Can Dan O’Dowd please follow?
Who would you like to see as the Rockies next manager? I would love to see Joe Maddon as the next manager but could you imagine the strategic conflicts between him and O’Dowd and/or Bill Geivett?
I’m not sure who the Rockies need as a manager but I would love to see them buck tradition and get a “new thinker”. Someone similar to Maddon, because, let’s face it, he is way too smart to come to this dysfunctional family.
Update.
From Troy Renck’s piece on DenverPost.com:
Veteran slugger Jason Giambi would retire as a player if he was considered, according to a source close to the player.
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32 comments
Eric Garcia
October 7, 2012 at 4:05 PM (UTC -6)
I don’t think there will be anybody better on the market than Dave Martinez, the Rays’ bench coach. Like you, Travis, I’m not holding my breath.
Logan Burdine
October 8, 2012 at 8:47 AM (UTC -6)
I’d hire Dave Martinez in a heartbeat. They probably won’t even interview him though. Nor would he take this job. Based on what’s happened over the last year, it’s probably the worst managerial job in baseball. They should take a look at Larry from Bull Durham. He’s the type of Yes-Man they’re looking for.
Goldgarf
October 8, 2012 at 10:57 AM (UTC -6)
Hey, Burdine, I actually agree with you!
Logan Burdine
October 9, 2012 at 9:09 AM (UTC -6)
Yeah, well Goldgarf, you’re still a lollygagger.
Logan Burdine
October 9, 2012 at 9:10 AM (UTC -6)
In the Bull Durham context. I’m not actually calling you a lollygagger in its traditional usage.
Eric Garcia
October 8, 2012 at 6:42 PM (UTC -6)
If O’Dowd (and Geivett) are shown the door, it would clear up a bit. There’s a lot to like about the players that will be around for a while, and I think smart baseball people would recognize that. Perhaps pitching can just be seen as the greatest challenge?
Michael
October 7, 2012 at 4:13 PM (UTC -6)
Wonderful news. As far as a replacement goes we need someone with a background in development. We are to young to worry about managing personalities or strategy. So (although I loved him as a player) no Ryne Sandbergs or George Bretts, find a real coach who will help young players instead of punishing them.
Jayson
October 7, 2012 at 5:31 PM (UTC -6)
Um…this doesn’t matter. The Rox hoped Tracy would hold on. No one in their right mind would take this job. They will look for a ‘yes’ man that they can have on the cheap. Who knows what back bencher they will find, but it won’t be pretty. Until O’Dud and the Monforts are gone this franchise is a joke to both baseball and professional sports in general. Adios.
Travis Lay
October 8, 2012 at 8:57 AM (UTC -6)
Maybe someone already with the organization? Someone like Runnels?
Chris
October 9, 2012 at 1:15 PM (UTC -6)
Could not agree more Jayson. I for one will not be watching the Rockies until they clean house. O’Dowd must be sleeping with the Monforts to still be around.
Rico Rodriquez
October 7, 2012 at 8:37 PM (UTC -6)
I’d love to see someone mentioned beside Joe Maddon. I mean, that’s a ridiculous comment.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the name Jason Giambi is tossed around. Maybe as hitting coach, first, then being groomed for the job. I had hopes for Francona, but he probably wouldn’t have come, anyway. It likely will be a re-hash.
I’m curious why Tracy ‘resigned.’ I wonder if they just took all authority away from him. Odds are that he won’t be getting anymore managing jobs again for quite awhile. Bench coach, sure.
Kevin Jordan
October 7, 2012 at 8:54 PM (UTC -6)
Sandberg spent several years managing in the minors, so I think he might be able to provide development. Also, Kirk Gibson, Robin Ventura and Mike Matheny provide proof that rookie managers can win. I don’t really think it matters much; I just want a guy who isn’t managing like it’s a paint by numbers book. Besides, managers are always a crap shoot and trying to predict who will be successful is folly. Jim Leyland is a great manager, yet bombed when he was here. It also won’t matter until the Rockies get some better players, particularly pitchers. As long as they don’t sign Bobby Valentine.
