Wedge Watch: Who Will Manage Tribe in 2010?

[macbdog]

Acta is extremely intelligent.

He is also a pussy when it comes to his players, not being tough when he needs to. He is an Eric Wedge clone, a minor league manager that has no business being in the MLB. This has nothing to do with what he did in Washington...however, do you think it's telling how much better they did under Jim Friggin Riggleman than Manny Acta?

Acta should be a minor league manager.

I don't think you could be any more wrong- the last thing Wedge has ever been is easy on his players. For recent examples, both Martinez and Sabathia praised him for constantly pushing them to work to get better. What Wedge refused to do was call players out in the media- which I agreed with him with. However, this thread isn't about Eric Wedge.

How exactly, may I ask, did Riggleman do a much better job? He was less way under .500? Being able to win at a .400 clip vs. a .350 clip isn't anything to rave about. Riggleman's performance just reinforced what a bad team he was given. Take for example the date of April 20th- the Nats dumped 4 members of their bullpen. Outright released. 20 games into the season and the GM was completely overhauling a section of the team. The Nats were just horrid, there is no way to sugar coat it. Acta was trying to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

I don't think you could be any more wrong- the last thing Wedge has ever been is easy on his players. For recent examples, both Martinez and Sabathia praised him for constantly pushing them to work to get better. What Wedge refused to do was call players out in the media- which I agreed with him with. However, this thread isn't about Eric Wedge.

How exactly, may I ask, did Riggleman do a much better job? He was less way under .500? Being able to win at a .400 clip vs. a .350 clip isn't anything to rave about. Riggleman's performance just reinforced what a bad team he was given. Take for example the date of April 20th- the Nats dumped 4 members of their bullpen. Outright released. 20 games into the season and the GM was completely overhauling a section of the team. The Nats were just horrid, there is no way to sugar coat it. Acta was trying to make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

Riggleman had, I believe, a .490% winning while Acta put up about a .300%

I will maintain that Acta did not make best of his little talent given to him and would be largely average in Cleveland, no better than Eric Wedge. In fact, if they hire Acta, I would expect him to have the same sort of coaching career with the Indians.

 

[KIisKing]

Veteran manager Bobby Valentine a finalist for Cleveland Indians' vacancy
By Paul Hoynes
October 18, 2009, 10:27PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bobby Valentine, whose New York Mets reached the World Series in 2000, is one of the finalists for the vacant Indians manager's job.

Valentine, 59, it has been learned, will come to Cleveland this week for a second interview. He is expected to be one of "three to five" finalists to interview with GM Mark Shapiro and assistant GM Chris Antonetti.

Shapiro and Antonetti last week conducted phone interviews with eight to 10 candidates during the Indians' organizational meetings in Goodyear, Ariz., their spring training headquarters.

Valentine has managed 15 years in the big leagues. His last year was 2002 with the Mets. He spent the last six years managing the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. He also managed them in 1995.

The Marines would not renew Valentine's contract, despite fan protest, at the end of the 2009 season. They said they could no longer afford his salary. Valentine made almost $4 million as the Marines' manager this year.

Valentine managed the Texas Rangers from 1985-92. He managed the Mets from 1996-2002. He has a career record of 1,117-1,072.

In Texas, Valentine had four winning seasons and finished with 581-605 record. In New York, he had five winning seasons for a 536-467 record. The Mets' World Series season of 2000, in which they lost to the Yankees, was his only postseason appearance.

Valentine played parts of 10 seasons in the big leagues from 1969-79 with the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Mets and Mariners.

Manny Acta, fired as Washington's manager in July, and former Indians third baseman Travis Fryman, the Tribe's Class A Mahoning Valley manager for the last two years, are believed to be two of the other finalists.

It's also believed the Indians have contacted Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly, but it's unclear if they'd have to wait until the Los Angeles is finished with the postseason to formally interview him.

Shapiro said he'd like to have a manager in place by the end of the World Series. The Indians fired manager Eric Wedge with six games left this year. The Indians went 65-97, their worst finish since 1991.

Interesting...who do you guys want as manger?

 

[MoGotti237]

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/10/veteran_manager_bobby_valentin.html

looks like we have some finalists..not a big acta fan. I live near Mahoning Valley so I have seen a lot of Fryman and he is an extremely good coach. I think he would command respect from the clubhouse. Valentine would be interesting. A big name to say the least.

 

[Gunther]

I'm not a fan of losing organizations playing musical managers. Frankly, I feel like I did at the last Presidential election - I don't like either candidate, but I'll support the one who wins. That's how I feel about Acta and Hurdle.

If Fryman is still a serious candidate, he's the one I want. However, I have to admit that Don Mattingly is very intriguing. He's definately been around the block a few times. I wish I knew more about his coaching philosophy. Can anyone elaborate on Mattingly?

Edit: I always thought Valentine was a clown. Here's a video where he's explaining why he returned to the dugout in a fake mustache after being ejected years ago.

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[KB]

Off SI truth and rumors this morning;

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/123950-valentine-finalist-for-indians-job

Bobby Valentine, whose New York Mets reached the World Series in 2000, is one of the finalists for the vacant Indians manager's job. Valentine, 59, it has been learned, will come to Cleveland this week for a second interview. He is expected to be one of "three to five" finalists to interview with GM Mark Shapiro and assistant GM Chris Antonetti.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

This is the guy I've been hoping for.

 

[BlueSeats626]

If Fryman is still a serious candidate, he's the one I want. However, I have to admit that Don Mattingly is very intriguing. He's definately been around the block a few times. I wish I knew more about his coaching philosophy. Can anyone elaborate on Mattingly?

Fryman is guy with even less emotion than Wedge whose highest level of managerial experience is Mahoning Valley. Nice guy? Sure. But come on, get somebody from outside the organization with actual managing experience.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Bobby V or Don Mattingly are both managers that I think would thrive here.

Fryman I believe is too young and I'm not going to go over Acta again.

 

[DougHeil]

Yeah, I think Valentine would bring some needed excitement to the Indians as he can be off the wall at times, and even a bit crazy. I think this is what we need. I like Mattingly as well.

 

[BooyaCS]

I am not a fan of Bobby V. Give me Donnie Baseball or redo the search.

 

[7foot3]

Riggleman had, I believe, a .490% winning while Acta put up about a .300%

I will maintain that Acta did not make best of his little talent given to him and would be largely average in Cleveland, no better than Eric Wedge. In fact, if they hire Acta, I would expect him to have the same sort of coaching career with the Indians.

We can actually look this up people:

Acta - .299 in 87 games, and Riggleman - .440 in 75 games

and there is no statistical significance between those two numbers over their sample sizes.



And anyone here who thinks they really know how well a certain manager can develop talent or what their personality behind the closed doors of the clubhouse is like and how/if it helps, is just fooling themselves. We can make halfway-decent guesses, but there are very few people who are qualified to determine those, even when they can monitor every little thing a manager does.

 

[TribeBuckeyeFan]

Grover wants to manage Indians again

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Mike-Hargrove-wants-to-manage-Cleveland-again?urn=mlb,196752

 

[BlueSeats626]

Re: Grover wants to manage Indians again

Lateral move.


Plus, who's to say he doesn't up and quit in the middle of a successful season like he did with the M's?


We can do better.

 

[Gunther]

Fryman is guy with even less emotion than Wedge whose highest level of managerial experience is Mahoning Valley. Nice guy? Sure. But come on, get somebody from outside the organization with actual managing experience.

Um, why? What's so important about being from outside the organization?

And BTW, Fryman has managing experience in the minors and played at the major league level for years. It's not like he doesn't understand the rules or something.

 

[Damage]

Looks like it's Manny Acta.

From Lastoria:

Acta confirmed. Will be interviewed tomorrow and then will talk to press at 3pm.

If this holds up, thank god we took Acta over Bobby sideshow Valentine. Mattingly interests me a lot, but Acta is a good young coach. Got a raw deal in Washington.