Pancake Bear

Honestly, 19 years is a freaking long time. Most managers don’t get 1/3 of that. The team sucked for the last few years. There’s nothing special about 20 years. It’s meaningless. If he really felt slighted by not reaching an arbitrary point, my respect for him goes down. That’s absurdly petty. 

It was time for him to leave. He’d been here too long. He was a good manager, but it’s hard to stay effective for that many years in the same place. 

He’s had no major errors like Pujols, Hamilton, or Wells. His worst was Cozart, and that was mostly covered by insurance since he was on the IL most of his two years so far. The other three pitchers this year were one year deals that caused no long term damage. Stratton was a good pick that apparently was not helped by White, because he went on and flourished elsewhere immediately.  
He resigned Trout, signed Ohtani, acquired quality assets like La Stella, Simmons, Buttrey, Robles, Sandoval, and Rengifo, and built a first class farm system that is already helping the roster despite being an absolute dump when he arrived and having no really high picks any season. 
He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been pretty close. 

No issues with Maddon's interview. Lodge on the other hand....

3 pieces: 
Cole
Another solid pitcher (tougher pick; hard to know who the best option will be and whether that will be free agency or a trade).
Grandal.
Make those three moves, and this team is in good position going into 2020.

Some of you are already on his case after a goofy interview? Hahahaha

Questions I’d like to hear at the press conference: 
Was your move away from shifting in Chicago an organizational decision or a personal shift in approach? If it was your decision, what was the reasoning behind it?
How much do you prize positional flexibility? Is that more a function of personnel on the Cubs, or do you plan to utilize that approach with the Angels?
Thoughts on the new reliever rules and how that might impact strategy?
Will the veterans on the roster be given spots automatically or will playing time need to be earned by performance? Could you see yourself sitting Pujols, for instance, if age has caught up to him and he isn’t the best option?
What is the appropriate balance between old school baseball and analytics? Would you consider yourself progressive by today’s standards?
With the new launch angle approach in recent years, do you still favor small ball (hit and runs, bunting, putting pressure on the defense)?
You recently referred to getting back to ‘the Angels way of baseball’ - what does that mean to you?
Do you think this team can be a playoff team in 2020 or is that too ambitious?

It’s that kind of thinking (if true) that proves he had to go. He got complacent and satisfied with having a guaranteed job. He took it for granted. Managers should not be comfortable. It makes them worse at their job. 

No chance Eppler wanted Showalter over Maddon.

He has zero insight into baseball. Lot of enthusiasm. Lot of discussion of nothing. 

I obviously like Scioscia but I too was ready for change.  That being said it’s obvious it ended poorly between him and the ball club. The fact he wasn’t at the stadium even once last year, in a year where we lost a player he managed for five or so years, says it all.  I’m not one that assumes drama, but I’m pretty sure he felt slighted by how it ended.  He wanted a 20th season and wasn’t offered that last season. 

3 pieces: 
Cole
Another solid pitcher (tougher pick; hard to know who the best option will be and whether that will be free agency or a trade).
Grandal.
Make those three moves, and this team is in good position going into 2020.

He’s had no major errors like Pujols, Hamilton, or Wells. His worst was Cozart, and that was mostly covered by insurance since he was on the IL most of his two years so far. The other three pitchers this year were one year deals that caused no long term damage. Stratton was a good pick that apparently was not helped by White, because he went on and flourished elsewhere immediately.  
He resigned Trout, signed Ohtani, acquired quality assets like La Stella, Simmons, Buttrey, Robles, Sandoval, and Rengifo, and built a first class farm system that is already helping the roster despite being an absolute dump when he arrived and having no really high picks any season. 
He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s been pretty close. 

