A look at Clint Hurdle's (Possible) Replacements

by wolf213 on May 22, 2009 12:51 PM MDT Comment 28 comments

With Clint Hurdle on the hot seat, I figured it would be a good idea to look at the pros and cons of who might be able to take over the reigns once Hurlde is gone. I have ordered things in the way I see them going down.

Clint Hurdle - There is always the possibilty that Clint Hurdle will retain his job. While seemingly more and more Rockies Fans want Hurdle gone, given this teams history, I can see him sticking around for a while longer.

Pros - Well there was that thing back in 2007
Cons - .464 Career winning Percentage as a manager, and a team that seem sto have given up on him. Plus he tends to throw his players under the Bus quite a bit, (see Tulo, Fassaro, et al) and while in the past he has remained probably to loyal to his veteran players such as Keep Chacon as a closer, giving Atkins to many AB's when struggling, recently he seems to be anything but consistant in terms of lineup construction. He also tends to give players such as Barmes and Q! to many at bats.

Jim Tracy - Most of the time, its the bench players that take over after a Manager is canned in the middle of the season.

Pros - 4 seasons above .500 as manager of the Dodgers from 2001-2004. Holds a .496 winning percentage which looks even better when his years with the Pirates are taken into account
Cons - The 4 winning seasons he has had are most likely the product of a very good Dodgers team, and even though he has had more winning seasons then Hurdle has, he has been to the playoffs only once while captain of a ship. I'm also not sure if he's the guy that can light a fire under a team.

Don Baylor - A lot of people are wanting the return of Baylor ball, and there are some indications that he was brought in to be a replacement for Hurdle should he be canned.

Pros - The early Rockies teams always seemed to over achieve for him, and players usually have nothing but good things to say about him. He is the type of Manager that can light a fire under a team and get them to perform.
Cons - .484 Career record as a manager speaks for itself, however he did win Manager of the year once. He also tends to burn his pitching staff.

Vinny Castilla - A popular fan favorate when he played, and recent manager of the WBC Mexico team. He has indicated that he wants to manage in the Major Leagues one day.

Pros - Fan Favorate who would help generate fan interest again.
Cons - No Manager experience outside of the WBC, and even though he works as a special assistant to O'Dowd, he really doesn't have much coaching experience to speak of either.

Tom Runnells - Current Sky Sox manager could wind up in the bigs leagues again

Pros - He does have experience managing, as he was the Expos Manager in 1991 and 1992. He's been the sky sox manager for several years as well
Cons - He wasn't exactly a great manager for the expos in 1991 or 1992, and I belive if he was a good candidate he would be managing a major league team by now.

Walt Weiss - His name is alway brought up in Manager conversations among fans.

Pros - Reconizable name who was a hardball type player when he played.
Cons - Has indicated in the past that he doesn't want a full time coaching job. For examble he was offered the benching coach job this year and turned it down.

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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I noticed you didn’t add Bobby Valentine or Joe Girardi. Is this because they already have jobs at the moment?

Personally I think the best managers in baseball right now are Joe Torre, and Ron Gardinhire and while baseball is not like football, if there were guys that could be looked on a their “Proteges” then I’d really hope they get looked at as well. .

by Redhawk on May 22, 2009 1:09 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Yup

Girardi and Valentine already have jobs at the moment, so I didn’t consider them.

by wolf213 on May 22, 2009 1:15 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I doubt Girardi, big time

No way Girardi’s going to be going anywhere anytime soon. It’s not like the Yankees are celler dwelling, and I doubt that Joe’d jump ship for a possible (and probable) play-off team to take over for Hurdle.

by Rox R Champs on May 22, 2009 1:46 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it's the players

Through their first 1153 managerial games:

Manager   W's   L's
Torre     526   627
Hurdle    532   621

by FooMan on May 22, 2009 1:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's an interesting stat

SSIA

by Rox R Champs on May 22, 2009 1:56 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another plus for Hurdle

Is that basically, he did what he was asked to do with GenR. The players did well under him. There’s been very few burnouts for a team that’s so dependent on all their minor leaguers panning out.

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

Baylor or Tracy?

I would love Baylor to be the Rockies interm manager again, but I bet that it would be Tracy that would get it because then they would have to find a new hitting coach. And I think that is harder than finding a bench coach. I thought Baylor was a pretty good manager in his first stint with the Rockies and liked his style of managing. The 1995-1997 was my favorite stretch of years throughout their entire existance. He has that presence about him. I was so happy when he returned to the Rockies coaching staff this year. Tracy though did have a 356-292 record while managing the Dodgers from 2001-2004 and knows the division and league real well.

by RandyDean on May 22, 2009 2:07 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't second time managers do well....

….after they’ve failed in their first gig?

