Ed Wade = YOOOOOOUUUUUURRRRRREEEEE FIRED!!!!

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Do you really think Branyan would be that hard to get or were you saying it's the Phils who would be unwilling?

 

He wouldn't be very difficult to get, but he isn't the kind of player you get for free. For the Phillies, his high strikeout rate might be an issue (80 Ks in 202 at bats).

[therealworldschampion 0]

From what I've been seeing in the papers, it looks like Hunsicker is probably the #1 candidate for the GM job, which I have no problem with.

[Darthtiki 0]

Now if only the Dodger fans can convince the braintrust that is Frank McCourt can dispatch DePo, life will be good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

McCourt is just as much of the problem that DePo is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Too true sadly.

[Guest]

The life of a Dodger fan since the O'Malley's sold; We think we have a good team for the future one year, the next we think we're fucked.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I would withhold my judgement on McCourt and DePodesta for now. The Dodgers have a plethera of young talent and I don't think any other team in the division has a better future.

[Guest]

They do have great prospects, and I like that they don't call them up and that they give them time to be ready for the major leagues. I don't like the payroll, because the Dodgers are a big market team. Money shouldn't really be an issue, and they don't exactly spend what they do have in the best way. What frustrates me is the lack of hitting that they have at this current time, and that the Dodgers seemed so close to being able to becoming a force. I'm hopeful that their pitching prospects will turn out well, and maybe their well touted prospects at 3rd base will be good players also. We'll see what McCourt and DePo have in mind.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

For what it's worth...

 

Jeff (Dayton): Larry, thanks for coming in. Being pretty experienced with Philadelphia, who do you think should be the new GM there?

 

SportsNation Larry Bowa: Well, the names I"ve seen are the names in most of the articles .. the fate of Cashman in NY will play a part. Duquette. Hunsinger. Gillick. There are plenty of capable candidates. You hope the Phillies give whoever they pick full reign of the team. That has been the problem for awhile. They've had problems turning it over to one individual. They just need to let the baseball guy make the decisions. The owners give you the money to get the players. Whoever comes in will want full responsibility.

 

This is what worries me. The Phillies are currently working on a contract with Billy Wagner, and possibly trading Jim Thome. Do they think they have better solutions to these issues than anyone they hire as the new general manager. Not to defend Wade at this point, but I get the feeling that firing him was not so much a baseball decision as it was simply a PR move.

[the pinjockey 0]

I think that is a given. Since he apparently didn't decide until this past weekend (after all of the "thousands of letters to the front office" reports). Granted I will assume that number was wayyyy overblown, but combine that with the attendance dropoff and someone had to go.

 

More and more I am worrying that Amaro gets the job, especially if he gets Wagner signed. Everyone is saying either a.) they would never be that stupid (um, it is the Phillies we are talking about) or b.) if it was going to be Amarbuckle they would have just announced it at the Wade firing. But I don't agree with that either, if they want Amaro I think they will want to try and sell the fanbase on him so they'll have another dog and pony show like last offseason.

 

Again, IMO, it plays to the whole idea that they really don't want to change. If they bring in a dreaded outsider, then Manuel and Amarbuckle are at risk, and I think that much change in one offseason scares the shit out of Monty.

 

God I hope I am wrong.

[the pinjockey 0]

Another funny note: they are going to have their organizational meetings next week. Nothing like having a meeting where your lame duck manager, lame duck assistant GMs, and a president who only does "15% baseball" set the future of the team. Would it be that difficult to delay the meetings 2-3 weeks (since nothing can really happen in that timeframe anyway) until you have the person who should be setting up the future available?