OnlyBucs

12373434210A373F3D2A580 wrote: I also concur with Thessy --- Bring in a new manager.



The owner has let this club down, NH has let this club down and so has the guy in the clubhouse.  At least on the surface, there appears to be too much of a nonchalant, I don't care attitude. 



Hurdle contract is cheap, about $5 mil for the next 3 years.    I have no ideas regarding who to bring in, but this team appears to be in desperate need of new direction.
They need a fiery manager who clearly hates losing and conveys that feeling to the players so that they will also hate losing. Hurdle just doesn't seem to care. He says "we'll come back tomorrow" and he often fields a lineup clearly inferior to what he could have fielded. There's no way that goes unnoticed by the players. Guys like Jim Leyland, Tony LaRussa or Earl Weaver detested losing and it rubbed off on their players. