pitching coach at that affiliate and you say, ‘OK, we’re going to see Player X. What have you done with him? What’s going on? Give me your input.’

“Then you embrace the coach in front of the player so the player looks and sees that you two are together for his best interest. Ultimately, our responsibility is to make the players better. And in today’s world, if the players see you two together . . . you can disagree behind closed doors, but it’s all in the approach. That’s where I think Brady needs more experience.”

Many Orioles pitchers hold Wallace and Chiti in high regard; Britton and fellow All-Star reliever Brad Brach spoke out strongly in support of the two coaches after they departed.

Duquette, however, indicated that he was frustrated with the internal strife, mentioning Wallace and Chiti, unprompted, when asked if coaches generally were comfortable working with Anderson.

Mike Wright is a bad pitcher, to be polite.  He's terrible.  And I'm firmly convinced that he's STILL ON THIS TEAM WITHA CAREER 5.75 ERA because of Brady Anderson.  He is squarely in Mike DeJean, Steve Kline territory.

The article (I don't remember reading it when it came out) goes on to solidify a theory I've had about his relationship with Wright and how it reflects on his own career, that he struggled when he got to Baltimore and it was until Johnny Oates came in and believed in him and let him play his game that he blossomed.  Which is nice, gives the warm and fuzzies.  But because Wright has struggled for YEARS doesn't mean he's all of a sudden going to turn into a great reliever.  Brady wants to save this guy because he likes him and they spent time together in the offseason.  

There.  Would you like to continue to wonder why people have issues with Brady?  Or does this help clarify a few things?

[Redskins Rick]

2 minutes ago, Bradysburns said:

You are right, of course, that I have no idea what actually happens inside the Warehouse, or Brady's brain, either. And I am a huge fan of Brady the player. But I'm skeptical. Let's look at the timeline here. 

Brady in 2012 was hired (by Dan Duquette? PA? Who?) as the "special assistant to the VP."

Why? Did Dan seek him out b/c he was that sharp? (And Brady does seem very sharp.) He hadn't mentored under any previous executives. He hadn't served any time as a scout or player-development guy, or an analytics person. From what I can tell, he hung around and gave fitness tips, with no official title. Within 12 months, he began his front-office career AND ascended to VP of Baseball Operations! Nothing fishy about that. 

My sense is: He hasn't paid his dues as a front-office guy. He hasn't humbled himself to actually REPORT to a great executive. 

Nothing he has done has looked to me like entering a mentor-mentee relationship with a great exec, like Elias did with Luhnow, etc. 

Those elite guys don't give out their knowledge to just anyone floating around. You have to earn the right to be their peons, essentially. 

All that said, I wonder what the Dan/Brady relationship was really like. Maybe Brady really did absorb a ton of great old-school wisdom from Dan. 

I kinda doubt it, which is why I"m skeptical. 

We shall see, as time progresses.

Brady also oversaw the building of the Sarasota training facility and thats a bit more complicated then just knowing how to lift barbells.

Sometime people have roles where titles are hard to pencil in.

I spent 10 years working for a boss. Technically, I was probably staff weenie,  I did whatever was sent my way, I was a jack of all trades, putting out fires and making management type decisions, without technically being a boss, because that's what the boss expected of me. , my job was to reduce his load and keep things from reaching his desk unless it was truly important. Not easy telling people to do things without being their technical supervisor, But I learned that with tract and talking with people instead of to them, they were pretty good about understanding the situation.

[Redskins Rick]

5 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

 

Mike Wright is a bad pitcher, to be polite.  He's terrible.  And I'm firmly convinced that he's STILL ON THIS TEAM WITHA CAREER 5.75 ERA because of Brady Anderson.  He is squarely in Mike DeJean, Steve Kline territory.

For the love of baseball, how the hell you can lay all the blame for Wright on Brady is laughable.

Buck was enamored with Wright too.

Bottom line, Wright was here because DD allowed it, or DD had his hands tied by Ownership, not Brady