Eppler is for sure on the hot seat now...

[Second Base]

The guy he specifically brought in and groomed to be the best manager, spent a year familiarizing himself with philosophies of Eppler, the prospects on the farm, analytics and was handed a three year contract by Eppler himself was just shown the door.

To me, that's a clear signal from Arte. "Win, Billy. Or else."

[T.G.]

As he should be.

[mulwin444]

The fact he wasn't extended beyond his option year pretty much implied it...

[tdawg87]

[Pancake Bear]

What concerns me more: Last year, most of Eppler’s interviews were with guys without managerial experience. Now we hear after Ausmus is let go that the Angels are looking for someone with a lot of experience. That implies to me that Arte is on the same page as Team Whine Country Club on this site. That means Eppler has very little autonomy to do his job. In case anyone needs a reminder, bad things happen when Arte meddles in things he knows jack about. 

[angelsnationtalk]

8 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

What concerns me more: Last year, most of Eppler’s interviews were with guys without managerial experience. Now we hear after Ausmus is let go that the Angels are looking for someone with a lot of experience. That implies to me that Arte is on the same page as Team Whine Country Club on this site. That means Eppler has very little autonomy to do his job. In case anyone needs a reminder, bad things happen when Arte meddles in things he knows jack about. 

He let Eppler do his thing with hiring Ausmus and it turned to shit. This was even before we lost Trout, Ohtani and Upton to injuries. The best thing he can do is put Eppler on the hot seat and also open up his pocketbook. 

[Glen]

Here's a theory:

1. Eppler wanted Maddon

2. Scioscia didn't want a one-year deal

3. Ausmus would only sign for three years and Eppler wanted someone easy to fire if Maddon became available

4. Yesterday and today happened

 

 

 

Just kidding. It's gonna be Girardi or Washington.

[Pancake Bear]

1 minute ago, angelsnationtalk said:

He let Eppler do his thing with hiring Ausmus and it turned to shit. This was even before we lost Trout, Ohtani and Upton to injuries. The best thing he can do is put Eppler on the hot seat and also open up his pocketbook. 

Lol, wut?

[angelsnationtalk]

Just now, Sean-Regan said:

Lol, wut?

Arte let Eppler do his thing and hire a manager that Eppler wanted and clearly it didn't work. I don't mind Arte stepping in on this one. 

[DMVol]

 

8 minutes ago, angelsnationtalk said:

Arte let Eppler do his thing and hire a manager that Eppler wanted and clearly it didn't work. I don't mind Arte stepping in on this one. 

I like Eppler, he is certainly better than Reagins or DiPoto....but it kind of begs the question: do you want your owner to hire the manager or the GM?  If I'm an owner and my GM makes a bad managerial hire, I think I might have some pause about my GM, rather than making a managerial hire myself....

[Angel Oracle]

At some point, the results have to start showing up in the W/L record, after 4 straight seasons of under .500 finishes (first time since the 1970s).

The farm is being solidified.   Now, the next domino needs to fall.     Get Cole and one solid enough innings starter in here, and if team health finally improves, hopefully WC contention is the rule for 2020.     

[Pancake Bear]

11 minutes ago, angelsnationtalk said:

Arte let Eppler do his thing and hire a manager that Eppler wanted and clearly it didn't work. I don't mind Arte stepping in on this one. 

You might want to review what happens when Arte steps in, junior. It always ends badly.

[DMVol]

8 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

You might want to review what happens when Arte steps in, junior. It always ends badly.

No question that is true....but, that said, Maddon as a hire seems like a good move....so maybe a fumbling GM wannabe owner can make a good hire, occasionally....

[Pancake Bear]

14 minutes ago, DMVol said:

No question that is true....but, that said, Maddon as a hire seems like a good move....so maybe a fumbling GM wannabe owner can make a good hire, occasionally....

If the end result is Maddon getting hired, things could be a lot worse. But it does concern me what that says about Eppler's ability to do his job. 

[Second Base]

I will say this....I thought the Angels fitting Ausmus after him being groomed and changing direction so quickly to hire Joe Maddon was a pipe dream. 

It's what I would've done, but rarely are major league teams ever this bold in their moves.

