MacPhail: Savior or not?

[TJ Wrangler]

Take this for what its worth.

I was talking to my father earlier about the direction this organization is going, and I brought up that I thought we were better off under MacPhail, when I received some shocking news.

According to my guy, who has dealt with MacPhail directly this offseason, MacPhail is one of the biggest jerks he has ever dealt with. I was told that in terms of baseball knowledge, MacPhail is not exceptionally bright, and the reason he is so exceptionally slow is because he lacks the top end baseball knowledge to make swift and decisive moves. I was also told that it is more of the same with Angelos running the warehouse, and MacPhail is not as free as we would like to believe. I was told the reason we don't hear about Angelos so much is because MacPhail surrounds himself with people who won't leak to the press, and is quick to get rid of people who think about going to the press. On the Krivsky hiring, I was told that it was more of a cover his weaknesses type move to compensate for lack of knowledge. This guy has also dealt with Krivsky, and apparently he has more baseball sense than MacPhail. I was also told that a lot of MacPhail's respect around the league comes from his father, and that MacPhail has ridden his father's coattails well. Ultimately, Angelos does trust him, but I was told it was more along the lines of them being similar thinkers and that Angelos trusts him more to make moves that he would agree to. When I pointed out that MacPhail has a fairly successful track record, it was pointed out that every team that had him ultimately got rid of him for someone less known who did even better.

All that said, I gathered that MacPhail does surround himself with smarter baseball people, and I still believe we're better off with him than Flannigan and Duquette. Remember that my source is outside of the organization, so he and MacPhail could just be on bad terms, and I have no idea how the warehouse runs day in and day out. I'm hoping Bigbird could chime in, as his source is fairly critical of MacPhail too. I'd also be interested to see if any of our Cubs fans could support or refute this.

I realize this will not be the most popular news, but keep in mind that it is just one person's opinion after dealing with him for so long. Any thoughts?

[Lucky Jim]

Take this for what its worth.

I was talking to my father earlier about the direction this organization is going, and I brought up that I thought we were better off under MacPhail, when I received some shocking news.

According to my guy, who has dealt with MacPhail directly this offseason, MacPhail is "one of the biggest d**** he has ever dealt with." I was told that in terms of baseball knowledge, MacPhail is not exceptionally bright, and the reason he is so exceptionally slow is because he lacks the top end baseball knowledge to make swift and decisive moves. I was also told that it is more of the same with Angelos running the warehouse, and MacPhail is not as free as we would like to believe. I was told the reason we don't hear about Angelos so much is because MacPhail surrounds himself with people who won't leak to the press, and is quick to get rid of people who think about going to the press. On the Krivsky hiring, I was told that it was more of a "save his a**" move to compensate for lack of knowledge. This guy has also dealt with Krivsky, and apparently he has more baseball sense than MacPhail. I was also told that a lot of MacPhail's respect around the league comes from his father, and that MacPhail has ridden his father's coattails well. Ultimately, Angelos does trust him, but I was told it was more along the lines of them being similar thinkers and that Angelos trusts him more to make moves that he would agree to. When I pointed out that MacPhail has a fairly successful track record, it was pointed out that every team that had him ultimately got rid of him for someone less known who did even better.

All that said, I gathered that MacPhail does surround himself with smarter baseball people, and I still believe we're better off with him than Flannigan and Duquette. Remember that my source is outside of the organization, so he and MacPhail could just be on bad terms, and I have no idea how the warehouse runs day in and day out. I'm hoping Bigbird could chime in, as his source is fairly critical of MacPhail too. I'd also be interested to see if any of our Cubs fans could support or refute this.

I realize this will not be the most popular news, but keep in mind that it is just one person's opinion after dealing with him for so long. Any thoughts?

I hope you delete this thread.

[TJ Wrangler]

I hope you delete this thread.

Why? I'm just passing along what I heard. It is a relevant topic.

[Lucky Jim]

Why? I'm just passing along what I heard. It is a relevant topic.

Because it's inflammatory and insulting. And it flies in the face of all sorts of historical and empirical evidence.

And it's based on a source bad mouthing a member of our FO based on their own subjective opinion and not on any facts.

