Who's after Scioscia?

[tomahawksu]

Would all those calling for his head actually be happy or would they just move on down the line for people to blame for a bad game/season/inning whatever it is. It basically feels like (after reading comments on facebook and several threads on here) that people are just saying fire him to basically hear themselves talk. Was the first fire Scioscia comment made after the first ball Weaver threw in Cincinnati since he clearly used his powers to move the ball out of the strike zone?

 

The team sucks right now, that is obvious. With no pitching depth and the lack of a minor league support system, you can't win. Giving up 16 runs to the Twins in two games is all but an automatic loss. Bad moves, trading Ervin was a HUGE mistake, despite his rough stretches, he was semi consistent. Hamilton will get a bump from his old buddy Ron Washington when they hang out and then he will start mashing the ball again, in between strike outs of course.

 

Tough scheduling, injuries, and poor off season transactions don't mix well for the beginning of a season. I bet if the team went on a 20 game win streak and then lost one, everyone would be saying fire Scioscia after that one loss. We get it, you don't like him. This time next year, if he is fired, he will be in Yankee stadium and all the Yankee fans will be crying the same thing and everyone will be crying about whoever the new manager is, regardless of who it is.

 

 

[Ochocinco!]

I'd be happy ... End of story

[robblin17]

Not at all. I think Scioscia has been a root cause for our issues the past three seasons. I do not see this team being successful now or in the near future with him at the reins and I have been saying this for years.

It is his philosophies that have been engrained throughout this entire organization that have led to our demise.

[dimitrig]

Here's the deal with professional coaches:

 

They are not always to blame, but you can't fire the entire team (or even the majority) so to get their attention you make the move you can make. Angels are not performing, so what do you suggest ownership do? Just keep hoping something will change season after season? The GMs are making moves for quality players like Greinke, Wilson, Pujols, and Hamilton (and going back even Teixeira), and the draft has yielded Trout but it's just not happening on the field.

 

 

What do you suggest?

[gurn67]

I've wanted the guy gone for several years, but I don't want a tired old retread to take over this team. The most promising guys out there right now are coaches for other teams and it doesn't seem like those types of hires are made in-season. This team need it's ass kicked. I'm not saying that's the long term answer, but someone who's Kirk Gibson-like and gets this f'n "oh well, we'll get them tomorrow" attitude out of here. A pitching coach who expects his pitchers to throw strikes and back hitters off the plate once in a while would be nice as well.

[Chuck]

It's the manager's job to be sure the team keeps its head up & shoulders back during tough stretches. Scioscia looks detached & disinterested. May be time to cut ties with him. He used to be able to rally these guys and preach OGAAT to the players and it was well received.

 

The only one in the clubhouse that looks like he's having fun is Lucho.

[EDinTUSTIN]

Amen!

[stevestevens]

This team is going through the motions.  Something has to happen aside from closed door meetings.

[tomahawksu]

Firing Scioscia is essentially throwing the towel in on the season, especially since Butcher would be the likely replacement at this point in time. You can't bring in someone who is foreign to the system and expect immediate results, so unless it is someone who knows the team well, there will still be big problems. 

 

Something needs to be done, if it's firing Butcher, well Scioscia just lost his last buddy and then it's him, if it is him who is gone, well been a nice ride. I'm not against firing Scioscia, as long as the right person is brought in to immediately take over, no interim coach or any of that.

[tomsred]

This team is going through the motions.  Something has to happen aside from closed door meetings.

By that you mean something you can see and witness?  Good luck with that one.

[gurn67]

Also, someone please tell me what percentage of guys in the American League score from first base with no outs versus score from second base with 1 out? I read one book that said the difference is only a 2 percent increase. Why does this guy continue to give away outs early in the game and on the road??? The way I look at it, depending on who's up, you've got a 30-40% chance of having at least 1st and 2nd with no outs versus maybe a 10% chance of a double play (unless Kendrick or Pujols are up). 2012 Angels' numbers with runner on first and nobody out: 36% reached base 13% grounded into a double play That 36% doesn't factor in errors or guys who moved up on a ground ball. The only time I can ever see sacrificing is if it's late in the game and you're at home and you have a really crappy hitter up and you're going for the tie. I don't know if the statistics back me up on that or not, but whoever they get. No more sacrifice bunts in the early and middle innings!!!

[tomsred]

It's the manager's job to be sure the team keeps its head up & shoulders back during tough stretches. Scioscia looks detached & disinterested. May be time to cut ties with him. He used to be able to rally these guys and preach OGAAT to the players and it was well received.

 

The only one in the clubhouse that looks like he's having fun is Lucho.

I think you are reading too much into their expressions.  They look like they have a lot of fun when they win, and if they look like they are loose when they lose, well the fans don't like that at all because why should they be loose and happy when we can't be.  Scioscia tries to keep things on an even keel because he knows the season is so long.  It's detrimental to get too high or too low because you can't sustain the former, and you don't want to sustain the latter.  If you want to see what can go wrong when you replace someone like Scioscia with a fiery type you don't have to look any further than the Francona to Valentine transition last year - disastrous.

 

If Scioscia is replaced Arte better have someone real experienced and well qualified to replace him with before he pulls the trigger.  Fans are very reactionary, they don't think things can get worse.  They sometimes think that anything is better than what is happening currently.  The truth is that the wrong move here could set off a chain reaction of mistakes.  DiPoto would push real hard for someone loyal to him and who agrees with his philosophies.  I'm not sure I trust DiPoto enough to let him take greater control.  His performance is every bit as suspect as Scioscia's right now.

 

I hope that Arte has someone outside the organization who he can turn to for some advice on this one, someone impartial who is extremely experienced in baseball operations.  Like a former GM or owner who has navigated this minefield before.  He has to shut down on listening too much to his GM, manager, fans, and press/analysts and really think about what can be done to achieve the objectives he wants.

[HaloNation]

ms is like a sleeping pill

 

this man needs to go asap

[RePLAY]

Would all those calling for his head actually be happy or would they just move on down the line for people to blame for a bad game/season/inning whatever it is. It basically feels like (after reading comments on facebook and several threads on here) that people are just saying fire him to basically hear themselves talk. Was the first fire Scioscia comment made after the first ball Weaver threw in Cincinnati since he clearly used his powers to move the ball out of the strike zone?

 

The team sucks right now, that is obvious. With no pitching depth and the lack of a minor league support system, you can't win. Giving up 16 runs to the Twins in two games is all but an automatic loss. Bad moves, trading Ervin was a HUGE mistake, despite his rough stretches, he was semi consistent. Hamilton will get a bump from his old buddy Ron Washington when they hang out and then he will start mashing the ball again, in between strike outs of course.

 

Tough scheduling, injuries, and poor off season transactions don't mix well for the beginning of a season. I bet if the team went on a 20 game win streak and then lost one, everyone would be saying fire Scioscia after that one loss. We get it, you don't like him. This time next year, if he is fired, he will be in Yankee stadium and all the Yankee fans will be crying the same thing and everyone will be crying about whoever the new manager is, regardless of who it is.

 

lol 20 game winning streak.

[Mark68]

They are lethargic and ill-prepared for each game. They have been lethargic for 3+ years now. That is on the manager.

 

It's funny that Scioscia's teams still have this reputation of playing the game well in all facets, especially baserunning. That has not been true for at least the last couple of years.

[Ray McKigney]

The pitching sucks. I knew this going into the season, but hoped it wouldn't be so bad. Pitching is the problem. Once they figure out how to fix it then everything will be fine. Until then, expect a .333 winning percentage.

[RallyMo]

Firing Scioscia will not fix this:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/year/2013/seasontype/2/league/al

 

Our starting pitching staff is terrrrrrrrrrrrrible.

[Jay]

The pitching is horrible, so the hitters are pressing.  The hitters fail, then the pitcher is under the gun.  It's a vicious circle.  If we can just get a couple of decent pitching performances in a row, win a couple of games, I think the team could build some momentum.  Winning is the only thing that's going to make the players happy.  Firing the manager will not make the players happy.

[Carlota Gonzalez]

Firing Scioscia is essentially throwing the towel in on the season, especially since Butcher would be the likely replacement at this point in time. You can't bring in someone who is foreign to the system and expect immediate results, so unless it is someone who knows the team well, there will still be big problems.

Something needs to be done, if it's firing Butcher, well Scioscia just lost his last buddy and then it's him, if it is him who is gone, well been a nice ride. I'm not against firing Scioscia, as long as the right person is brought in to immediately take over, no interim coach or any of that.

I disagree. I think firing Sosh would be a move to try and save the season, as long as the new manager is not Piccolo, or whoever the bench coach dude is...

[Brian Ilten]

Firing Scioscia is essentially throwing the towel in on the season, especially since Butcher would be the likely replacement at this point in time. You can't bring in someone who is foreign to the system and expect immediate results, so unless it is someone who knows the team well, there will still be big problems. 

 

Something needs to be done, if it's firing Butcher, well Scioscia just lost his last buddy and then it's him, if it is him who is gone, well been a nice ride. I'm not against firing Scioscia, as long as the right person is brought in to immediately take over, no interim coach or any of that.

Perhaps you haven't noticed, they have thrown the towel in already. Firing Scioscia may actually save the season.

[Amazing Larry]

The pitching is horrible, so the hitters are pressing. The hitters fail, then the pitcher is under the gun. It's a vicious circle. If we can just get a couple of decent pitching performances in a row, win a couple of games, I think the team could build some momentum. Winning is the only thing that's going to make the players happy. Firing the manager will not make the players happy.

Ya I'm with you on that Jay. A midseason firing of Scioscia will only add another ingredient to the shit salad this team has been tossing so far this year. Like Tomsred stated, the Francona to Valentine transition last year was terrible. Unfortunately I don't see any quick fixes for this team. I believe the hitting is better than what is being displayed but the pitching... well... it is what is.

If this team continues to play like they have then yes, drastic changes should be made at the end of the season. I would hope they could find someone with a new philosophy. Maybe a more saber-type coaching staff who don't favor runnyball so much and don't have some kind of warrior code they follow requiring them to play veterans over younger players. This org needs to get back to the basics. They need focus on pulling their minor league system out of the doldrums because without that, all they have is Arte's wallet.

[greginpsca]

After the collegiate season is over , they should hire Erstad.

[fan_since79]

Firing Scioscia will not fix this:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/pitching/year/2013/seasontype/2/league/al

 

Our starting pitching staff is terrrrrrrrrrrrrible.

Horrible numbers all around.

 

The only team in baseball with fewer quality starts are the Pirates.

[yk9001]

They are lethargic and ill-prepared for each game. They have been lethargic for 3+ years now. That is on the manager.

 

It's funny that Scioscia's teams still have this reputation of playing the game well in all facets, especially baserunning. That has not been true for at least the last couple of years.

 

I agree with all of this, to a T.

[AngelsLongBall]

They are lethargic and ill-prepared for each game. They have been lethargic for 3+ years now. That is on the manager.

 

It's funny that Scioscia's teams still have this reputation of playing the game well in all facets, especially baserunning. That has not been true for at least the last couple of years.

I brought it up in a separate thread, but these guys do not seem prepared at the start of the season.  Too many mental mistakes.  Can't blame Jerry for not having the guys ready to play.