If I were the Monforts (Would this make the fans happy?)

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 11:33 AM MDT Comment 31 comments

If I were the Monforts, I’d hold a press conference. I’d state that both Dan O’Dowd and Clint Hurdle contracts will not be renewed at the end of the year, but that they will continue in their current positions until the end of the season. The search committee has been formed to find a replacement GM and if possible he would be hired and in place before the end of the year, and Dan O’Dowd has agreed to step down at that time.

Would this placate the fans? Would this be enough along the lines of “We see the standings too, and we feel your pain, and we want something different too”? Or would this seem like throwing in the towel for this season? (granted this season IS over, but maybe the FO/ownership needs to pretend there is still a chance)

Poll

What is your reaction to this solution?

Perferct! That's what should be done.

7 votes

I want Hurdle's head on a pike NOW

13 votes

I want BOTH Hurdle and O'Dowd's head on a pike NOW

14 votes

There are 4 more months of baseball, lets wait to announce any thing

15 votes

No mention of firing Dinger?!!?!?!?

10 votes

59 votes | Poll has closed

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).

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Comments

I think this would come off horribly.

People would accuse the Monforts of being too cheap to pay interim guys.

And if you announce those guys are gone, there’s little chance of them doing their jobs effectively. If this is what ownership privately decided, they’d have to just wait until the end of the season to say anything.

by FooMan on May 22, 2009 12:01 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

come off...I meant "come across", I think.

by FooMan on May 22, 2009 12:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

If they are going to be fired, get rid of them now. Expecially O’Dowd. If you determain he shouldn’t remain GM, then get rid of him before he has a chance to screw things up via the draft or the trade deadline.

by wolf213 on May 22, 2009 12:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Should O'Dowd

be extended now, to end his lame duck status?

Is he a “Keeper”?

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 1:01 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Its hard to say

but I am leaning toward No. Theres a difference, right now O’Dowd is trying to keep his job, he won’t do anything stupid.

Whats to stop O’Dowd from say, trading Ubaldo and Ianetta for Nefi Perez, if he knows he is just going to get fired anyways.

by wolf213 on May 22, 2009 1:06 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd hope

a little thing called professionalism and hope he get a job some where else. I think making a trade right now with O’Dowd, will be just as hard due to his lame duck status.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 1:12 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

If your going to get rid of the guy

Get rid of him, and bring in a interm. At least the interm will be fighting for a job next year.

by wolf213 on May 22, 2009 1:14 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good question.

I lean towards yes, but it’s a little hard to judge. He seems to have calmed down from his early years when he didn’t look so good (it’s amazing he wasn’t fired then). Since 2003 or so, the Rockies have seemed to develop as planned…home grown players. They made a run in 2007. So that’s a plus, though the scouting and player dev people deserve a lot of credit as well. (and of course O’Dowd oversees these groups.)

There’s a lot of questions about what to do/what should have been done in a strategic sense for this year and beyond. I don’t have info on what O’Dowd is allowed to do. Has he been told to try to be as competitive as possible each and every year, or would he be allowed to sacrifice current seasons in favor of the future (in the form of trading valuable vets for young ’uns)?

Knowing that sort of stuff would probably go a long way towards deciding things for me.

by FooMan on May 22, 2009 1:36 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

O'Dowd

I think he’s had his good moments, and his bad moments. But the bottom line for any baseball organization is is it being competitive. Ultimately, the responsibility is not with Hurdle, nor with the players, but with the guy that hired the manager, hired the minor league coaches, and acquired the players/talent. And the final grade on that comes from wins and losses, and nothing else. I’ve said I think O’Dowd is a 6 (outta 10). But the results on the field are a lot lower. (would give it a 1 if it weren’t for one month in 07)

UNLESS…the organization is more worried about money, then it is about wins, which because we don’t see the books, or know O’Dowd’s marching orders like you point out…he might be doing just fine…and only the ownership would know this for sure. BUT I highly doubt where the Rockies are today, and where it’s pointing…..isn’t where it was intended to be, either on the field or off.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 3:13 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know it will never happen but I want both heads to roll and right now.

Give someone in house the interim GM job, promote Baylor or Tracy to interim manager and go out and find a really good, first rate candidate for GM. And let that person pick a manager who can mold this squad.

No matter how much we delude ourselves, O’Dowd isn’t going to make any trades this year that will improve this club either immediately or in the future.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton

by pedalpusher on May 22, 2009 12:02 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Interim GMs are kinda a bad idea generally

Nobody (agents, teams, etc.) know or trust how much authority that guy actually has to make moves. If this were to happen, there’d be the same type of chaos there is in Baltimore, where there’s not an interim agent…but worse…an Angelos or three.

Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave

by Mondogarage on May 23, 2009 9:44 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't expect the interim GM to do anything other than keep the seat warm for the next guy.

No trades, no long term contracts, maybe deal with the concessionaires but no real baseball duties. But that being said, I would expect the owners to get out of thier luxury boxes and find and management team that can turn this team around. Like I said, I know it will never happen but that’s what I want to see.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton

by pedalpusher on May 25, 2009 9:46 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And that's why I don't like it

Because for all intents and purposes, going with an interim for the next 4 months could actually put off a full scale rebound a whole season further out. We can’t afford a seat warmer.

My car has seat warmers and, while they make my ass nice and toasty in the wintertime, they don’t do a damned thing to help me go where I’m trying to get to.

Now, if you had a chance to score a proven successful GM (like, a division winning GM), or pry away that rapidly ascending woman assistant GM from the Dodgers, do it and give that person a four year deal starting immediately. But going the “interim” route is probably more harmful long term than just letting O’Dowd finish out the string.

This isn’t the same with regard to the field boss, however….

Watching the purple row from high atop the big brown monolith on California Ave

by Mondogarage on May 26, 2009 3:49 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm all for hiring a top notch GM right now.

But I doubt you could find that person who would want to make a switch mid-season. And how many top rate GM candidates are out of work?

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton

by pedalpusher on May 27, 2009 9:21 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are there tampering rules in place?

I don’t know the answer. I would assume if you wanted to hire someone from another team, you’d have to get permission from that team. But is it allowed during the season?

by holly96 on May 27, 2009 10:04 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm available

my baseball GM experience is limited (none technically) but I like to think I could run the Rockies as well as it has been over the last few years.

by Redhawk on May 28, 2009 7:11 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

And I wish I could vote twice on this poll because

I’m pretty sure Dinger is part of the problem as well.

Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Author: Jim Bouton

by pedalpusher on May 22, 2009 12:04 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Hard times

call for hard choices for all of us my friend

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 1:00 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dinger

is always part of the problem. What ever the problem is-lousy hit with RISP, pitching outside the strike zone, bad hot dogs and warm beer-Dinger is a factor in all of it. I thought I had made myself clear on this topic months ago, but apparently I must keep constant vigil.

Sarcasm aside, I’m on record here as hating that stupid bastard child of Barney. Any excuse to get ditch him is good enough for me.

The great thing about baseball is that there's a crisis every day. ~Gabe Paul

by rockhead on May 22, 2009 8:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think lame duck GM and manager

Is a terrible idea. If that’s the Monforts’ plan, to fire both after the season (which I don’t think is the plan. I expect O’Dowd to be extended, and Hurdle to be gone), then why would you announce that? All that would do is emasculate those in charge, ruin morale in the club-house, and generate more ire from the fan-base as to why they’d announce this now and then sit on their hands, though I doubt that they really are losing any sleep at all over what the posters over at Purple Row are saying day in, day out.

I don’t expect any blockbuster trades to happen this season, effectively purging the team of Gen R; a mid-season manager change; a GM regime change; new owners in the next 20 years; or for many bloggers to ever be satisfied with moves made by management/ownership, no matter which way those moves go. Someone will always be dissatisfied…

by Rox R Champs on May 22, 2009 12:18 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

by RdRnnr on May 22, 2009 12:22 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

DOD and Hurdle might already be lame ducks.

I really don’t think their contracts will be renewed at the end of the year. The front office is pretty quiet because nothings been made official, but I think that Hurdle and O’Dowd will become the scapegoats for the way the rockies are playing. Firing one or both of them now is not going to fix anything (except maybe make people slightly more optimistic). I don’t really see either of them keeping their jobs next year.

BTW, it’s not like I have a crystal ball or even a magic 8 ball, this is just the way I see it. It’s getting harder for rockies fans after a disappointing 2008 and start to 2009. Public opinion is very very against O Dowd and Hurdle right now, and so I think that pretty much forces the Monforts’ hand about what they need to do to keep fans rooting for their team.

by coolopotamus on May 22, 2009 12:51 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

a Lame Duck GM and Manager

IS a terrible idea. This I agree with.

but aren’t they already Lame Ducks? Either real or perceived? At least if it was announced than the status would be less up in the air. But would it only make them MORE lame ducks?

And isn’t an “interim manager” a lame duck as well?

