I may be alone in my thinking, but after watching Fredi Gonzalez manage this ball club for as long as he has, it continues to become ever more frustrating watching him run the team.

 

And it is not because we are "losing", because I don't consider being two games behind as of this post, and several over .500 to be losing. But there are too many wrong things going on with this team, wrong things that can be corrected, that really show Fredi Gonzalez job as a manger has been a poor one.

 

Some observations on Fredi that bother me:

 

+No blood. No spark. He just sits down the whole game. It seems like he never argues a call. You don't see the type of interaction you would like to see between him and the players. It just looks like he lacks passion. Bobby Cox, who god knows how old he is by now, is much more animated than him.

 

+Persistence with players. There have been so many times which we've had some of our bats really struggling, but instead of sitting them down for some of our good bench bats like Helms, he just keeps on with them.

 

+Swinging for the fences. Yes, this is partly the player's fault, but it is a manager's responsibility to address a problem like this. Yes, the long ball has worked for us so far, but the team needs to be a bit more versatile on the plate.

 

+Where are the squeezes? The hit and runs? Why can't half our team learn how to bunt? These are all issues, which while seemingly small, add up. This in my opinion contributes greatly to the team's success, and anyone who watched the 2003 season remembers we were chief in this department.

 

 

We just lack in the whole "small things" department, and it is that department which a team like the Marlins needs to take advantage of.

 

I would like to hear some input, criticizing, whatever.

I may be alone in my thinking, but after watching Fredi Gonzalez manage this ball club for as long as he has, it continues to become ever more frustrating watching him run the team.

 

And it is not because we are "losing", because I don't consider being two games behind as of this post, and several over .500 to be losing. But there are too many wrong things going on with this team, wrong things that can be corrected, that really show Fredi Gonzalez job as a manger has been a poor one.

 

Some observations on Fredi that bother me:

 

+No blood. No spark. He just sits down the whole game. It seems like he never argues a call. You don't see the type of interaction you would like to see between him and the players. It just looks like he lacks passion. Bobby Cox, who god knows how old he is by now, is much more animated than him.

 

+Persistence with players. There have been so many times which we've had some of our bats really struggling, but instead of sitting them down for some of our good bench bats like Helms, he just keeps on with them.

 

+Swinging for the fences. Yes, this is partly the player's fault, but it is a manager's responsibility to address a problem like this. Yes, the long ball has worked for us so far, but the team needs to be a bit more versatile on the plate.

 

+Where are the squeezes? The hit and runs? Why can't half our team learn how to bunt? These are all issues, which while seemingly small, add up. This in my opinion contributes greatly to the team's success, and anyone who watched the 2003 season remembers we were chief in this department.

 

 

We just lack in the whole "small things" department, and it is that department which a team like the Marlins needs to take advantage of.

 

I would like to hear some input, criticizing, whatever.

 

 

i had my criticisms of Fredi, but now that we are so close so late, we can ignore all the little things that are wrong and believe in our manager

The impact of a manager is very overrated. If you think any one manager is worth more than a handful of games a season, you are crazy.

The impact of a manager is very overrated. If you think any one manager is worth more than a handful of games a season, you are crazy.

 

 

This. I could manage this team and have the same assistants Fredi has, and it would not make more than a 3-5 game difference in the win-loss total. We are in a pennant race with the lowest payroll in all off baseball and a bad pitching staff. No need to complain right now.

One thing I don't like is Jacobs batting clean-up. It doesn't make sense to me at all. Drop him about 3 places in the order and he doesn't look nearly as appalling.

Gonzalez isn't anything special but he's the least of the team's worries right now.

The impact of a manager is very overrated. If you think any one manager is worth more than a handful of games a season, you are crazy.

Yep. I have to laugh when I see people blame everything on the manager, especially in baseball.

 

It's funny how he gets no credit for pinch hitting Hermida yesterday.

There's nothing wrong with Fredi, he makes some dumb decisions, but we're not gonna really do any better with another manager.

There's nothing wrong with Fredi, he makes some dumb decisions, but we're not gonna really do any better with another manager.

+1.

I actually kinda like the job he has done. He manages the pen pretty well, and the staff. Girardi completelt overused the staff in 06' and it ended up that pretty much the whole staff had injuries in 07'.

I'd say Fredi's doing something right.

Listen, I hate the fact that this team is always swinging for the fences, the fact he's using Jacobs in the 4 hole, etc.

 

However...how about the fact that the team has 30 comeback wins? The "never give up" attitude should say something about the attitude on the bench, even when they're down.

 

We don't know how Fredi is off the field.

He's doing something right...a team that was expected to lose 100 games, is 6 games over .500, and competing for 1st place. I don't always like his decisions, but he's doing something right.

 

It's amazing how much credit Girardi got for '06...Fredi has gotten very little in '08. He should be a candidate for NL MOY right now.

There's nothing wrong with Fredi, he makes some dumb decisions, but we're not gonna really do any better with another manager.

+1.

 

+2

 

Seriously lay off Fredi.

The only problem I have with Freddi is a result of his long-suffering at the hands of bad starting pitching. His hook is too fast. Other than that it is the same kind of crap that all managers do (over-use of bunting, etc.) that he is generally less offensive about. As for no-spark / no-fire, that is crap. You don't have to throw a tantrum to show fire.

The impact of a manager is very overrated. If you think any one manager is worth more than a handful of games a season, you are crazy.

 

 

This. I could manage this team and have the same assistants Fredi has, and it would not make more than a 3-5 game difference in the win-loss total. We are in a pennant race with the lowest payroll in all off baseball and a bad pitching staff. No need to complain right now.

