Blame Pie

[Stradling]

mmm pie (you're welcome Glen).

So lets hear it, you have to divvy up 100% of the blame and here are your choices:

Scioscia

The Players

Dipoto

It would be too easy to put all the blame on Arte so please refrian from him being in this.

Mine would go:

50% Dipoto- the roster construction since the beginning of the season is just awful. He wasn't able to adequately replace Howie's production on either side of the ball. Also Joyce was about as bad as you can be and retain a job.

35%- Players, there are basically six players on this roster having decent years by their standards, Trout, Calhoun, Aybar, Cron, Santiago and Gott. The rest aren't really doing anything. They aren't all that talented, but they fail to execute so often that it is just ugly.

15%- Scioscia and his coaching staff. I truly don't know what he can do with these guys and their lack of talent, but the truly great managers get their players playing at their highest levels. Scioscia is a solid to good major league manager, but it is time for a change. Butcher is probably average at best. Baylor, I love the guy, but I can't honestly say he has taken any one player and made them better offensively.

[Troll Daddy]

I give Scioscia 100% of the blame for keeping this team in contention and getting our hopes up for a playoff spot.

[Glen]

Now I want pie.

[Glen]

Anyway...split it evenly. 33% Scioscia and his staff, 33% on the players, and 33% Dipoto. The team often looks unprepared and that's on the manager. They often underperform and that's on the players. That most of them kinda suck is 9n Dipoto.

[laagamer]

50%- Players (They suck)

 

25%- Dipoto (He got the sucky players)

 

25%- Scioscia (His "gut feelings" are bullshit) 

[mulwin444]

Dipoto - 25% - The offense was left unfinished but he leveraged an expiring contract (Kendrick) and a back-up Catcher (Conger) for cost controlled starting pitching in Heaney and Tropeano.  Add to that the fact that Santiago and Skaggs were received for Trumbo and, essentially, 4/5 of a solid starting rotation was aquired for 3 players.  I believe, based on past activity, that Dipoto wasn't finished reshaping the offense this season but his resignation only left us with the known facts - the offense was weak and unperforming.  The Joyce/Jepsen trade made sense at the time since it was considered a trade for OF depth and a contigency for injury, not for Joyce to be a started.  2B and LF were holes that were never filled.

 

Players - 25% - Besides Trout, who on the offense has stepped up and played near their career norms in terms of OPS+?  Pujols looks done, Ianetta fell off the face of the Earth, Freese is a non-factor, Calhoun has struggled to get on base at his normal clip (currently at .319), and Featherston should not be starting anywhere above AAA both offensively and defensively.  it wasn't like everyone played above their heads last season and this was a "corrected" - players have failed to perform...period. 

 

Manager/Coaches - 25% - Still the same stuff...outs on the basepaths, lack of execution with runners on base, the contact play, unimaginiative BP managment, unnecessary platooning, etc.  Nothing has changed and the same weaknesess predictably resurface.  For years until now, a lead-off double is often followed by a group ball to 3B/SS or a K when a groundball to 2B would do the trick...or a runner at 3B with less than 2 outs invariably would get gunned down at home on a sharp ground ball to the right side.  We are baffling as a team in our lack of situational awareness.  How can you be among the league leaders of stranded runners with 2 outs and allowing 2 out runs?  This comes down to philosophy and approach as much as talent...what is preached day in and day out and reinforced throughout the season.  This team hemorrhages outs like a severed artery. 

 

Owner - 25% - I know this wasn't part of the option but I don't know how it can't be referenced at this point.  He has allowed a toxic environment to fester and has imposed himself in a fashion that has highlighted his tone-deaf approach.  From the Hamilton situation to the Dipoto resignation, he has ultimate power and, for better or worse, he's built the franchise in his own image.

[zenmaster]

All of the above have equally contributed to this mess!

Edited September 16, 2015 by zenmaster

[Chuck]

Dipoto - 25% - The offense was left unfinished but he leveraged an expiring contract (Kendrick) and a back-up Catcher (Conger) for cost controlled starting pitching in Heaney and Tropeano.  Add to that the fact that Santiago and Skaggs were received for Trumbo and, essentially, 4/5 of a solid starting rotation was aquired for 3 players.  I believe, based on past activity, that Dipoto wasn't finished reshaping the offense this season but his resignation only left us with the known facts - the offense was weak and unperforming.  The Joyce/Jepsen trade made sense at the time since it was considered a trade for OF depth and a contigency for injury, not for Joyce to be a started.  2B and LF were holes that were never filled.

 

Players - 25% - Besides Trout, who on the offense has stepped up and played near their career norms in terms of OPS+?  Pujols looks done, Ianetta fell off the face of the Earth, Freese is a non-factor, Calhoun has struggled to get on base at his normal clip (currently at .319), and Featherston should not be starting anywhere above AAA both offensively and defensively.  it wasn't like everyone played above their heads last season and this was a "corrected" - players have failed to perform...period. 

 

Manager/Coaches - 25% - Still the same stuff...outs on the basepaths, lack of execution with runners on base, the contact play, unimaginiative BP managment, unnecessary platooning, etc.  Nothing has changed and the same weaknesess predictably resurface.  For years until now, a lead-off double is often followed by a group ball to 3B/SS or a K when a groundball to 2B would do the trick...or a runner at 3B with less than 2 outs invariably would get gunned down at home on a sharp ground ball to the right side.  We are baffling as a team in our lack of situational awareness.  How can you be among the league leaders of stranded runners with 2 outs and allowing 2 out runs?  This comes down to philosophy and approach as much as talent...what is preached day in and day out and reinforced throughout the season.  This team hemorrhages outs like a severed artery. 

 

Owner - 25% - I know this wasn't part of the option but I don't know how it can't be referenced at this point.  He has allowed a toxic environment to fester and has imposed himself in a fashion that has highlighted his tone-deaf approach.  From the Hamilton situation to the Dipoto resignation, he has ultimate power and, for better or worse, he's built the franchise in his own image.

 

 

Looks fair to me.  Though most of us were happy with the roster Dipoto provided at the start of the season. We praised him for getting us pitching depth and our offense was basically the same one that lead the league in runs last year, minus Howie Kendrick whose numbers weren't that much better than Gia, both having injuries that have seen them away from their team for some time. 

 

Nobody expected Pujols to absolutely suck for 3 months, play like an all-star for two months. Nobody expected Trout to shit the bed for the entire month of August, part of September. It wasn't Dipoto's fault that Freese got hurt and we were left with ZERO production from the LF spot. Everyone thought based on Victorino's splits that he would be a great platoon partner with Murphy. Back to Dipoto, I'm also sure nobody expected Joyce and Iannetta to totally forget how to hit a baseball. We all praised these two players for their career OBP and average ability. NOBODY expected the Josh Hamilton thing, which was all Arte and Josh himself. 

[ispy45]

mmm pie (you're welcome Glen).

So lets hear it, you have to divvy up 100% of the blame and here are your choices:

Scioscia

The Players

Dipoto

It would be too easy to put all the blame on Arte so please refrian from him being in this.

Mine would go:

50% Dipoto- the roster construction since the beginning of the season is just awful. He wasn't able to adequately replace Howie's production on either side of the ball. Also Joyce was about as bad as you can be and retain a job.

35%- Players, there are basically six players on this roster having decent years by their standards, Trout, Calhoun, Aybar, Cron, Santiago and Gott. The rest aren't really doing anything. They aren't all that talented, but they fail to execute so often that it is just ugly.

15%- Scioscia and his coaching staff. I truly don't know what he can do with these guys and their lack of talent, but the truly great managers get their players playing at their highest levels. Scioscia is a solid to good major league manager, but it is time for a change. Butcher is probably average at best. Baylor, I love the guy, but I can't honestly say he has taken any one player and made them better offensively.

On the Baylor part, he improved Kole. Everyone else you may have a point,

[Glen]

Looks fair to me. Though most of us were happy with the roster Dipoto provided at the start of the season. We praised him for getting us pitching depth and our offense was basically the same one that lead the league in runs last year, minus Howie Kendrick whose numbers weren't that much better than Gia, both having injuries that have seen them away from their team for some time.

Nobody expected Pujols to absolutely suck for 3 months, play like an all-star for two months. Nobody expected Trout to shit the bed for the entire month of August, part of September. It wasn't Dipoto's fault that Freese got hurt and we were left with ZERO production from the LF spot. Everyone thought based on Victorino's splits that he would be a great platoon partner with Murphy. Back to Dipoto, I'm also sure nobody expected Joyce and Iannetta to totally forget how to hit a baseball. We all praised these two players for their career OBP and average ability. NOBODY expected the Josh Hamilton thing, which was all Arte and Josh himself.

Very few people expected anything from Victorino. Edited September 16, 2015 by Glen

[tdawg87]

99% the Illuminati

1% Sosh

[ScottT]

Fans 26%

[ScottT]

Media 1%

[Tank]

thanks, obama!

[seenoevil]

I give Scioscia 100% of the blame for not keeping this team in contention and getting our hopes up for a playoff spot.

[ScottT]

Marketing department 2%

[seenoevil]

I blame the Oracle

[ScottT]

Chinese developers 1%

[Homebrewer]

Assessing/assigning blame is pointless and stupid.

 

Come up with ways to fix the situation.

[Docwaukee]

https://youtu.be/rB0Le3oM1b8

[yk9001]

Assessing/assigning blame is pointless and stupid.

Are you not familiar with the internet?

[Guest]

I blame the Oracle

 

Moreno should sell the team to Larry Ellison

[gotbeer]

100% AW.com

 

99% of that is AO because he is getting soft in his old age.  Not enough fire and brimstone.  And what's up with sticking to a 3 week ban.  If AO could bring his game, then I could more fairly distribute the blame.  

[gotbeer]

Oh, and I thought this thread was going to be about Felix Pie and how we should or did acquire him.

[Homebrewer]

Me too...or how we were supposed to blame Felix for the mess...

of course many here would even know who he is.