As far as fans’ never being satisfied goes. Well, that is true in the fact you can’t please all the people, all the time. But I damn sure know that doing the same thing as has been done, won’t either.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 1:00 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Valid points

But if I’m a boss, I sure as hell don’t want to tell someone I’m going to fire them four months from now, but please don’t do anything that would hurt the company in the mean time. I’d much rather they think that there’s a good chance I’m going to fire them so they might go and do something that is truely great (I wish I had an answer for what this might be… trade Atkins, Q and Baker for Pujols, Pedroia, and CC? ;) )

They very well could be lame ducks now, and I’m all for Hurdle receiving his pink slip ASAP. I don’t see O’Dowd leaving anytime soon though. My thoughts are that bringing Tracy and Baylor on as bench coaches was a contigency plan if Hurdle disappointed, and lord knows, this season has been disappointing. Whether the interim would be lame duck is hard to say, if the plan was to permanently replace Hurdle with one of them, then they might be able to take the reigns and move forward.

by Rox R Champs on May 22, 2009 1:28 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Crucial 6-game stretch

I totally agree with wolf213’s first post! I would say that Hurdle gets fired sometime in the next week. A lot depends on what happens in these next 3 games against Detroit. They are 3-4 on the current 10-game road trip and have been hammered 3 times. The Rockies have won back-to-back games only 3 times all year and had a winning streak of more than 2 games only once! It’s gonna be a tough next 6 games with the Rockies playing 2 of the top 5 teams in baseball as far as their record goes. The Tigers in first place in the AL Central and are 14-5 at home and then go home and play the first-place Dodgers who have the best record in baseball! I would love it if the Rockies could go 5-1, but I wouldn’t put any money down on it. My guess is that they will go 2-4 (1 win against each team), get blown out of a couple games and lose a couple tight games and be at least 15 games out of first place by the end of the Dodgers series. Either Jim Tracy or Don Baylor will be the interim manager when the Rockies host the Padres on the 29th. I tell ya, I’’ve been anxious every morning when I go to the Denver Post website to see if he has been canned yet. Maybe we should have a poll on when we think Hurdle will be fired!

by RandyDean on May 22, 2009 1:53 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

So Hurdle's job

is about 6 games? and not his career record or what he’s done so far this year? I don’t mean to be mean, but setting any period of games as a sort of litmus test doesn’t make sense. I think you know all you need to know about Hurdle to either fire him or keep him, right now as you will after 6 games.

The real choices are fire him now (or fairly soon), Keep him till the end of the season, keep him for the foreseeable future (contract extension). But the next 6 games….aren’t the determining factor.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 3:07 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

con...contra...contract extension?

This word doesn’t seem to be in my vocabulary.

But I do agree with you. We cant just say, “Look, you win this game, you keep you’re job. If not, you’re outta here.” So many other factors can be put into this short amount of time. For example, Dreamy’s probably going to get a couple days off. Who’s to say that Yorvit’s lacking offense, and not Hurdle’s desicions, causes us to lose the games? Or, Atkins has been pretty hot lately (knock on very large piece of wood) If this small streak continues, will that put Hurdle in too good of light?

We’ve got to approach this as a long term analysis. Review the past two months, give him at least a couple more weeks, and see where we are then.

I’m not making excuses for Hurdle. God and everyone else on here knows that I might be one of the loudest anti-Hurdle posters on here. But I will admit that our April schedule was a heckuva lot harder than most teams got, and that our pitching has been horrible.

Give him sometime, and when he truly seems to be the cause of the majority of our loses, make a move then.

by Rockie4Ever on May 23, 2009 9:02 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great analysis

I don’t think contract extensions are in the plans but simple things cannot be blamed on Hurdle. The third base situation right now is horrible and the bullpen hasn’t helped either. So who do you put out there at third base to start the game who do you bring in for close games or blow out games? If nothing is working then is it the managers fault? Let the players start to actually play up to expectations and then we can critique the managerial situation.

"We made too many wrong mistakes." ~Yogi Berra
"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all." ~Lou Gehrig
JFK

by jrockies on May 23, 2009 9:39 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know they aren't the determining factor.

I think the FO has made up their mind of what to do, but the 6 games I mentioned are more like an indication of at what point do we say “enough is enough”. I didn’t mean it to be “well if he does well during these next 6 games, keep him” or “if these next 6 games suck, get rid of him.” Basically I am saying that this is gonna be a rough next 6 games and a decision will be made within the next week. If we get swept in this Detroit series or we lose 2 of 3 and get blown out of those games, then a change might be made before the Dodgers series.

by RandyDean on May 22, 2009 3:32 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Supposed to be a reply

to Redhawk. Sorry!

by RandyDean on May 22, 2009 3:33 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is there a point

where it’s too late to fire Hurdle? Where it just doesn’t matter, and might as well ride out the season with him?

My personal answer is yes…this road trip. Where road trips are a good place to fire managers as there is FAR less media coverage, and before coming home, and before the summer. A firing, might give a few fans hope enough to buy some tickets they might not have other wise (Not like I’m talking huge numbers, but every little bit helps). But if they come back with Hurdle…the Rockies and O’Dowd are committed.

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 4:41 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs