Bill James on Dave Trembley

[RShack]

We won a World Series in 1983 with nobody managing the team.

Those guys managed themselves. Altobelli stayed out of the way.

Yeah, well, they were pretty much a non-stop excellent team for the previous several years, and they were on a mission to prove to the world that they didn't need Earl...

[BaltimoreTerp]

Just a general observation, but this discussion is sort of like criticizing play calling by an NFL head coach or offensive coordinator.

As an example, if it's 3rd and 1 at the 50 yard line and you line up in the I formation with 2 TEs and 1 WR and run play action and heave a pass down the sideline, if it falls incomplete, fans scream about bad play calling. However, if the WR runs a good route, the line blocks well and the QB is accurate, it's a great play call.

This is being a bit over simplistic, because of course there are situations where a manager makes a poor decision but more often than not, a poor coaching decision is the result of, or magnified by, poor execution by the players.

But on the other hand, what if you are third-and-short on the fifty and go into a five-wide formation? Or you do the Brian Billick Special: the run/short pass play on third-and-long? The players might not execute, but they aren't being put in the best position to succeed by the coaches. Or they do succeed in spite of the coaches.

[rooster]

I'd wager that bench defense saves more runs over the course of a year than bench hitting gains. The number of times a PH is required should be negligible, on a properly constructed team.

Second, AM doesn't talk much about roster construction. Decisions seem to be made by the organization, not necessarily by DT. That DT talks about them seems more likely a function of greater access, no?

I'll take that bet.

I tend to agree with Va Tech; there's no subtlety as to whom DT prefers. He makes a pt of talking them up. (See: Freel.)

[now]

I'll say that for Trembley, he lets his hitters hit.

Too bad he lets them hit but distracts them with movement on the bases, and gives them only two outs to score runs because the ill-considered baserunning uses up the third one!

:angryfire:

[LookitsPuck]

Perhaps my recollection is faulty, but every quote I've ever seen about us "needing" 13 pitchers has come from Trembley. I don't recall MacPhail ever making such statements. And if you listen to him daily at his press conferences and read his interviews with the paper, he clearly emphasizes defense in bench players. Bench players are on the bench because they aren't good enough to start. You aren't likely to get a bench player who both hits and fields well. So it is somewhat of a zero sum game....you emphasize bench defense and you are sacrificing benchg offense. And our results pinch hitting the past few years are so far below any other team in the majors it is laughable. Why do the Scott Moore's, Jon Knott's, and so forth not get a chance? I believe Trembley has a lot to do with it. In the months leading up to the 2008 season when we handed the SS job to Luis Hernandez, it was Trembley, not MacPhail or anyone else, that talked Hernandez up the most.

Basically, that is my opinion based on 2 years of listening to what Trembley says in his media interviews and press conferences and seeing the results on the field. Sorry if my opinion doesn't live up to your standards of a "shred of evidence" but it is, nonetheless, my opinion.

Very, very well said. Sums it up quite nicely. Rep to you (if I can give it, if not...apologies).

[El Gordo]

If you are an AL team and don't need to PH for the pitcher, why is offense so much more important than defense on the bench. As it is the O's have Wiggy and Monty, two decent hitters on the bench. I don't see the problem.

[Lucky Jim]

If you are an AL team and don't need to PH for the pitcher, why is offense so much more important than defense on the bench. As it is the O's have Wiggy and Monty, two decent hitters on the bench. I don't see the problem.

Exactly. Folks are wildly overestimating the importance of bench hitting. Which, by the way, we supposedly got with Wigginton. Who DT praised endlessly in the Spring.

[TiredofLosing20]

I like Trembley. I think he is a good guy. I can't really judge him either. I do not think it is entirely fair to judge him on his W-L record. When Adam Eaton gives up 6 runs in two innings there is nothing Trembley can really do about that. The disturbing thing to me is that the things he preaches, Pitching, Defense, Fundamentals, and the "little things" we are bad at. For example, we have the worst pitching in the AL, mediocre at best defense, we miss cutoff men, and are horrible at base running. I also think he doesn't have a good feel for the in game scenarios. I agree with SG that it was so clear that Bergeson was finished after 6 the other night but to leave him in to walk two guys then bring in Ray who has been absolutely crushed by the Yankees, this isn't the only time either.

Clearly the level of players he has plays a big role (especially the pitching part) which is why it is so hard to judge him but it is disconcerting to me that we don't do the other things that DT supposedly emphasizes well.

[Mashed Potatoes]

Exactly. Folks are wildly overestimating the importance of bench hitting. Which, by the way, we supposedly got with Wigginton. Who DT praised endlessly in the Spring.

It seems to me like there are many more opportunities to replace a guy for defense than offense in a typical game so I agree with you.

I don't have anything to back this up of course.

[Lucky Jim]

It seems to me like there are many more opportunities to replace a guy for defense than offense in a typical game so I agree with you.

I don't have anything to back this up of course.

Neither do I. I'm just wagering that no one has any numbers to rebut it.