Purpura has not done crap, Hunsicker has been one of the best GMs outside of Beane over the past decade. I cant believe we let him go. Garner has done a good job, though why Burke and Scott are not getting more PT is very disturbing to me, considering what Lane has been doing.
I'm willing to see what Purpura can do to surround his two stars (Berkman and O) and put a contender on the field again...and not just a miracle comeback wild card contender...but a team capable of winning the division and going deep into the playoffs. It'd be nice to enjoy baseball through the WHOLE season, regular and post. He really hasn't had the opportunity yet to show what he can do. Garner got the most of this team last year and then some; to expect him and this team to overachieve again I guess was stretching it. So I think he deserves another year or two. Their fates might in fact, go hand in hand.
Garner is Loyal to a HUGE fault. You can throw an entire season away because of inexcusable loyalty so I too believe Garner needs to be fired. I've hated his game management since he's been here. I will say he is a great players manager and I think he creates a good atmosphere in the clubhouse to have good chemistry. IMO game management is priority number 1 and I'd prefer a more conventional manager. I like Garner though as he seems like a good guy, but I think we'd win more with another manger. I don't agree with the Purpura firing though. Just because moves were not made doesn't mean there were real good moves to be made. I think he deserves more chances.
This is a ridiculous post. This season wasn't thrown away because of 'inexcuseable loyalty'. It was thrown away by a team full of players that only has a couple of decent performers. Garner has tried every which way possible to spark this team and put in people who will perform. He can't go out and play the game himself. Ensberg has sucked this year, he lost his starting job. Lane has sucked this year. He lost his starting job. Lidge has sucked this year. He lost his primary role and then deservedly regained it (he hasn't pitched as badly as everyone around here thinks, expecially in save situations). Willy sucked for part of this year. He lost his starters job temporarily before earning it back. What more do you want???????? Ensberg, Lane, and Lidge have to see some time.
Garner stuck with Lidge, Ensberg, and Lane WAY too long. When we were in the thick of the race, Lane was batting FORTH in the lineup Lidge deservedly regained it? Whatever. How long did Garner go with Gallo before he finally made a move? He has been WAY too slow to react this season. EDIT: And anyways ... I'm not saying that his loyalty is why this season was lost .. I just said it CAN cost you a season. I don't think Garner gave this team the best chance to win on many nights, but I certainly don't believe we would have done tremendously better, but I think we would have done better. I think the managers job is to give the team the best chance to win every night and Garner did not do that (see Jason Lane batting 4th which is inexcusable)
It's kind of funny yet sad...both the 2005 WS teams may not even make it to the post-season this year and both team's fans are calling their managers' heads. I know it's easy Garner and yes he did cost us some games, but the fact of the matter is, our team is a ****-hole right now. Our entire off-season hinged on the fact that the players that did so well last year were to repeat their preformances.....and they crapped their pants. Ex: 1. Tavarez/Ensberg/Lane having good years. That didn't happen. 2. Our bullpen especially Lidge would recover from the playoffs and still be lights-out. You know the story... It's hard to blame Garner when he basically had the team and then turned to under-achievers. The only thing I can fault him is that he depended on his sub-par starters for too long. We'll see what he does with the team Purpura adds next year... Speaking of Purpura, what can he do? Remember most of these players were from Hunsicker's system (and he's the one with the Ausmus-fetish). Give him a chance. Should Dayton Moore be fired from the Royals because the team sucks? No... I can guarantee this will be an interesting off-season...
I put some blame on the decision making of Garner, but in his defense he was expecting to have some sort of a bullpen this year and Morgan Ensberg. I said it at the start of the season and will say it again blame Purpura. This was a horrible offensive team coming into the year. I certainly did not expect us to make the playoffs because of the horrible lineup. Preston Wilson is not a signing that makes your team better. There were other moves to be made, but he didn't feel they needed to me made and he was horribly wrong. At the all-star break it was very obvious a move needed to be made, but all he could come up with was Aubrey Huff. That is not a player that takes you from non-playoff team to a playoff team. He has earned an F so far as a GM and needs to step it up next year or he should be gone.
garner has nothing to work with, although he does make stupid decisions sometimes. i say poopura and lidge have to go.
