No hate for Mike Scioscia

[NJHalo]

Where has all the hatred for Scioscia gone? Not one thread on the homepage mentioning how MS needs to be fired!

I guess we have bigger fish to fry...........well maybe not bigger.

 

[Angel Oracle]

The Halos have done well to be 18-22 in spite of all the injuries and playing a solid non-division schedule so far (except for being swept by the woeful Twins).

[Amazing Larry]

Maybe Mike doesn't suck at his job after all. His platooning is still a little bothersome though.

[mtangelsfan]

I think Sosh is actually better with less to work with.

[Blarg]

His platooning has been replacing a broken player for one about to break. Not really a choice. 

[70runner]

Hate is a pretty strong word.  Some are frustrated with his love for vets, platoons, contact plays, and tipping the cap.  A 10yr contract for ANY pro manager is a bad idea.

[Homebrewer]

Mike doesn't have a team that can be mishandled, and there are absolutely no expectations on him because of that fact..

On top of that..This website discourages such talk.

[tdawg87]

If this team makes the playoffs or comes close to it MS deserves legit MOY recognition. 

[Taylor]

Scioscia won't deserve to be fired again until the Angels lose two in a row. His job is safe... for now.

[HaloCory22]

This has been on my mind since Bruce Boudreau was let go for the Ducks. Great coach and won a lot of games but the organization felt like a fresh voice was needed in the locker room to get the most out of these players. I know this team has been hit with so many injuries but you gotta figure that something similar needs to be done here too (Not saying 2016 is on Scioscia btw). Sometimes you just need a fresh take on things in the clubhouse. 

[Kendo36]

The way this team fights is obviously a product of scioscia's approach. Day by day. Page by page. If only the panicky Nancy's on this board would take the same approach.

[mtangelsfan]

24 minutes ago, Homebrewer said:

Mike doesn't have a team that can be mishandled, and there are absolutely no expectations on him because of that fact..

On top of that..This website discourages such talk.

 

Man this is just plain dumb.  Considering that a majority of the main forum is complaining I don't see how that can be "discouraged".

 

go cubs

[Stradling]

The only person's opinion that matters here is Chucks and Chuck has gone off on Scioscia and has wanted him fired so to say this website discourages that is nonsense @Homebrewer.  One thing we do discourage is stupidity so if you say something stupid (I'm not referring to you HB) then expect a loud voice calling you out.  I will agree with the sentiment that Mike has little to work with so its tough to blame him for whatever happens this year.  As far as favoring veterans, that hasn't been true in years.  

[NJHalo]

Regardless of the reasons, I figured it would take at least 2 years after he got fired for Scioscia's name to stop appearing on the front page.

"Thanks Scioscia"

"Fat man strikes again"

etc...

[mulwin444]

Team is decimated with injuries and they are still coming out and trying to win.  What would there be to complain about at this point?  What people who are not the biggest Scioscia fans tend to overlook/forget/not acknowledge is his team routinely outperform their pythag projections every year.  I may complain about an AL manager bunting or his desperate need in the past to get bats like Aybar at the top of the line-up, but the fact remains he gets the most out of his teams during the regular season.

[fan_since79]

Contrary to what some here might believe, I don't hate Scioscia. In fact, I would probably love to have dinner with him and talk baseball, since lasagna is one of my favorite dishes.

However, I do hate the contact play, arbitrary left-right platooning (Kendrys Morales, anyone?), and bunting in the second inning, among other things.

 

[Blarg]

33 minutes ago, HaloCory22 said:

This has been on my mind since Bruce Boudreau was let go for the Ducks. Great coach and won a lot of games but the organization felt like a fresh voice was needed in the locker room to get the most out of these players. I know this team has been hit with so many injuries but you gotta figure that something similar needs to be done here too (Not saying 2016 is on Scioscia btw). Sometimes you just need a fresh take on things in the clubhouse. 

Aaah the fresh take argument. That would probably hold water if it were not for the fact there are only 3 position players that have more than 2 full years on the 25 man roster.

On the pitching staff you have Weaver, Santiago, Richards (on the DL), Smith and Salas.

The rest are either guys with a one year or less on the team.

And you guys didn't think the Angels weren't in the process of a rebuild.

 

[Docwaukee]

looking over what MS teams have done during the regular season, there isn't one year where you look at the talent on the team and think they should have finished with a better record.  

I think the only knock against him can be his playoff record of 10-22 since winning the WS.  

I wonder about how much input he's had in player personnel decisions and that is a concern but we really don't have much in the way of facts for that.  

His game to game and on field/situational skill are solid.  Not great in my opinion.  I have come around to some degree on his pen management.  Don't care for bunting unless with rare exception.  Contact play doesn't totally bother me like it does some.  Lineups are ok.  

His clubhouse management is excellent.  

