Calkins on SS

[D-train]

Bo Porter never got to crack any champagne. His two years as the Astros’ manager were miserable, as the team went 110-190 under his watch while trudging through a very transparent rebuild. The fruits of that teardown manifested a year later, when Houston won 86 games, but A.J. Hinch had already taken over as skipper before winning a World Series two seasons later.

Rick Renteria didn’t pop any bubbly, either. He went 73-89 in his sole season as the manager of the Cubs, who also endured a five-year reconstruction. But like a starter with Mariano Rivera in the bullpen, Renteria was replaced by Joe Maddon just as Chicago found its form in 2015. Maddon and the Cubbies won a World Series the next year.

Baseball-reference.com predicted 81 wins for Paul Molitor in his first year as the Twins’ manager, 66 in his second, 83 in his third and 77 in his fourth. He exceeded expectations in three of those seasons. Before this year, baseball-reference.com predicted 101 wins for the Twins, for which they’re ahead of pace — but Rocco Baldelli had already taken Molitor’s job.

Imagine driving a Datsun as your company car for years, then being let go just as they upgrade to Teslas. This is often the fate of an MLB manager forced to brave the rugged terrain of a rebuild.

Some, like Kansas City skipper Ned Yost, survive and eventually thrive — but most get fired before their team catches fire. So what might this mean for Mariners manager Scott Servais?

There hasn’t been a hallmark achievement for Servais since he arrived in Seattle four seasons ago. The Mariners finished 10 games above .500 in 2016, six games below. 500 in 2017, 16 games above .500 last season, and are 11 games below .500 now.

ADVERTISING



On one hand, you could say that last year’s team finished 12 games better than projection models predicted, and would have been good enough for the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. But on the other hand, you could say the Mariners are three months away from missing the postseason for a major-American-sports-leading 18th straight year.

So what happens if the M’s struggle again in 2020 and fans grow more impatient? Is Servais a built-in scapegoat whose ouster would appease the angry masses?

It’s possible. Tensions boil when a team is drowning in L’s, regardless of whether that was part of a long-term plan. But I also get this feeling that, as long as general manager Jerry Dipoto is around, Servais will be, too.

Fact: Dipoto put the future of the franchise on himself when he declared the Mariners were going to “step back” in 2019. He tore down most the team in the offseason, has taken out of a few walls since opening day, and is relying on his prospects’ development and chairman John Stanton‘s checkbook to resurrect the franchise.

If this team doesn’t improve over the next couple of years, few are going to blame it on in-game decisions by the manager. They’re going to blame it on the GM’s misguided vision or ownership’s parsimony.

Fact: Servais isn’t a typical skipper. After his playing career ended, he spent 10 years in the Rangers’ and Angels’ front offices before putting on a uniform in Seattle. He isn’t a get-off-my-lawn grump defying new-wave thinking. He seems to be a guy Dipoto trusts to help carry out his vision, which was evidenced by the contract extension he received last year.

ADVERTISING

What this likely will come down to is clubhouse control and team-wide buy-in. A manager’s job in 2019 is different than what it was 20, or even 10 years ago. They still fill out the lineup cards and man the between-the-lines strategy, but the front office seems to wield more influence than before.

What Servais must do is manage frustrations and egos while the Mariners get through the slog. And he has to make sure younger players such as J.P. Crawford, Shed Long or whoever gets called up fosters an environment where winning is the expectation — even it isn’t the norm.

Scott had a strong connection with Nelson Cruz when he was here, and seems to have the same with other key players such as Mitch Haniger.

If he continues to form productive bonds, he’ll likely be on board if this rebuild comes to fruition over the next few years. But if he somehow loses the clubhouse, the team will likely lose him.

[Donn Beach]

this shows me how little Calkins understands about sports, at least baseball or bothers to cover it. He is trying to compare Bo Porter to SS, there is no comparison. Porter was not fired because the team wasn't winning, he was fired because he didn't get along with Luhnow, at least that is pretty much everybody's opinion, there was a struggle for power. There can't be a worst comparison to make to SS and Dipoto as Porter to Luhow, Calkins should find a subject he knows something about if he wants to write about something


does that sound like SS to you?

According to a source who was close to the situation (what’s one more source in a season full of them?), Porter bristled at perceived challenges to his authority and resented situations where his input wasn’t sought, interfering with and contradicting his coaches in order to ensure his players remained loyal primarily to him. He resented Appel’s appearance at Minute Maid Park because he hadn’t been notified the pitcher would be throwing in front of major league staff, including pitching coach Brent Strom, whose first allegiance (Porter feared) was to Luhnow, who hired him. Porter was an engaging speaker and a skillful persuader, but he wasn’t always equally willing to change his own mind, occasionally adopting more of a “Bo knows” mentality. And when he wasn’t happy, he was willing to say so to media members (if not to owner Jim Crane), which isn’t the kind of communication Luhnow was looking for. He also wasn’t looking for the occasional lapses in clubhouse relations, or the Scout leader–esque motivational tactics that turned everything into a T-shirt or slogan.

[D-train]

this shows me how little Calkins understands about sports, at least baseball or bothers to cover it. He is trying to compare Bo Porter to SS, there is no comparison. Porter was not fired because of the team not winning, he was fired because he didn't get along with Luhnow, at least that is pretty much everybody's opinion. There can't be a worst comparison to make to SS and Dipoto as Porter to Luhow, Calkins should find a subject he knows something about if he wants to write about something


does that sound like SS to you?

According to a source who was close to the situation (what’s one more source in a season full of them?), Porter bristled at perceived challenges to his authority and resented situations where his input wasn’t sought, interfering with and contradicting his coaches in order to ensure his players remained loyal primarily to him. He resented Appel’s appearance at Minute Maid Park because he hadn’t been notified the pitcher would be throwing in front of major league staff, including pitching coach Brent Strom, whose first allegiance (Porter feared) was to Luhnow, who hired him. Porter was an engaging speaker and a skillful persuader, but he wasn’t always equally willing to change his own mind, occasionally adopting more of a “Bo knows” mentality. And when he wasn’t happy, he was willing to say so to media members (if not to owner Jim Crane), which isn’t the kind of communication Luhnow was looking for. He also wasn’t looking for the occasional lapses in clubhouse relations, or the Scout leader–esque motivational tactics that turned everything into a T-shirt or slogan.

I think you let your hatred of Calkins get in the way of seeing the point of the piece. He wasn't insinuating SS will get fired because Porter did. I am no fan of his but I think he nails it here:

Fact: Dipoto put the future of the franchise on himself when he declared the Mariners were going to “step back” in 2019. He tore down most the team in the offseason, has taken out of a few walls since opening day, and is relying on his prospects’ development and chairman John Stanton‘s checkbook to resurrect the franchise.

If this team doesn’t improve over the next couple of years, few are going to blame it on in-game decisions by the manager. They’re going to blame it on the GM’s misguided vision or ownership’s parsimony.

Fact: Servais isn’t a typical skipper. After his playing career ended, he spent 10 years in the Rangers’ and Angels’ front offices before putting on a uniform in Seattle. He isn’t a get-off-my-lawn grump defying new-wave thinking. He seems to be a guy Dipoto trusts to help carry out his vision, which was evidenced by the contract extension he received last year.


What this likely will come down to is clubhouse control and team-wide buy-in. A manager’s job in 2019 is different than what it was 20, or even 10 years ago. They still fill out the lineup cards and man the between-the-lines strategy, but the front office seems to wield more influence than before.

[Donn Beach]

I am not saying he doesn't have a point, but the problem is he tries to make it with something that is wrong. Porter being fired had nothing to do with them trudging through a rebuild. Sure he can talk about SS losing the clubhouse and getting fired but in terms of really following baseball I doubt he does

Bo Porter never got to crack any champagne. His two years as the Astros’ manager were miserable, as the team went 110-190 under his watch while trudging through a very transparent rebuild. The fruits of that teardown manifested a year later, when Houston won 86 games, but A.J. Hinch had already taken over as skipper before winning a World Series two seasons later.

[D-train]

I am not saying he doesn't have a point, but the problem is he tries to make it with something that is wrong. Porter being fired had nothing to do with them trudging through a rebuild. Sure he can talk about SS losing the clubhouse and getting fired but in terms of really following baseball I doubt he does

Bo Porter never got to crack any champagne. His two years as the Astros’ manager were miserable, as the team went 110-190 under his watch while trudging through a very transparent rebuild. The fruits of that teardown manifested a year later, when Houston won 86 games, but A.J. Hinch had already taken over as skipper before winning a World Series two seasons later.

He writes about all sports. I'm don't blame him for not knowing the precise reason that he got fired. He was just pointing out an example of a guy that mananged through the bad times and didn't make it to enjoy the good. I agree that it was Porter's own fault so obviously not the the best example.

[Donn Beach]

I am not even a sports writer and i was pretty aware of it...

[D-train]

I am not even a sports writer and i was pretty aware of it...

So was I but if it was a requirement for employment at the Times, KIRO/ESPN radio or KJR to know more about baseball than we do, there would be a lot of blank pages and dead air in Seattle.

[Donn Beach]

this is what i think of Calkins...Years ago i met one of the local station weather guys, not gonna bother remembering the name. He went on about what a piece of cake his job was. He played golf all day and then in the afternoon went in and spent a few minutes delivering the weather, geez that sounds like dtrain doesn't it? lol...anyway, that is how i view Calkins, I don't see him really taking this stuff seriously. He writes well and he got a gig writing, he slams out a story and then goes about his day. In a few years he could get hired somewhere else to write about something different, heck Baker was that way, but i think Baker was more dedicated...

[D-train]

this is what i think of Calkins...Years ago i met one of the local station weather guys, not gonna bother remembering the name. He went on about what a piece of cake his job was. He played golf all day and then in the afternoon went in and spent a few minutes delivering the weather, geez that sounds like dtrain doesn't it? lol...anyway, that is how i view Calkins, I don't see him really taking this stuff seriously. He writes well and he got a gig writing, he slams out a story and then goes about his day. In a few years he could get hired somewhere else to write about something different, heck Baker was that way, but i think Baker was more dedicated...

Yep, definitely a downgrade from Brewer. Stone's been great though as a columnist. Is anyone here going to read the Edgar book?

Jaffe with a nice pump of it.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/edgar-an-au ... -martinez/

[Double Mocha Man]

I'm waiting for the CliffsNotes version to come out.