My bad. I'll try to be less rude this time.
Driving in runs matters.
Whether it is a skill or not is debatable. Historically, it seems like it generally lines up with whether people hit well in general. Sometimes guys hit better with runners in scoring position, sometimes worse. Over the course of a year, you would assume the percentage would normalize, but it doesn't always. However, over multiple years, it doesn't seem like people have a special skill to drive in runs. They either hit well or they do not, and driving in runs typically lines up to that. 
RBI totals are a problem because they tend to assume the players with the highest totals are the best players. But that ignores the reality that some guys have a lot less opportunities to hit with runners in scoring position. Basically, it tends to favor cleanup hitters on teams with good offenses or guys who hit with high obp players in front of them in the lineup.
RBI percentage is better because it gives an idea of efficiency and matches up better with whether or not it is a skill. I've seen no research (and a lot has been done) that shows evidence of genuine skill there apart from general hitting ability. But I think there may be some. 
For instance, I think guys who used to hit well and now don't (Pujols, for example, or Miggy) are less likely to let the pressure of the situation get to them. If they're a smart player, they may be able to alter their approach to the situation even if they do not necessarily hit to a high average. 
But straight RBI totals tell you little other than that the player hitting in front of the guy with all the RBI's got on base a lot. They need a lot of context to have any real positive value in what they tell us.

He has zero insight into baseball. Lot of enthusiasm. Lot of discussion of nothing. 

He has zero insight into baseball. Lot of enthusiasm. Lot of discussion of nothing. 

RBI percentage is slightly meaningful. RBI total is almost entirely meaningless. It’s meaning is actually more negative than meaningless because many still believe it shows something. 

3 pieces: 
Cole
Another solid pitcher (tougher pick; hard to know who the best option will be and whether that will be free agency or a trade).
Grandal.
Make those three moves, and this team is in good position going into 2020.

I think he just talked over their heads and they were left to their own devices.  At least most of them.  Even if it's not a guy with major league experience, they all have to be speaking the same language.  I was not impressed with the way it all played out.  Frankly, both Ausmus and Paul were former catchers and should have been able to translate so I think part of the issue went beyond White's lack of communication.  I didn't like pitch sequencing or even that they seemed to abandon certain things that might work better for certain guys.  It almost felt a bit cookie cutter if you will.  That's not just on the pitching coach but speaks to the philosophy.  
I also got the sense (from my own probably BS anecdotal observations) that the 30,000 foot view was the primary focus where as the in game or between start minor mechanical adjustments that we've seen guys make just wasn't happening.  
At the end of the day, White got fired which means they didn't think he was doing his job well so that tells us all we need to know.  

He has zero insight into baseball. Lot of enthusiasm. Lot of discussion of nothing. 

Among many things I don't miss about So. Cal, the SportsLodge.
 

Angels: Maddon
All Other Teams: I don't care.

Not a chance. 35 would be the absolute most, and that's a stretch. Compare what everyone was saying about Bryce and Manny. They didn't come close to contract expectations. Analysts get paid for hot takes. There's not a chance he gets over 35 unless a lot is deferred. Even then, it won't be much over. 
Boras as an agent is overrated. His success in recent years has diminished substantially. He used to be hot stuff for two reasons:
First, people didn't know enough to recognize his client pitch was full of crap - front offices are far smarter now. They have their value for the player set and don't usually go much beyond it.
Second, more importantly, Boras went straight to the owners as much as possible. These days, with Illitch and Steinbrenner gone and the Nats working on keeping Strasburg, there aren't enough owners who want to go big to bid against each other. 

I'm beginning to believe that Gerrit Cole won't be the best way to go. He's clearly the best pitcher, but he may cost 35 million a year and not sign until late in the off-season.
If Cole costs 35 million a year, Strasburg would be 30, and Ryu may only cost 25 million a year and not cost a draft pick.
The Angels need an ace, but they also need depth. If I had to decide between Cole for 7 years, and Ryu for 4 and Hamels for 2 without the cost of a draft pick, is be tempted to pick the latter, as long as it is combined with someone along the lines of Zack Wheeler.
An Angels rotation of Ryu, Ohtani, Wheeler, Hamels, Heaney and Canning isn't half bad. Lots of upside, and a good veteran presence in Hamels.

About time. 
Also, Maddon isn’t anti-analytics. He was one of the early progressive managers. He’s ahead of Sosh in that regard (although Sosh also wasn’t as backwards as he was portrayed). But he also brings a fantastic culture to the team. Excited he’s here.
And can we quit with the “bring the old game back together bullshit”?