 

I kind of agree kind of dont.

 

You need a solida manager for the late innings and such.

 

In that same sense its a manager not a player.

 

So both ways.

You do have to questions some of his decisions at times, but you cannot argue with the results he's given. 2 games from the division lead in a pennant race is not a time to start questioning leadership at the top.

Fredi's put on some interesting plays when the time was right. I remember a few months ago against the D-backs, he had Nolasco square to bunt and then swing away for a base hit. In that same game, I think, he called for a suicide squeeze with GONZO AT THIRD that Matt Treanor pulled off to perfection.

 

We can lament about the no complete game thing. It's frustrating. I loved Girardi in '06, but in hindsight, it does seem a little fishy that all of the '06 rookie pitchers were out of commission in 2007, and D-Train has totally fallen apart.

 

Fredi's shown fire when necessary. We all have our critiques, but overall he's been pretty solid. Especially last night pinch-hitting Hermida in Hoover's spot. That worked out pretty well, I'd say.

Fredi's put on some interesting plays when the time was right. I remember a few months ago against the D-backs, he had Nolasco square to bunt and then swing away for a base hit. In that same game, I think, he called for a suicide squeeze with GONZO AT THIRD that Matt Treanor pulled off to perfection.

 

We can lament about the no complete game thing. It's frustrating. I loved Girardi in '06, but in hindsight, it does seem a little fishy that all of the '06 rookie pitchers were out of commission in 2007, and D-Train has totally fallen apart.

 

Fredi's shown fire when necessary. We all have our critiques, but overall he's been pretty solid. Especially last night pinch-hitting Hermida in Hoover's spot. That worked out pretty well, I'd say.

 

Solid point! :thumbup

Just looking at some of the points MarlinsGuru was making, and I was thinking the other day. Not too many people on this team really do know how to bunt. Hasn't hurt us much at all this season, but was none the less it was something that I thought about.

I DO wish Fredi would get on the umps a bit more. It seems like there's been a lot of blown calls go against the Marlins this year, and the umps know that Fredi won't give them grief about it. I don't mean to go to Bobby Cox-like levels of insanity, but once in a while would be nice.

Hey I dont always agree with what Fredi does, or doesn't do... but overall I think that he is doing a good job at managing a young ball club that other than those of us on here, most people knew nothing about before the season started...

are you honestly for real???????????/

 

 

please to even try and critize is a joke...

 

 

lowest payroll in baseball and is relevant in august? and your really complaining? obvs you really dont understand baseball and we dont need fans like you....

 

 

sorry to be so harsh but when its true its true

are you honestly for real???????????/

 

 

please to even try and critize is a joke...

 

 

lowest payroll in baseball and is relevant in august? and your really complaining? obvs you really dont understand baseball and we dont need fans like you....

 

 

sorry to be so harsh but when its true its true

 

Calm down there Cowboy...just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean they aren't a fan.

are you honestly for real???????????/

 

 

please to even try and critize is a joke...

 

 

lowest payroll in baseball and is relevant in august? and your really complaining? obvs you really dont understand baseball and we dont need fans like you....

 

 

sorry to be so harsh but when its true its true

 

Calm down there Cowboy...just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean they aren't a fan.

 

 

c'mon are you seriously saying we should sit here and bash our manager???? this thread should never have happened....

 

 

honestly are you going to say he has had a bad year, i would LOVE to see a legitimate argument that says Fredi has done a bad job managing our fish.

 

He is probably one of the top candidates for manager of the year and yet uninformed fans attack him, because he doesnt make every move they think he should.

 

honestly its a joke, lowest payrol in baseball and theyre 1.5 games out of first place, but ya lets rip on him because he has done a terrible job......

 

 

this is why i dont post more often, i ve been around a lot longer than any of these posters, but yet my opinion is seen as being an a hole.....

 

not right

I may be alone in my thinking, but after watching Fredi Gonzalez manage this ball club for as long as he has, it continues to become ever more frustrating watching him run the team.

 

And it is not because we are "losing", because I don't consider being two games behind as of this post, and several over .500 to be losing. But there are too many wrong things going on with this team, wrong things that can be corrected, that really show Fredi Gonzalez job as a manger has been a poor one.

 

Some observations on Fredi that bother me:

 

+No blood. No spark. He just sits down the whole game. It seems like he never argues a call. You don't see the type of interaction you would like to see between him and the players. It just looks like he lacks passion. Bobby Cox, who god knows how old he is by now, is much more animated than him.

 

+Persistence with players. There have been so many times which we've had some of our bats really struggling, but instead of sitting them down for some of our good bench bats like Helms, he just keeps on with them.

 

+Swinging for the fences. Yes, this is partly the player's fault, but it is a manager's responsibility to address a problem like this. Yes, the long ball has worked for us so far, but the team needs to be a bit more versatile on the plate.

 

+Where are the squeezes? The hit and runs? Why can't half our team learn how to bunt? These are all issues, which while seemingly small, add up. This in my opinion contributes greatly to the team's success, and anyone who watched the 2003 season remembers we were chief in this department.

 

 

We just lack in the whole "small things" department, and it is that department which a team like the Marlins needs to take advantage of.

 

I would like to hear some input, criticizing, whatever.

 

 

Preaching to the choir son. +500 It should also be noted that their defense miscues can be attributed to a lack of discipline, which is evidenced by managing (or lack thereof). I'm just glad somebody else started this string.

Go ahead and post reasons why you think Fredi is a good manager.

 

Oh, and just because the Fish are playing above how we expected them to, DOESN'T make him a great manager. It means the team is more talented then we originally though.

 

As others have said, the manager has very little effect, good or bad.