Insider info is great when it's a status update and/or contract info. When it's just one guy bashing another, it's pretty useless.

I mean, look at the deals Krivsky has made as GM versus the deals AM has made. Now, which are better?

If you don't know, maybe you should have looked them up before posting this.

Edited to note: I exaggerated this. Krivsky's moves weren't that bad, other than some silly small stuff. And he made some good ones. But the idea that "swift" decisions are the kind you want a GM to make is silly. AM could move more quickly, sure. And there are opportunity costs to his deliberateness. But hard decisions are rarely best-made quickly. Especially when there are hidden costs (and potentially hidden benefits.)

It's not "relevant." It's just one guy bad-mouthing another.

[Pruke]

Tbd.........

[TJ Wrangler]

Because it's inflammatory and insulting. And it flies in the face of all sorts of historical and empirical evidence.

And it's based on a source bad mouthing a member of our FO based on their own subjective opinion and not on any facts.

Insider info is great when it's a status update and/or contract info. When it's just one guy bashing another, it's pretty useless.

I mean, look at the deals Krivsky has made as GM versus the deals AM has made. Now, which are better?

If you don't know, maybe you should have looked them up before posting this.

It's not "relevant." It's just one guy bad-mouthing another.

If you heard this from someone who talks to MacPhail fairly frequently and is well respected in his field, wouldn't you share it? Even if it was just said person's opinion? Its not like the person just work up and decided that is how he felt.

[Todd-O]

Better off than Flanagan and Duquett...

:rofl:

We'd be better with a 4 year old and a dartboard than those two knuckleheads.

You know, this all goes back to what we had in the mid-90's... in the front office, the manager in the dugout... heck, even the guy in the Radio Booth.

I'd just like to thank Peter Angelos --- AGAIN --- for steering this ship into an iceberg.

Thanks, Peter.

Someone asked if anyone would be willing to give lottery money to Mark Teixeira to come to B-more. My answer to that is an emphatic "No." But I would seriously consider giving Angelos some of that money in an agreement that he would sell the team and get his meat-hooks out of Baltimore.

[Lucky Jim]

If you heard this from someone who talks to MacPhail fairly frequently and is well respected in his field, wouldn't you share it? Even if it was just said person's opinion? Its not like the person just work up and decided that is how he felt.

No. I wouldn't.

But I don't have an "inside" information fetish. I don't blame those that do, but I've been in high-achieving fields enough to know that there's a lot of resentment out there. I'd rather measure someone's success based on the record. I don't know your guy, and your not going to tell us who he is. So why should his "opinion" of AM have any more relevance than, say, a poster on OH?

[TJ Wrangler]

Someone asked if anyone would be willing to give lottery money to Mark Teixeira to come to B-more. My answer to that is an emphatic "No." But I would seriously consider giving Angelos some of that money in an agreement that he would sell the team and get his meat-hooks out of Baltimore.

If you won the mega millions, why not partner up with someone and buy the team?

[EasternShoreOs8]

If you heard this from someone who talks to MacPhail fairly frequently and is well respected in his field, wouldn't you share it? Even if it was just said person's opinion? Its not like the person just work up and decided that is how he felt.

I see no problem with this thread being added. None of us know AM personally or have seen the way he conducts business with other teams. He has certainly made good moves so far for the Orioles, but no one knows what is going on behind the scene. I appreciate the insight.

[bdardloewdcabrk]

This is not necessary. The reason why he probably doesnt like MacPhail is because he has turned down this guys offers. And if MacPhal has no knowledge of baseball, than how come people are saying that he will succeed Bud Selig's job?

[Sports Guy]

I hope you delete this thread.

Why? Because it doesn't say what you want to hear?

[TJ Wrangler]

No. I wouldn't.

Fair enough. I met you halfway and edited some of the worse language out.

I don't see the problem with it. If anything, it could serve as a nice wake up call to people who want to live in lala land and think everything is great under MacPhail. I thought it would be beneficial to hear some other opinions.

[TJ Wrangler]

succeed Bud Selig's job?

...because Bud Selig has been nothing but great for baseball.

[Lucky Jim]

Why? Because it doesn't say what you want to hear?

No. Because of the way it was phrased.