Brewers hire Macha

Folks in the bowels of the Denver airport think I'm a madman for laughing at this. Well done, A_QB.

 

Just wanted to clarify my earlier post.

First of all, I absolutely do not believe that Susan did anything wrong or in any way was a knowing participant in a smear campaign orchestrated by Billy. Susan is a very good reporter and she was doing her job. Players were talking, and she was writing. Period.

In retrospect, I had erroneously remembered more of the Macha criticism coming out before he was fired. In reality, it was only one player who had gone on the record before the firing. All the rest aired their complaints the day he was canned.

How much Billy was behind that, none of us knows for sure. I only know what I heard, and Susan obviously has a different account.

I think we would agree, though, that the problem was more Macha's relationship with Billy than Macha's relationship with the players.

 

I like Macha. Not sure what went on inside the clubhouse, but with the A's he was a very good and steady manager who usually made the right calls. He did Red Sox pre and post game coverage for the last few years, and I thought he was excellent with his insightful analysis.

 

No, that's not what Susan said at all.

 

Her post here actually mentions Macha's problems with the players and with Billy, not really specifying which she thinks is more to blame.

I was basing my comment on what Susan and I both know from being around the team.

Also, there have been a lot of grumbles from within the clubhouse over the past two years about Bob Geren, including from some of the players who complained about Macha. Beane not only hasn't fired Geren, but he's said what a great job he's done. The difference is that Beane likes Geren and he didn't like Macha, in my opinion.

 

BB Bobcat, I don't think you're wrong in that assessment. I just don't think Beane had it in for Macha the way that some people around the team believe (and that is one prevailing theory). I think Macha had more troubles with Beane than the other way around - Beane's the one who wouldn't let him interview for the Red Sox job, because he wanted Macha to manage the A's, and Beane's the one who brought Macha back after Macha briefly left. He clearly thought Macha was the guy for the job. But Macha seemed unhappy that final year, and I think that affected everything, including his relationship with the players, who began complaining. I don't see how that's really Beane's fault. I'm sure he's difficult to work for, but Macha knew that going into the season - he'd been the manager the previous two years.
You are certainly correct that complaints didn't end with Macha's departure.

 

Heyyyyyyyyyyy, Macha Reigna! Aye!