Michael
October 7, 2012 at 10:04 PM (UTC -6)
I agree rookie/ex-players can win as managers but they normally excel in how to manage veterans, professionalism, and motivation. These are not the Rox problems (well Cargo could use some motivation). The important thing is to get the entire organization on the same page, develop a direction for the major league club and draft players and hire coaches that have the strengths that fulfill that plan.
Brendan Giles
October 8, 2012 at 7:31 AM (UTC -6)
Unless more dominos are to fall, I have a hard time seeing a huge improvement in this area. As Jayson mentioned above, the Rockies are completely dysfunctional and will have a hard time attracting anyone worthwhile. The biggest problem is the pitching staff: the 4 man rotation/75 pitch limit thing is gone, but the two times through the lineup strategy is on schedule to remain. No up and coming guy will sign on to manage that right out of the gate in his first gig. Also, who does the manager answer to? Geivett? O’Dowd? Both at the same time? As much as I wanted to see Tracy go, he at least brought stability and a certain familiarity with the Rockies’ problems/organizational structure. It is officially a hot and sticky mess that no one wants to clean up. I would love to see a “game-changer” but I am totally prepared for Rene Lachemann. He has big league experience and has been down in Colorado Springs for several years so he is the easy and convenient pick.
BA Baracus
October 8, 2012 at 8:51 AM (UTC -6)
Todd Helton as manager, Jason Giambi as hitting coach and, of course,Tim Wakefield as pitching coach.
Steve
October 8, 2012 at 8:56 AM (UTC -6)
I am glad Jim Tracy is gone, his act was so stale. I hope this is the first chip to fall in a domino affect that will clean out the organization and allow it to start fresh with some new blood. I am dreaming and realistically I expect more of the same, a yes man for a manager, a clown for a GM, and a bloomind idiot for an owner.
Pete
October 8, 2012 at 9:58 AM (UTC -6)
Sandy Alomar Jr.
Just got passed up in Cleveland.
Former catcher.
Played for Rockies.
Can Probably handle and develope pitching a bit better than what we’ve had thus far.
I’d at least like to see the Rocks ask him to interview.
Seth
October 8, 2012 at 10:57 AM (UTC -6)
Glad Tracy is gone, one step in the right direction but still a loooong ways to go. This is the first time I have seen in my time of watching baseball that no one wants this job, I mean no one. This organization is a disaster. That being said, I would love for it to be Giambi just because he does not want to leave here and I think he loves this team and everyone loves him. I dont think that happens due to he still wants to continue playing rather than managing and he wants the freedom of a normal manager, which is not going to happen in Colorado. I think the most likely choices are from within, like Stu Cole and Tom Runnels as they will be more like the puppets they are looking for but I do think the dark horse here is Sandy Alomar Jr. so I would not be surprised if he is the manager next year. Either way I dont think our manager is going to push over the top and make us respectable by next year unless something else major happens (ie fire Odowd and sell team).
JD
October 8, 2012 at 12:30 PM (UTC -6)
Any satisfaction in being rid of Tracy is lost to the manner of his exit. He resigned, and he resigned because the team was so dysfunctional that he preferred to leave than to stick around and make $1.4 million as an MLB manager. That says a lot about the organization.
We will not get a good manager because a good manager wants nothing to do with this mess. Things are getting worse, not better.
Kurt H.
October 8, 2012 at 1:17 PM (UTC -6)
The Rockies clearly forced Tracy to “resign” to save his 2013 salary. What self-respecting manager would tolerate the front office making the on-field pitching decisions? The answer: none.
Who remembers when Dan Snyder, the Redskins owner, in 2009 hired a offensive “consultant” in mid-season to call the offensive plays for Jim Zorn? Despite being pushed and humiliated by Snyder, Zorn refused to quit. Apparently Zorn needed the money more than Jim Tracy does.
I have a good idea–how about Dan O’Dowd function as both GM and field Manager. That way, when ownership wants to make changes after another terrible year in 2013, they can kill two birds with one stone. Plus with Dan as the field manager, the team would have a much better shot at 100+ losses next season and likely the first pick in the 2014 draft. But wait–who could O’Dowd then blame? Well, there are always the assistant coaches.
Forcing Tracy out is a chicken sh– move that is characteristic of Rockies’ upper management.
D Wilhelm
October 8, 2012 at 1:28 PM (UTC -6)
Jason Giambi? Really??
