The G&M's Jeff Blair dropped two shots of happy into our drink yesterday when he suggested that it was somewhere withing the realm of possibility that the Jays could make a run at former Nationals manager Manny Acta.We should probably check ourselves here before we get into some irrational thoughts about what Manny Acta could actually do to make this team better. There is a bit of a Cult of the Manager amongst baseball types (mostly writers and broadcasters), who inherently pass along the credit for any team that appears to be outperforming expectations to the bench boss.
This is why we think that the Manager of the Year Award (or the "Wow, That Team Did Unexpectedly Well Award") is kind of a crock of poo.
At the same time, Manny Acta would bring some very tangible assets to the Blue Jays that we think can only help the club. For instance: He's not Cito Gaston. That's a good start.
Acta is also a young man (40), and while we don't want to be ageist, the MLB season is an eight month grind for which a younger man may have more stamina. Also, Acta can speak Spanish, which in this day and age is a huge asset. Can you imagine how he much more effective Acta could have been in yelling at Alex Rios: "Hola amigo. ¿Por qué es tu cabeza en el culo?"
Mostly though, we're focusing on the whole "Manny is not Cito" aspect of things. That gives us a little hope.
He's also a bit of a Sabrnerd. Where do I sign?
ReplyDeleteThe Jays getting Acta and Steve Phillips no longer on ESPN would be a pretty good off season, in my view.
ReplyDeleteIf Cito hasn't been fired by now ...
ReplyDeleteGammons quote: "Acta is the only manager to drop a VORP on me."
ReplyDeleteI can guaran-fucking-tee you that Manny Acta wouldn't have had Kevin Millar hit cleanup in August last season.
AC-TA! AC-TA!
My biggest fear with Cito v2.0 was that all the managing skeletons in his closet, which I had succeeded in suppressing from memory during his lengthy time away from the dugout, would re-emerge and ruin the goodwill he'd earned.
ReplyDeleteHoly fuck, did I nail it.
I'm with eyebleaf....maybe they surprise us with an announcement and AA is just completing his due diligence.....but why would you sit on the sidelines & risk missing an opportunity while top-flight candidates are interviewing elsewhere?
I think Cito's back in 2010, Arnsberg and maybe Butter aren't. Then Cito walks away after the season while Arnie and Butter ply their trades elsewhere. Fuck. Me. Great logic.
The "mutiny" was the perfect opportunity to fire Cito. Instead, it was used to fire J.P. Once again, this franchise let another opportunity pass them by.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to become cynical AS FUCK while watching this team. As we've pointed out ad nauseum, Cito's lineups were retarded. Fine, he got us through the season. If that's what had to happen thanks to Cito's past and his role in the organization, I get it. But he hasn't been let go yet, and I can't buy the "AA is doing his due diligence" bit. That due diligence shouldn't take that long. Look at the lineup decisions, look at the bullpen decisions, and it should take all of 15 minutes to realize that Cito isn't the right man to be managing this team.
Fuck. Perhaps I'm cranky because I'm back to "reality" after a weekend in Vegas, but this whole thing stinks. It will be even worse if The Ack is right, and Cito is back, while Arnie and Butter are no longer in the dugout.
Everything is happening backwards with this franchise. By firing Cito, AA would have put his stamp on the team in a meaningful way. Opportunities lost. Same shit, different day.
...
Playoffs!!!1
AA has Beeston to thank for his job, and he'll have that bumblefuck whispering in his ear about what a great manager his good friend Cito is.
ReplyDeleteAnd we'll be stuck watching that weak-ass garbage next season.
If a player revolt isn't enough to get Cito turfed, how about a fan revolt?
(As if the fans would revolt against lovable Cito.)
FML.
If you want to fool yourself into feeling better about stuff, remember that AA won't be making moves until after the World Series, so it is likely that there are things happening that aren't being reported on as of yet.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, that's what is happening here.
So Cito will be fired after the World Series?
ReplyDeleteI understand (sorta') waiting out the World Series, or whenever THE FUCK Beeston actually completes the job he was hired to do in naming his replacement....but if Beeston could turf JP & promote AA before naming a Prez, then AA should be given authority to make decisions in the same manner.
ReplyDeleteUnless, of course, part of the job description was that even discussing's status Cito was off-limits.
In which case, FML indeed.
(I've repeated this over and over and over again.....but what in the fuck is the point of Cito even coming back if he's more or less announced he isn't interested beyond 2010? Just turn the fucking page already, then. ESPECIALLY if we're looking at a rebuild. Dude is like a lame-duck manager.)
@ The Ack: The whole lame-duck GM worked out well.
ReplyDeleteDidn't it, though?
ReplyDeleteThat's another thing....if we were all going fucking nuts watching Millar hit cleanup, can you imagine Ricciardi's thoughts? JP wasn't even running this team in 2009.
Dunno if the Acta story has much legs - it may just be Blair pulling something out of his ass (in salute to nowhere man Alex Rios) - just for the sake of generating copy. Seems Acta may also be wanted by the Astros, so it may be more of an exercise in Blair projecting a coaching change to coincide with the saccharine goo that the press have been applying to wunderkind GM AA. I get that some members of the fourth estate in Toronto are still tending to their sparklers in keeping the AA ' congrats on new gm Fudgy the Whale cake' somewhat festive, but I think any coaching change, if any, will be made only once a new President is installed. Basically, it's really just lazy connect-the-dots-with former expos speculation.
ReplyDeleteJET!!
ReplyDelete"If a player revolt isn't enough to get Cito turfed, how about a fan revolt?"
ReplyDeleteGood message to send to prospective managers. The inmates are running the asylum.
Fan revolt? Cito is more beloved by the public than any player on the Jays team (even Roy).
Another brilliant post by the Tao of Ohka, Thomson and Zambrano.
It makes no sense at all to bring Cito back next year. All the "clubhouse issues" aside ... Cito said himself next year is his last year anyway, so like The Ack suggested why not just fast forward and send Cito packing so we can move on with this franchise?
ReplyDeleteNew president, new GM, and same coach? It just doesn't sit right ...
I prefer Paddy O'Cripply cakes. "They don't take kindly to queers..."
ReplyDeleteThe fans may love Cito but that doesn't make it right. The corpse of 92-93 is over tenderized from the repeat humpings. They can't keep defiling it forever. Turn The Page Tuesdays!
I still maintain that there's nothing wrong with Flashback Fridays. I disagree vehemently that putting on throwback jerseys and bringing the boys together for a reunion when they're still able to get around a golf course is "defiling it forever." History, a proud one, is meant to be celebrated/repeatedly humped.
ReplyDeleteI wanna hump history - that sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteI agree Cito needs to go but to do it the day after the story of a player revolt comes out looks bad especially to prospective managers.
ReplyDeleteDo it in January when all the crap has completely died down.
It is also interesting that the players completely turtled when it came time to grieve their problems in public.
If nearly record low attendance doesn't constitute a fan revolt, I don't know what would.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't the Manny I had in mind, but I'm on board with whatever Tao and Ack want.
ACTA! ACTRA! er ACTA!
Also, I think Doc is waiting until the fourth game of the WS to announce his retirement...from the Blue Jays.
ReplyDeleteBarry Sanders told me.
@Tallet's Cock Cheese
ReplyDelete"Turtled". Hmm. So nice of you to bring your brain-dead hockey mentality to the discussion.
Because what the players should have done is go public and rip Cito on the record...that would have demonstrated their heart and grit.
I thought Doc's non-denial was especially damning. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I'd done something that was likely to result in getting "the belt" from my father.
ReplyDeleteI'd say, "Dad, am I in trouble."
He'd say, "We'll talk about it when we get home."
Yep, it was then I knew I was fucked. (Not literally.)
The stated reason for the players "turtling out" was because they liked what they heard when Paul Beeston talked to them about the situation. Several of them said that, the same ones who had been saying the clubhouse was in terrible shape just days before.
ReplyDeleteNow, to me, that suggests that he probably said something along the lines of, "Hey guys, we're going to get rid of Cito eventually but we can't do it right now because it would look really bad now that this story has come out."
It makes sense to me that they'd wait until the new president comes in before they make a managerial change. Just do it all at once.
Shouldn't the new president have some input on the manager?
ReplyDeleteNot that Acta shouldn't be considered- he didn't have much to work with in Washington, and the statheads here would certainly appreciate his approach to the game- but looking at managerial candidates with Cito still here AND an interim president seems a little premature.
With regards to the "mutiny" getting Cito fired, I don't think we'll ever see Cito 'fired' from the Jays. If anything, they'll let the dust settle from that whole brew-ha-ha and reassign him into the front office to some sort of public relations position, doing fundraising and the sort.
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested to see what AA does with this squad this summer. It'll be exciting to at least have a direction. Here's to direction!
¿Por qué es tu cabeza en el culo?
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of knowing a sentence is a question from the start, rather than finding out at the end. Changes everything.
furious
Turtled could also mean they busied themselves with a box of delicious Turtles candy instead of addressing the question.
ReplyDelete"Shouldn't the new president have some input on the manager?"
ReplyDeleteShouldn't the new president have some input on the GENERAL MANAGER???
This whole thing stinks of bullshit. Beeston is probably gonna be the President. Viner even made it sound like that in the interview.
2 days? How about 11 months? Go fuck your mothers you sons-of-whores. Cito Rulez!
ReplyDelete