Now.... It looks like this seems highly plausible. Joe Maddon, manager of the Angels.... Like it was meant to be.

[Pancake Bear]

I don't think Ausmus got fired because of stuff we don't know about.

I think Arte could be embarrassed about losing 90 games for the first time in his ownership tenure and decided someone needed to answer for it.

I think Arte could agree with the dumbass contingent that Ausmus' pitching decisions were a problem - like having a quick hook, or his bullpen management (spoiler: they weren't a problem) - and wants an experienced manager so that Eppler has less say in what goes on in game. 

I think that unless things go really well next season, Arte will be back to full on meddling, Eppler will be gone, we'll have some dumbass like Dumbrowski in charge, and we can kiss any shot at competing in the next decade goodbye. 

[eligrba]

If Arte intervened, it is well within his rights to demand more progress.  Many people are assuming that Arte fired Ausmus but I believe Eppler fired Ausmus.  I also will argue that it was Eppler who went to Arte asking to fire Ausmus.

I can't remember anyone officially being fired by Arte.  He usually lets the person's contract run out.  I think this is Eppler trying to do an expensive Mulligan.

My first narrative!!!

[Taylor]

This is all part of Arte's master plan to sell the team when he turns 90 and Pujols turns 50. Right, Claude?

[tdawg87]

11 minutes ago, Taylor said:

This is all part of Arte's master plan to sell the team when he turns 90 and Pujols turns 50. Right, Claude?

I don't think Arte plans on selling the team next year.

[Angel Oracle]

Dumbrowski would complete the unholy trinity (J. Pierrepont Reagins, Dumbpoto, Dumbrowski), after Dumbrowski tore the Tiggers apart and left them a total mess.

[T.G.]

This is all @Chuckster70 doing to drive traffic to AW.

[2112]

25 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

I don't think Ausmus got fired because of stuff we don't know about.

I think Arte could be embarrassed about losing 90 games for the first time in his ownership tenure and decided someone needed to answer for it.

I think Arte could agree with the dumbass contingent that Ausmus' pitching decisions were a problem - like having a quick hook, or his bullpen management (spoiler: they weren't a problem) - and wants an experienced manager so that Eppler has less say in what goes on in game. 

I think that unless things go really well next season, Arte will be back to full on meddling, Eppler will be gone, we'll have some dumbass like Dumbrowski in charge, and we can kiss any shot at competing in the next decade goodbye. 

This has been true over the years of any organization.  Fire the manager after a poor season.  It doesn't make sense, but then again it does because something changed.

I really doubt that Ausmus gets another managing gig.  Of course I thought that about Collins and the Mets hired him.

 

 

[Vlad27Trout27]

why pick his option up if he truly was on the hot seat. I think this next season, if the Angel's are a playoff team, he gets a contract and if not, he's the gym for another team

 

[tdawg87]

2 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

why pick his option up if he truly was on the hot seat. I think this next season, if the Angel's are a playoff team, he gets a contract and if not, he's the gym for another team

 

That.... literally means he's on the hot seat.

[DCAngelsFan]

8 minutes ago, eligrba said:

If Arte intervened, it is well within his rights to demand more progress.  Many people are assuming that Arte fired Ausmus but I believe Eppler fired Ausmus.  I also will argue that it was Eppler who went to Arte asking to fire Ausmus.

I can't remember anyone officially being fired by Arte.  He usually lets the person's contract run out.  I think this is Eppler trying to do an expensive Mulligan.

My first narrative!!!

I believe you're right.  Or rather, I *hope* you're right, that Eppler made the decision to fire.  A GM no one else wants may put up with ownership interfering in these matters and undermining his authority -- but good ones won't.    

Interfering owners leads to hiring incompetent yes-men leads to the Orioles.  

If Ausmus made the decision without any pressure from Arte, it's got to be a little more than what happened on the field - he would have had to go to Arte to say "I made a mistake - and it's gonna cost you two years of his salary."  There's not a manager in history that would've moved the needle much on this bad team.    

I suspect Eppler talked to some guys - like Trout, Albert, and asked "what do you think?" 

And the answers he got are reflected in his decision to eat 2 years salary.