Four games, four leads, four losses

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

For god's sake make a managerial change. Clean slate in 14.

[bloodbrother]

Bad teams find ways to lose

[tdawg87]

I do think it's time for Scioscia to go, but he isn't to blame for having a trainwreck of a bullpen and a closer who has a vagina.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I do think it's time for Scioscia to go, but he isn't to blame for having a trainwreck of a bullpen and a closer who has a vagina.

 

Dawg, don't do that when I'm drinking tea. man!

[Agalloch]

That's just who we are these days...

[Glen]

I do think it's time for Scioscia to go, but he isn't to blame for having a trainwreck of a bullpen and a closer who has a vagina.

 

 

There seems to be a lot of extremes on this board regarding Scioscia - either "he sucks, has sucked for a long time, and has to go!" or "he's only the manager, the players have to perform, what is he supposed to do?" - but I think that there are a lot of us in the middle ground with you.  I just think it's time for a change.  No, I don't have anybody specific in mind but that doesn't mean there isn't somebody out there. 

[Stradling]

Glen, I'm in the same boat as you. He is t to blame for all of it, but he has to shoulder some of the responsibility. I truly think he will be promoted this off season, a promotion he won't accept and he will opt out of his contract.

[Glen]

Firing by promotion.

[Angel Oracle]

Scioscia leaving and being replaced by a fresher face (who isn't a screamer but expects results) and a fresher coaching staff is only one of the ways to fix this mess. But it is a necessity.

People say it's not our money when Moreno spends. Doesn't the same apply to paying out the last 5 years ($25 million) on Scoiscia's contract and bringing someone else in?

If the managing change was one of the things needed, isn't it then money well spent?

[mulwin444]

It's really hard to put into words but this team is just a bad mix overall  Call it "chemistry" if you want but the team just refuses to gel.  Just observational but:

 

1)  Some of hitters have close to zero situational awareness.  Take last night's 1st and 3rd, no outs, situation - all Trumbo has to do in this scenario is make decent contact (a medium fly ball or a slow ground ball) and runner scores from third but he's up there taking his usual hacks at the ball.  Same with Howie, the guy just refuses to change his approach when the situation calls for it.  I don't have an issue per say with Conger's AB as he battled back from 0-2 and honestly hasn't received a lot of chances batting right handed.   

 

2)  What happened to the running game?  We have a roster ful of decent speed from Shuck, Aybar, Trout, Trumbo, Hamilton, Kendrick, Callaspo, ect...these are not the '87 Tigers.  So how is it we lead the A.L. in double plays?  What happened to the hit and run?  Aybar only has 4 stolen bases all year.  It just seems that if you are seeing an exhorbinate amount of DP's you may want to put a play on now and then.

 

3)  Overall slopiness from errors to base-running gaffs to poor execution in general.  When you see preventable errors happening on a consistent basis, you wonder "how are these things being addressed?" or "Are they being addressed at all?".  This goes beyond the dreaded contact play or rally-killing outs on the basepaths where the runner scores with two-outs on a single and batter needlessly Kamikaze's himself by drawing the cut-off throw.  The team seems unprepared or appears to have no plan or strategy in certain circumstances.

 

Homestly, I don't know how you overcome having the among the worst batting average with RISP or allowing the highest average to opposing batters with two outs or a plethora of unearned runs.  How do you overcome your $25 mil OF batting like Vernon Wells?  Or the rash of injuries that have hit the team?  It's just a bad mix and I think it needs to be dismanted at this point.

 

Trade Aybar, Kendrick, Trumbo, Ianetta (if anyone will take him), keep Blanton and Williams in the BP, give Vargas a qualifying offer, and keep a core together of Pujols, Hamilton (as both are untradeable), Trout, Bourjos, Calhoun, Conger, Weaver, Wilson and add pieces where you can at this point.   

[Mark68]

I do think it's time for Scioscia to go, but he isn't to blame for having a trainwreck of a bullpen and a closer who has a vagina.

Let's not call it a vagina.

 

Let's call it, say, a vajayjay.

[AngelsLongBall]

It's really hard to put into words but this team is just a bad mix overall  Call it "chemistry" if you want but the team just refuses to gel.  Just observational but:

3)  Overall slopiness from errors to base-running gaffs to poor execution in general.  When you see preventable errors happening on a consistent basis, you wonder "how are these things being addressed?" or "Are they being addressed at all?".  This goes beyond the dreaded contact play or rally-killing outs on the basepaths where the runner scores with two-outs on a single and batter needlessly Kamikaze's himself by drawing the cut-off throw.  The team seems unprepared or appears to have no plan or strategy in certain circumstances.

This has been happening since Spring Training.  No "crispness" no sense of urgency, boneheaded plays on the base paths, lack of fundamentals in the field.  The team seems like it wasn't prepared coming out of ST, and relied on the "we'll get it together during the season" like the Lakers of the 2000s under Phil Jackson.  Just seems like a lack of preparation, and no one leading the charge

[Angel Oracle]

Part of it is a bad mix of players, but part of it is also a coaching that may not be creating an energetic enough environment.

Maybe Scioscia has been here for too long.

Even Tom Kelly quit as Twins manager after the 2000 season after 15 years, because he was losing the desire.

[Lhalo]

If Scioscia is back next season then I want the 2014 spring training to be run like a a Nazi boot camp. I want these sons a bitches running laps when they make mental mistakes. If you can't properly lay down a bunt or competently run the bases then your ass deserves a hefty fine. It's time for the fat man to lay down the law. I don't care how much Pujols and Hamilton get paid. Once the season starts, if they can't produce they can ride the pine just like any other schlep. I've had enough of this "going through the motions" appearance this team projects. Show me some intensity and for the love of god show me some semblance of a winning team.

[Mark68]

If Scioscia is back next season then I want the 2014 spring training to be run like a a Nazi boot camp. I want these sons a bitches running laps when they make mental mistakes. If you can't properly lay down a bunt or competently run the bases then your ass deserves a hefty fine. It's time for the fat man to lay down the law. I don't care how much Pujols and Hamilton get paid. Once the season starts, if they can't produce they can ride the pine just like any other schlep. I've had enough of this "going through the motions" appearance this team projects. Show me some intensity and for the love of god show me some semblance of a winning team.

While it's a nice theory, it will never happen in real life.

 

Especially under Scoscia.

[Angel Oracle]

This team needs a Kirk Gibson the player clone.

A Kirk Gibson the manager clone wouldn't hurt either.

Look at what having Don Baylor did for this team from 1977-1982, a team leader who tried to instill focus and respect in the players as a team leader.

Pujols is a role model, but not a Baylor type.

Weaver is the closest thing.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Luis Polonia for manager.