Fire Eppler

[Docwaukee]

btw, could you imagine Eppler getting fired right now for no other reason than the team not doing well?  We might not even be able to hire another GM.  

[Angel Oracle]

He just started as GM, give him at least the 3-4 years that Dipoto and J. Pierpont Reagins got.

[ten ocho recon scout]

This year isn't on eppler. Or sosh. It's on arte, dipoto, and some really, really bad luck. 

 

Below that level it's on some guys sacking, but to be fair, outside of a handful of names, it's not like they're playing below their capability 

[MacNasty]

18 hours ago, zenmaster said:

Eppler needs to have a firesale and get as many prospects as he can. Then we need to draft well the next few years. If all this happens then we might have a chance to be good in the last year before trouts contract is up. 

When a manager hits his shelf life it's hard to tell what you need.  When Maddon took over the Cubs people were saying he'd need a roster overhaul.  Team started like crap out the gate, but in the second half they finished strong and ended up +24 games over the previous season.

 

I'd let Sciosh finish the season, but if I were the owner he's gone.  They already started the overhaul of the front office, this offseason will be about the staff.

[DowningRules]

Eppler is HItler!

[MacNasty]

16 hours ago, Dochalo said:

It started by creating a confused hierarchy of leadership.  From Arte's own influence is specific player personnel decisions to giving a manager enough power to where there is even an opportunity for the players to choose him over the general manager.  I consider Scioscia to be a good manager, but there is a reason you don't see GM's also being managers.  You just can't do both jobs at the same time.  Giving the manager as much say as the GM in how the team is run is just too confusing.  You need a single vision.  

Pretty much.  But Arte doesn't look like he's going to sell so the question is whether he'll learn from his failure.

Way I look at it he's on his third GM on Scioscia's watch and this will be the guy he puts some trust in.  Eppler is his last chance really, if he can't get behind this guy and empower him he is never going to get it right.  And I think Eppler might be that guy who is good enough to keep Arte's interference at bay, too.  First indicator is going to be what happens with Mike after this season if they don't start playing better ball.  If the Angels don't win this division there's gonna be another power struggle because this GM is smart enough to know he's gotta reset the staff and get everyone going in the right direction, or as you said single vision.

[ten ocho recon scout]

20 hours ago, zenmaster said:

Eppler needs to have a firesale and get as many prospects as he can. Then we need to draft well the next few years. If all this happens then we might have a chance to be good in the last year before trouts contract is up. 

Problem is, there's about 4 guys (outside of trout) we could flip for talent.

They are richards,Heaney, Simmons and calhoun....

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, MacNasty said:

Pretty much.  But Arte doesn't look like he's going to sell so the question is whether he'll learn from his failure.

Way I look at it he's on his third GM on Scioscia's watch and this will be the guy he puts some trust in.  Eppler is his last chance really, if he can't get behind this guy and empower him he is never going to get it right.  And I think Eppler might be that guy who is good enough to keep Arte's interference at bay, too.  First indicator is going to be what happens with Mike after this season if they don't start playing better ball.  If the Angels don't win this division there's gonna be another power struggle because this GM is smart enough to know he's gotta reset the staff and get everyone going in the right direction, or as you said single vision.

I doubt there are any coaching or front office shakeups after this season.  Injuries have pretty much negated that possibility.  

And I think Arte's only recognizable failure in his own mind is trusting Josh Hamilton.  The directive will still be to improve the major league club with whatever resources you have.  This last winter it was with players instead of money.  Simmons and Escobar for Newcomb, Ellis, Aybar and Gott.  Eppler has also been instructed to get along with Scioscia.  Involve him in your process.  Listen to him, and make sure the two of you are on the same page.  The guy Arte picked isn't the 'I'm in charge and this is how we are gonna do it type'.  He's the 'Here is my idea, and what are your thoughts?'  There isn't gonna be another power struggle because Billy knows his place.  Front office by committee.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

1 hour ago, MacNasty said:

Pretty much.  But Arte doesn't look like he's going to sell so the question is whether he'll learn from his failure.

He seems to have gone to the opposite extreme. Because he got burned by signing two major free agents for too long for too much money, now we sign no one - death for a team with little in-house talent and a basically dead farm system.

 

As far as "front office by committee", I don't see it succeeding. Too many hands in the decisions.

[Troll Daddy]

Eppler should of held out for Ian Desmond.

 

Douchebag

[Lou]

On May 8, 2016 at 4:38 PM, Inside Pitch said:

Freese is pretty much exactly the same player he had been with the Angels -- his OBP is up but his overall OPS+ of 104 is identical to what he put up in his first year, and below what he put up in his second year.

Matt Joyce doesnt look like any version of Matt Joyce ever...    221 OPS+..  Matt Joyce thinks the NL is easy.

So there's Joyce, who EVERYONE wanted gone.

Not sure who else he's referring to

[Docwaukee]

If we brought Joyce back, you'd type in AW.com and get the rainbow beep.  I think it would have broken the internet.  dogs and cats living together.  mass hysteria.  

[tdawg87]

We suck at predicting things.

[California Cajun]

I think Eppler has done a fine job to date.  He addressed weaknesses on last year's team with little to spend.  He upgraded the coaching staff.  I'm assuming Bud Black is actively involved in some capacity. The manager and GM get slong.  This Spring we saw a team trying to run more.

Since the season started the limits of this team and injuries have kicked in.  

I think Albert's feet are too injured to play and he'd probably have to rest them the rest of this year to get better.  If all the Angel injuries make it impossible to compete, management should think seriously about shutting Albert down.  I never question his desire to contribute but I have wondered what his capabilities are when not healthy.

 

[Stradling]

Show of hands, last year who watched Joyce play and thought, "if Scioscia would just do this Joyce would be so much better?"  Every single person on this board wanted him released or benched.  To somewhat blame Scioscia for Joyce sucking because now he's doing well is revisionist history.  

[Blarg]

Scioscia made Joyce wake up before he got his full beauty sleep.

 

BTW I never bought the, I forgot when game time was and slept in, excuse. It seemed more plausible Joyce was too hungover to get his ass out of bed and they made a cover story for him. Everyone was glad when he went on the DL and still happy he wasn't back in the lineup when he returned. To bring him up now as some attack against Scioscia is petulant.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Blarg

[Stradling]

It's the idea that managers make players play poorly over the course of a season that is laughable to me.  Especially a veteran like Joyce.  It throws personal accountability and pride in ones work out the window.  

[California Cajun]

18 hours ago, Dochalo said:

btw, could you imagine Eppler getting fired right now for no other reason than the team not doing well?  We might not even be able to hire another GM.  

I wonder if Arte would fire Scioscia if not for owing him money for the rest of his contract.

I don't think Scioscia will be re-hired after his contract expires.  Then the GM can hire his own guy and be the boss.

To me, Arte was a great owner when Stoneman was GM and has been at a loss as to what to do ever since.

If the Angels aren't heavily invested in scouting, national and international, their future isn't bright.

[Troll Daddy]

The truth is ... our FO and Field Managers are not the problem .. they're our strength.

I'm excited to see what Eppler/staff can accomplish under extreme expectations  and financial limitations. 

I believed in this team chances this season before all the injuries. 

Go Eppler! 

 

 

 

 

[Jay]

Maybe this is Arte's way of trying to get Scioscia to quit... by giving him a crappy team that has no chance to win.

[Angel Oracle]

I still wonder if Moreno's heart isn't in it anymore.

[tomsred]

5 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I still wonder if Moreno's heart isn't in it anymore.

That's hard to tell, because he's been pretty silent the last couple of years.  He tends to say controversial things, so I'm sure he's been told to stay low and a little out of sight.  I'll bet he is certainly not happy about the stadium situation, and as we know, certainly turned off completely over the Hamilton situation.

[Chuck]

[rvt]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

I still wonder if Moreno's heart isn't in it anymore.

I wonder too..  I saw only one game in Tempe Diablo this spring.  Arte was there, near the dugout.  He looked fine and interacted with a few fans.  Posed for a few pictures with them.  Didn't see overwhelming enthusiasm from his or the fan's angle in general.   The thought that crosses my mind is his age, and how he plans to pass on his estate.  As another older individual, that is something of consideration.  What are the capabilities of his heirs?  Would it be best to leave them a simplified estate (more cash less stuff needing management)?   His actions this year make sense if a sale is something sooner than later.  But it also makes sense if he's strongly opposed on moral grounds of going over the salary cap.   I think the marketing aspect has been with him the whole time.   And agree with the posts on the unusual chain of command in the organization. 

Anyway.. I don't know either..

Edited May 10, 2016 by rvt

[Homebrewer]

No way..you can't fire the guy who just went out and scored us Brendan Ryan!