Russell Returns for 2010

“…even though he isn’t Lou Pinella or Ozzie Guillen…”

When you put it that way, it almost makes me want to change my vote to “yes”.

Yeah, the manager doesn’t matter unless the talent is there. Who knows if Russell is a good skipper or not? I’ve watched almost all of these games and still have no idea.

it’s not like Coonelly gave JR an extension. That would be totally unwarranted.

All he did was say he’s not firing the guy and paying him off next year.

JR is undoubtedly one of the worst managers in the ML. Many of his biggest problems derive from things where he has beliefs that run counter to 100 years of MLB collective wisdom. Three quick examples of JR’s “genius” (i.e., real stupidity) would be:

1. Filling out the starting lineup several days ahead of the game. This leads to choking off hot streaks, that are important with a team that pretty much lacks consistent offense.
2. His belief that LF is the hardest OF position to play (Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente are both spinning in their graves, and Bill Virdon and Andy Van Slyke should just slap him next time they see him).
3. His bizarre placement of the LF toward CF, both in PNC and on the road. (See baseballssp3 comment above.)

I also think he’s far too uninvolved for a manager of a young team. He doesn’t act like he’s got their back on bad calls. Even when one of his guys, Capps, is thrown out for hitting Albert Pujols (not cause he did it on purpose, but because a team like the PBC just can’t hit Albert Pujols), JR can barely be bothered to argue the call. A young team is looking for a little more fire.

And while JR knows that the only way his team can score is to manufacture runs, he can’t bring himself to engage enuff in the game to call hit & runs, run & hits, steals, etc. His defenders tell me that, for example, Cutch has a “green light” to steal. Well, that ain’t working very well — JR needs a “steal next pitch” sign for him and other youngsters.

I applaud JR for one thing, and one thing only. He clearly believes in continuing teaching at the ML level, particularly defense. It’s had an affect on Luigi and Young for sure, and maybe others.

I look forward to a new PBC field manager in 2011, and the possible firing of JR during next season if he doesn’t pick it up. I don’t expect JR to turn into “Lou Brown” next year, but “conscious during games” would be a nice, attainable goal for him.

“My kinda team, Charlie. My kinda team.”

People keep commenting that it wouldn’t matter who coached this team now and into next year?

I wonder how many people said that in Detroit the year before Jimmy Leyland got picked up by the Tigers….

He came in and took a losing team, with no HUGE additions, and “coached” them to the World Series!

I may be a moron, and everyone has their own opinion, but it seems to me that if we indeed have a Young Team filled with Untapped Talent, don’t we owe it to them to bring in a TEACHER? Leyland can’t be the only coach out there who has been around the block a few times….and if you can’t find THAT guy, get his No.1, VAN SLYKE!

He has been under Leyland for decades, deserves his shot at the head table, why not begin in Pittsburgh where people will actually GIVE A DAMN!?

I just believe that these children need guidance, they need a teacher. John Russell is not the man to teach this team how to be winners.

We keep saying that this player or that player “won’t be part of the next winning Pitates team”, then why would we keep around a second rate coach who obviously won’t be part of it either?

I love Andy Van Slyke and Jim Leyland. Do they have any track record of turning losing teams into winners ? No. Afraid not. Leyland has always won with talented ( and highly paid ) professional baseball players, not a ragtag group of misfits like we have on our current roster. Van Slyke, although a fan favorite in Yinzburgh, has no managerial experience.
I’m hoping we can get a Morris Buttermaker to lead our Bucco team into contention in the near future. At least to some crazy tournament in Japan.