McPhail defends pace of hiring a new manager

[TiredofLosing20]

So, you don't think Buck can continue a good stretch?

Yeah...If the good stretch is really a consideration in timing then I would suggest Samuel is seriously being considered (or at the least is giving off the appearance of seriously considering him)

[LookinUp]

Yeah...If the good stretch is really a consideration in timing then I would suggest Samuel is seriously being considered (or at the least is giving off the appearance of seriously considering him)

Or the theory that Buck wants to inherit a team with Roberts, Millwood, Pie, Scott, Gonzalez, Reimold makes sense.

(not that it does to me, considering we're also likely to trade away a couple of our better contributors)

[Frobby]

I'd like to point out that this really means nothing. At 14-20 (a high mark after an unlikely 4 game winning streak), our winning percentage under JS is .412. W/o the winning streak, our % was .333. Our overall winning % is .330 today.

I'm not using this as a justification to hire Samuel. I'm just saying the team is not in free fall at the moment so if it takes a little longer to hire Showalter, so be it. There are times where a team is playing so poorly for several weeks that you really feel that a change has to happen right away. Check out the team's record in the immediate few weeks before Mazzilli (2-14), Perlozzo (2-13)and Trembley (3-15) were fired. We're not in that position with Samuel at the moment.

[Sports Guy]

Or the theory that Buck wants to inherit a team with Roberts, Millwood, Pie, Scott, Gonzalez, Reimold makes sense.

(not that it does to me, considering we're also likely to trade away a couple of our better contributors)

Showalter is a competitor...Hard to believe that he needs to wait a few weeks to have all the bullets in the chamber.

If that's the case, it makes me greatly question if he is the right man for the job.

[Frobby]

Showalter is a competitor...Hard to believe that he needs to wait a few weeks to have all the bullets in the chamber.

If that's the case, it makes me greatly question if he is the right man for the job.

Agreed, and I don't buy that theory. My guess is that Showalter wants pretty detailed assurances about the degree of control he will have, and may want certain things in place before he arrives (for example, maybe he's lining up a few key coaches).

[pacman59]

What is the downside of getting the Manager onboard now?

I thought the idea of getting a manager signed but letting him have time to evaluate the organization had some merit.

No rush to get him on the bench, but what is the harm in getting him familar with the organization, top to bottom?

If its Buck, are the O's better served by letting him continue on ESPN?

I would rather see him signed and take the balance of the year to evaluate the organization, and present PA and AM with an analysis of what he sees, warts and all.

[Shopay]

That's not a defense. If things are done, great...then stop saying idiotic things that make you look unfit to hold the job of GM.

Unbelievable. The people that look idiotic are the ones that are demanding this be done yesterday without any insight as to where the deals stands and what may or may not be holding it up.

[wildcard]

So, you don't think Buck can continue a good stretch?

I think there will be a lot of disruption when and if Buck takes over. It is 90% sure that he is better choice long term then Samuel IMO and I really can't see any manager getting this team to play over .500 for any length of time.

But to answer your question directly - if Buck took over tonight I would expect that he would lose more then he wins in the next two weeks.

I say let Samuel play out his run. Win as many as he can. The players are playing for him. I like that. Unless Samuel has a big S on shirt under the uniform and a cape that is wears off camera, his recent winning record can't last too long. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[Sports Guy]

Unbelievable. The people that look idiotic are the ones that are demanding this be done yesterday without any insight as to where the deals stands and what may or may not be holding it up.

What does this have to do with the stupid comments he made?

[osfan83]

Eh. "The barn's not on fire" was a bad analogy, but MacPhail is right that it really doesn't matter if Showalter starts today or a month from now. This season is hopelessly lost, and the main reason to get Showalter in here before the season is over isn't to win more games in 2010, but just to get him familiar with his players and (to the extent he doesn't fire them immediately) the coaches so that he can be more effective in planning for 2011.

As to how the team is playing under Samuel, yes they are only 14-20, but they are 10-7 most recently. So it's not like they are currently in free fall so that it's desperate to get someone in here to try to stop the hemorrhaging.

Is Andy really letting this small sample size delay his decision? Let's say Juan has them playing .400 ball the reason of the season...does that give him a leg up on Buck beacue it's better than how they started? In what world is Samuel's credentials (even ifthe O's play well for the next month) better than Bucks?

[clapdiddy]

I think there will be a lot of disruption when and if Buck takes over. It is 90% sure that he is better choice long term then Samuel IMO and I really can't see any manager getting this team to play over .500 for any length of time.

But to answer your question directly - if Buck took over tonight I would expect that he would lose more then he wins in the next two weeks.

I say let Samuel play out his run. Win as many as he can. The players are playing for him. I like that. Unless Samuel has a big S on shirt under the uniform and a cape that is wears off camera, his recent winning record can't last too long. Enjoy it while it lasts.

I'm not trying to be a smart-aleck, I just really don't see what how this team plays under Samuel means anything at this point, unless he was a serious candidate for the job.

[LookinUp]

Am I the only one assuming that it's a done deal and they've just agreed that a few things need to happen prior to making it official (e.g., picking his staff)?

The hints from the sun that he'll be the coach soon seem like a pretty strong hint to me.

I think this is just us making a mountain out of a mole hill. And my us, I don't mean me.

[Sports Guy]

Am I the only one assuming that it's a done deal and they've just agreed that a few things need to happen prior to making it official (e.g., picking his staff)?

The hints from the sun that he'll be the coach soon seem like a pretty strong hint to me.

I think this is just us making a mountain out of a mole hill. And my us, I don't mean me.

I think they could easily be trying to get his coaching staff squared away...In fact, if I had to bet money on what the hold up is, that would be it..But I do think it takes an extremely naive person to not think this could blow up in our faces and the Orioles could blow this.

[carolinaoriole]

Dad are we there yet ? .....

[Hooded Viper]

The very last thing I will say on this topic until Buck is either hired or bow's out, which I think is unlikely, is that he knows the O's need him. He is in a great bargainning position and therefore is entitled to ask for the moon. AM will not give him the moon and therefore the negotiations will last a long time. I liken it to the early round draft picks. It would be smarter overall to get them into the system quickly but negotiations stretch on usually until the very last second. For better or worse both BS and AM have ego's and both have to be satisfied before signing anything.