Steve
October 8, 2012 at 3:28 PM (UTC -6)
Jason Giambi??? What does that buy me? If he is the new manager, then they should have kept Tracy around?
Jeremy
October 8, 2012 at 2:30 PM (UTC -6)
Do we know he was actually forced out?
If it was me, I would look in the mirror and ask if I wanted to go through another year of the same old shit since ownership has no desire to change.
After thinking back to the last 6 crappy months, I would resign just like he did.
Did they actually force his resignation, or did he just finally come to the conclusion that most of the fans have already come to?
Damien Veatch
October 8, 2012 at 6:22 PM (UTC -6)
Wally Backman.
High energy tough guy who has been climbing the Mets’ organization. Baseball people think he’s great, but PR types are skittish because of some past legal and financial problems that embarrassed the Diamondbacks when they first hired him as their manager in 2004.
If anybody should take a chance on a high-risk/high-ceiling guy, it’s the Rox.
TroyF
October 8, 2012 at 8:06 PM (UTC -6)
Jeremy,
As someone said above, the Rockies may not have actually “forced” him out by words. They simply told him he would have no power, they would set the pitching rotation (and style), he wouldn’t get to pick his roster, his coaches or even fill out his lineup card.
Tracy realized where this was going and said bye bye. I’m happy Tracy is gone, but if the next manager is really Geivett and O’dumbass, nothing changes. NOTHING. We may as well hire a trained monkey to bang cymbals in the dugout.
Brendan Giles
October 9, 2012 at 7:31 AM (UTC -6)
If the monkey smoked cigarettes and lived in the clubhouse that would be about the same as Jim Leyland’s time here!
BA Baracus
October 9, 2012 at 9:12 AM (UTC -6)
I would be happy to be that monkey at 1/2 of Tracy’s salary. I’d go even lower, but don’t tell Bill or Dan.
Ned Giles
October 9, 2012 at 7:46 AM (UTC -6)
Jim Leyland’s brother is a priest. Maybe he is available. He could bring prayer to the clubhouse while the front office makes the game day decisions. The new manager obviously doesn’t need to know anything about baseball, and this club does need divine intervention.
Jerry
October 9, 2012 at 5:15 PM (UTC -6)
Hey, Brendan, let’s not knock ol’ Jim, cigarettes and all. Seems he’s done pretty well for himself since departing. Of course he’s had a super-sharp G.M. to run the Tigers … maybe THAT’S the difference, eh? O’Dowd couldn’t shine the shoes of Dombrowski.
Brendan Giles
October 10, 2012 at 9:22 AM (UTC -6)
Jim Leyland is an excellent manager. He presided over years of success in Pittsburgh, won a World Series in Florida and has a consistently good club in Detroit. That being said, Leyland was arguably the worst thing to ever happen to this franchise. He admitedly quit on the Rockies and it is a stain on his legacy. His disaterous 1 season tenure saw the resignation of Bob Gebhardt and ushered in the O’Dowd era. He can reflect back on a very successful career, but I will always remember him for sneaking smokes in the dugout, living in the clubhouse, and being a final catalyst for the ensuing O’Dowd regime.
TroyF
October 9, 2012 at 6:10 PM (UTC -6)
The Rockies are lucky in one facet. . . there are only 30 of these jobs around. There are not 500 big league managerial jobs available. Some guy is going to be desperate enough to go into a situation where he has to watch the GM fill out his lineup card and set his pitching rotation. Some guy is going to BEG for that chance.
But isn’t going to be the guys we want. Dave Martinez is a hot name, why the hell would he want to come into this knowing he’ll get another shot with a real team as soon as this year. Ryne Sandberg? He can coach in Philly and learn the ropes under Manual or come in and be a lapdog to a failing team. Seriously?
And how long until the players have had enough of this garbage? This is so sad. Truly, truly sad.
Mike
October 10, 2012 at 7:45 AM (UTC -6)
Jim Tracy resigning is like Christmas in October. That said, I agree that anybody good won’t want anything whatsoever to do with this job. Can we just hope that the game day micromanaging by the front office was a tacit attempt to get Tracy to resign and that if they do manage to convince somebody better than the hypothetical trained monkey suggested above to take the job that Geivett won’t feel the need to micromanage so much?