He's gotten votes for manager of the year in 11 of his 16 seasons and finished in the top 3 five times.  

He's an upper echelon manager.  He has certainly never really been the problem with this team, but there have been several seasons where he wasn't really the solution either although that is tough to gauge.  

[fan_since79]

In Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, in the 8th inning with a one-run lead, he instructed Jose Molina to bunt with one out already. Of course, nothing came of that. But Percy held the Giants scoreless in the ninth and we got to Game 7.

These are the things that Scioscia does that drive me absolutely crazy.

 

[tomsred]

Every manager will drive fans crazy, because decisions are made in real time and there are so many variables in play.  I've said this before, Scioscia manages to a process, fans manage with hindsight and are reactionary.  Fans would play the hot hand until they break by injury or until someone makes a mistake or goes into a mini slump.  While a good deal of manager's mantra is to keep his team on the one game at a time philosophy, the manager and coaches have to balance the entire season and develop their squad for the best result over the entire season.  With active rosters set at 25 players at a time, you can't even afford to waste the 25th spot on someone who can't contribute something.

Manager's know that it will take over 40 (sometimes over 50) different players to contribute at a high level to win enough games to enter the post season with enough left to make a legitimate run.  They have to gauge who they can count on during a stretch run, and the players have to be fresh enough to achieve that goal.  Unless you are in the clubhouse and have intimate knowledge of the players involved and their capabilities, I can't see how you can think your opinion is a better educated one than what the manager and coaching staff believes.  Sometimes trying out an approach that doesn't seem logical may net you something down the road, and even in losing you can sometimes learn more about your team than when they are hot.

I don't buy that there is no place for a merger in baseball for over 10 years with one team,  That's like saying everyone over 55 should retire, some should and other people can be wonderfully productive in their 80's at the right job.  There is an argument for criticizing Scioscia's philosophies.  If the GM and/or owner disagree with them, and the manager doesn't change or adapt, then he should be replaced.  I think Mike has done a pretty decent job at embracing modern analytics, maybe a little slow to get to it for a few years but Eppler seems to be good at convincing him of their place in the game.  My sense is that Dipoto had a great understanding of analytics, but failed in the communication of his ideas to the manager, coaches and players.  If he gets that corrected, he may guide Seattle to much better performance.  He has the manager now who will run with his ideas.

 

Look, one of the great and fun things about baseball is that everyone is so into the vast array of detailed statistical data, that you can make yourself believe you can manage a team to a better effect than a manager, and manager.  That's fun, but let's not get carried away with it.  You're really not in the clubhouse, and you don't really know where each individual player is at mentally and physically each day.  Is the player tired, did his wife give him some bad news, is one of his children sick, did his pet just die, did a friend just pass away, is he not getting along with someone, did his financial advisor just swindle him out of some bucks, is he drunk or on drugs, is he pissed at a coach, and on and on and on.  Most criticisms here are focused on analytical decisions, there's a bigger task trying to manage 25 personalities to be the best they can be.  In that task, judging by player comments, I think Sciascia's does a great job.  

 

 

 

 

  

[Pujols4MVP]

5 hours ago, mtangelsfan said:

I think Sosh is actually better with less to work with.

Yup. and no point in calling for Scioscia to be fired during a season that may be lost anyways.

He's good when they have a roster of guys like Eckstein, Erstad, Spiezio, Calhoun, Ortega etc & not the overpaid Pujols/Hamilton/Wells types.

Now once they go back to being a WS contender, I'll want him fired & replaced with a 21st century manager that understands Sabermetrics, fangraphs etc.

[tomsred]

1 minute ago, Scioscia4MVP said:

Yup. and no point in calling for Scioscia to be fired during a season that may be lost anyways.

He's good when they have a roster of guys like Eckstein, Erstad, Spiezio, Calhoun, Ortega etc & not the overpaid Pujols/Hamilton/Wells types.

Now once they go back to being a WS contender, I'll want him fired & replaced with a 21st century manager that understands Sabermetrics, fangraphs etc.

What, this team isn't shifting enough for you?  I disagree, they are as analytical as anyone at this point, maybe too much so.

[Troll Daddy]

One of the top five best managers in the game. Angel fans should count their blessings. Although, looking forward to some new blood in 2019. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

5 hours ago, mtangelsfan said:

I think Sosh is actually better with less to work with.

It's certainly a lot harder to criticize him when he has to choose between a series of bad choices. Bunts, hit and run, matcheups and bringing in shitty relievers are all more likely to be the right move when you are working with questionable talent.

[OregonLAA]

His bullpen management frustrates the hell out of me but he's a good leader. I believe a fresh voice is needed sooner rather than later but I actually like Sosh. But when he does stupid shit with that bullpen I start screaming "fire". I can't help it. Strad usually talks me down.