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
Jackie Robinson

by walkoff59 on May 22, 2009 7:52 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Who does your comment relate to?

Tracy and Baylor both failed with their second job, and Runnels, Weiss and Castilla have never managed at the pro level

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on May 22, 2009 9:13 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I Think

That the comment was referring to guys that get canned by a team as its manager, then come back later and manage them again. Think Cito Gaston in Toronto.

"Horton is win."
--Horvil Tiki

by wtnelson on May 24, 2009 12:07 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah...so a pro-Baylor vote

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on May 24, 2009 12:58 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's how I interpreted it

"Horton is win."
--Horvil Tiki

by wtnelson on May 24, 2009 1:04 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is Mike Shanahan available?

Check out my Rockies comic strip at:
Rock Drive 1.4

by Charlie77 on May 23, 2009 12:35 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I think I

speak for all non-Broncos loving fans when I say NO!

"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 10:14 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

heck, I DO love the Broncos

but the thought of this makes me want Hurdle as our manager forever.

by Rockie4Ever on May 23, 2009 11:40 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Andres Galarraga

managed team Venezuela in the WBC this year.

…just sayin’

"DAMMIT! No, calm down. Learn to enjoy losing." --Hunter S. Thompson

by PioneerSkies on May 23, 2009 9:59 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Jim Tracy for Manager

Give Tracy the job and make Walt Weiss the GM.

by BlakeStBleacherBum on May 24, 2009 11:29 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I vote that they bring somebody from the Row

Could it really be worse than Hurdle?

by ALrockies on May 26, 2009 10:47 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

It Has To Be Tracy

He’s still relatively new to the team, he knows the division, and he’s been to the rodeo more than a few times. Let Hurdle and Apodaca go and take a long look at Baylor as well- I know the players like him (And he’s still well received in Denver from a fan perspective), but the inconsistency of the lineup under his tutelage has been the most frustrating and the most worrisome aspect of the season to date. At the very least, Baylor must be reevaluated.

Let’s move on. 14 GB is more than likely insurmountable at this point, especially with the way the Dodgers are playing. But at least we can usher in a new managerial era, evaluate some of the talent at the AAA and AA levels, and dictate the future direction of the organization.

by VictorLinoge on May 28, 2009 10:21 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

What happened to the good ol' days of the player/manager?

I think it would have been awesome for the Rox to have named Todd Helton the interim manager for the rest of the season. I’m sure the Monforts would have loved that because they wouldn’t have to add anyone else to the organization’s payroll for the rest of the year.

All Hail Todd!

by RockiescastScott on Jun 2, 2009 8:01 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Helton wouldn't give himself a day off

and then he’d burn out by September. I’m kidding, but maybe I’m not

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Jun 2, 2009 8:20 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was also kidding... but maybe not

The man certianly knows how to hit a baseball. I would love to see a Todd Helton player/hitting coach experiment. As long as Donnie B. stays on in a different capacity, of course. Really I just love the concept of the player/coach and would love to see it happen, Pete Rose style (minus the gambling).

by RockiescastScott on Jun 2, 2009 8:27 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty sure there's more to it than filling out the lineup card and then playing.

That might have worked in the 30’s when you started a pitcher who would get a complete game. No pinch hitters to contend with, no situational pitching changes. Either the playing or the managing is going to be shortchanged. Besides, who’s to say that Todd would even want that job?

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 Jun 2, 2009 11:48 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

well, Todd is obviously going to manage this team some day, so why not now?

But, you’re right, it is a little bit different lately. Especially with so much of our team failing, Todd would have to be paying close attention to everything, it’d be hard for him to concentrate on anything.

by Rockie4Ever on Jun 2, 2009 10:42 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Then he can be the

Player/Hitting coach for now. Managing takes too much time and in-game decision making. He can at least help our bats get going.

"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 Jun 2, 2009 11:08 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good idea.

But that would put Baylor out of work. Could he be Todd’s assistant?

by Rockie4Ever on Jun 3, 2009 1:20 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, either he's (Baylor) not done a very good job this year, our players don't take coaching very well or

they just aren’t very good. Take your pick.

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 Jun 3, 2009 4:05 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it's a little of all three

Baylor could be doing better, I agree with that.
Take Tulo, for example, on not taking coaching: Hurdle benches him for swinging at first pitch, so what does he do the next day? Swings at the first pitch.
“They just aren’t very good”: We’re going to have some pretty good guys, no doubt about it. But until Denver becomes an east coast city (and this is where Global Warming kicks in), we’re not going to get publicity, and we’re not going to get the truly amazing, pay-$200-for-bleacher-seats-just-to-see-him-play-when-he’s-in-town type of guy.

by Rockie4Ever on Jun 3, 2009 4:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs