Miami Marlins Coach Ozzie Guillen Addresses 5-Game Suspension for Pro-Castro Comments

more than likely, this wasn't Guillen's call. This could be upper management, and in this case...a case of being incompetent. That wasn't the case in 2005.

 

Do you prefer random event? Surely you are not saying God determines coin flips?

Let me rephrase...what part of managing prowess is winning the coin flip and then having your best HR hitter win a game 1-0 by hitting a solo home run?

So how many times per season does a manager get to make bad decisions, make mistakes, and get outmanaged before he becomes a lousy manager? What's the over/under?

 

Tell me, what % of sporting events are won on the coin flip, and someone hitting a homerun to win a game 1-0?

 

I couldn't begin to estimate, but I do know that Ozzie Guillen had nothing to do with it!

So how many times per season does a manager get to make bad decisions, make mistakes, and get outmanaged before he becomes a lousy manager? What's the over/under?

 

I couldn't begin to estimate, but he's got a world series ring, something that a large majority of managers don't have.

If managers aren't important in the least bit (which is what you are somewhat insinuating, even if you don't mean to) why do teams have them?

Who needs a coach? The players win the games, right?

 

I would argue, based on years of observation that Guillen has a WS ring in spite of himself.

Managers are there to motivate players, make daily personnel decisions (lineups) and in-game personnel decisions (bullpen moves). I never said they weren't important in the least bit, I said that in-game strategies like hit-and-runs, steals, defensive positioning, all things most people think of managing a game, are far lower on the list of things that contribute to a win than making the lineup or bullpen changes.

Let me ask you this--how much does the NASCAR crew chief contribute to winning a race compared to the driver's contribution?

Probably not a good example, but I think you can relate to it.

 

And you might be right. But prior to him, I really can't remember the white sox being contenders. All I know is he has a world series ring. Other good mangers don't. That's an awful lot of "in spite of himself" to have overcome.

I don't necessarily agree with you here. Being a reds fan and being stuck with Dusty Baker, I've seen us lose far too many games because he's lousy at what you mention here.

25 years ago? Not so much.
Today? A ton. The drivers don't wheel the cars like they used too. A lot of them aren't near as familiar with setups like they used to be. While I still think the driver is important, on track strategy is equally important. Clint Bowyer nor Ryan Newman had the best cars at Martinsville a few weeks ago, but strategy put Bowyer in a position to win (until he drove like an idiot) and put Newman out front. Newman didn't win that race so much as it was laid out in front of him by others and strategy. His crew cheif made a decision under the last caution to get tires, and then Bowyer helped put him in front.

I can also think of just about every race run at michigan being won on fuel mileage strategy. Sure, some drivers do a great job of that (Brad Keselowski coming to mind), but often time the Crew Chief is telling the driver how to drive, when to drive hard, etc...and they win that way a lot.

Some people are going to win no matter who their crew chief is (guys like Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, etc). Others have to have that solid crew chief to win. The "team" game in NASCAR is different than the "team" game in almost any other sport.

 

The thing I remember about Baker is that he likes to leave pitchers in the game until their arms practically fall off. What does he do that bothers you?

Excellent analysis. My interest in NASCAR peaked about 10 years ago, but I still tune in to three or four races a year.

 

That's problem #1. Problem # 2 is the use of the bullpen when he takes a guy out of the game early enough. He also doesn't seem to understand a good batting lineup, or when to and not to rest players.

And for some reason, he's infatuated with a .300 hitter bunting to advance a runner to 2nd when there is already 1 out on the board. His common sense radar just doesn't work.

I grew up on racing. Not just NASCAR, but basically all forms of racing. I don't watch NASCAR like I used too (I don't typically watch every lap of every race, and I despise cookie cutter race tracks), but I do keep up.

 

Considered the favorites to win the NL East, the Miami Marlins have lost 15 of their past 18 games. They were in last place after Saturday night's game. This is after acquiring All Star free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, and traded for All Star Carlos Zambrano.

They've used the same five starting pitchers all season--no injuries. They've mostly been injury free all season at all positions.

Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox, the team that cut ties with Ozzie Guillen and hired an inexperienced former player to be their manager, are in first place in the AL Central. The White Sox didn't acquire any big names in the off season, in fact, they let several good players go, like Carlos Quentin, Juan Pierre, and Mark Buehrle.

Could it be that Ozzie Guillen just isn't that good of a manager?

 

Looks like the Marlins owner is dismantling his team. He traded for Carlos Lee a few weeks ago, but now is off-loading some pretty good players.

On Monday the Marlins traded starter Anibel Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Tigers. Sanchez is a very good pitcher who will be a coveted free agent this winter so it makes some sense, but only assuming the Marlins offered to extend his contract and he declined. Infante is a solid infielder with a career BA of .276.

Last night they traded SS/3B Hanley Ramirez, a former All Star and reliever Randy Choate to the Dodgers for a rookie starter and a minor league reliever. After suffering injuries last season Ramirez has never been the same, so it looks like a salary dump by the Marlins.

In any case, it looks like the Marlins brief flirtation with the free agent market is over and they are doomed to be bad for years to come. And who usually gets the blame when high-priced free agents and talented players don't produce? Why, that would be the manager, in this case Ozzie Guillen. Funny, but he is uncharacteristically quiet of late.

 

October 23, 2012

MIAMI (AP) -- Ozzie Guillen was fired Tuesday after one year as manager of the last-place Miami Marlins, whose promising season began to derail in April when his laudatory comments about Fidel Castro caused a backlash.

Miami's next manager will be the fifth for owner Jeffrey Loria since early 2010. Two managers he fired made the playoffs this year. The Marlins still owe Guillen $7.5 million for the three years remaining on his contract.

''After careful consideration following the disappointment of the 2012 season, we decided to dismiss Ozzie,'' president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said in a statement. ''Our managerial search begins immediately and our hope is that a new manager, along with roster improvements, will restore a winning culture.''