Non-playoff baseball news: Leo Mazzone fired

[2muchcoffeeman]

http://tinyurl.com/2d67lx

By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
29 minutes ago

BALTIMORE - Leo Mazzone was fired as pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, less than two weeks after completing his second season with a struggling staff. Mazzone worked wonders with the Atlanta Braves from June 1990 through the end of the 2005 season but could not duplicate that success with the Orioles. Baltimore ranked 29th among 30 teams with a 5.17 ERA and yielded more walks (696) than any major league club.

"I spoke with Leo today and told him I appreciated his efforts here," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "Moving forward, I felt that we would be better served with someone else working with our young staff and that it was in his best interests and our best interests to give him an opportunity to look elsewhere now."

Mazzone, who turns 59 on Tuesday, had one year left on the three-year contract he signed before the 2006 season. He was lured from Atlanta by then-Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, a longtime friend who was fired on June 18.

Prediction: He won't be unemployed for long.

 

[Moderator1]

There was a quote down in the story from Leo about how he knew his days were numbered when the managerial change was made. Must have been a comfortable final couple of months of the season.

 

[Cosmo]

Daniel Cabrera, Hayden Penn and Steve Trachsel are not Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux.

 

[spnited]

He will replace Ron Guidry as Yankees pitching coach

 

[hockeybeat]

He will replace Ron Guidry as Yankees pitching coach

Where's Guidry going?

 

[spnited]

He will replace Ron Guidry as Yankees pitching coach

Where's Guidry going?

Home

 

[mike311gd]

Is Roger McDowell's seat safe in Atlanta?

 

[lantaur]

Daniel Cabrera, Hayden Penn and Steve Trachsel are not Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux.

That's the knock on Mazzone - he doesn't help young guys (i.e. Cabrera, Loewen, Penn), but he does with guys on the brink (Bedard, Guthrie).

Despite being from Maryland, Mazzone grew up a Yankees fan. If Guidry goes, lock him in, although he could follow buddy Sam Perlozzo to Seattle, where Perlozzo is rumored to become a coach.

 

[hockeybeat]

He will replace Ron Guidry as Yankees pitching coach

Where's Guidry going?

Home

He hated working for Big Stein?

 

[spnited]

No, he is going to be fired if Mazzone is available.

 

[PhilaYank36]

Don't any of you get it? Mazzone was the sole reason why the Orioles sucked this year!

 

[spnited]

All of the Yankees coaches contracts expire at the end of the month... none of them are assured of being brought back.

 

[mike311gd]

Don't any of you get it? Mazzone was the sole reason why the Orioles sucked this year!

Don't forget about Jay Gibbons.

 

[lantaur]

Don't any of you get it? Mazzone was the sole reason why the Orioles sucked this year!

Well, the Orioles would have sucked with or without Mazzone (and this comes from a lifelong O's fan). But this, like always, is about the new manager wanting his own guy in there. No one blamed Mazzone for the mess, but certainly the pitching didn't improve the two years he was there. Perhaps Terry Crowley (hitting coach) should be next (cue the Earl Weaver outtake).

 

[outofplace]

Daniel Cabrera, Hayden Penn and Steve Trachsel are not Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux.

That's the knock on Mazzone - he doesn't help young guys (i.e. Cabrera, Loewen, Penn), but he does with guys on the brink (Bedard, Guthrie).

Despite being from Maryland, Mazzone grew up a Yankees fan. If Guidry goes, lock him in, although he could follow buddy Sam Perlozzo to Seattle, where Perlozzo is rumored to become a coach.

Was Guthrie really on the brink of anything before Mazzone got there?

 

[JackyJackBN]

Daniel Cabrera, Hayden Penn and Steve Trachsel are not Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux.

That's the knock on Mazzone - he doesn't help young guys (i.e. Cabrera, Loewen, Penn), but he does with guys on the brink (Bedard, Guthrie).

Despite being from Maryland, Mazzone grew up a Yankees fan. If Guidry goes, lock him in, although he could follow buddy Sam Perlozzo to Seattle, where Perlozzo is rumored to become a coach.

Was Guthrie really on the brink of anything before Mazzone got there?

Some folks in Seattle are saying that Mel Stottlemyre is a slam dunk for the M's pitching coach job if he wants it. Others say, nope, Jim Colburn. I say, welcome to the guessing game, Leo.

If I had to bet: Stottlemyre.

 

[mike311gd]

Maybe Todd Stottlemyre can be the fifth starter, too.

 

[JackyJackBN]

What's Toddy Ballgame doing these days, running the baseball camp in Yakima?

 

[Claws for Concern]

The man who failed twice to help propel the Padres into the playoffs in the final weekend (and a day) had elbow surgery this past week.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/weblog/2007/10/hoffman_has_elbow_surgery.html

 

[Football_Bat]

I wonder what Dave Duncan's status is since Jocketty is out and La Russa's on the bubble.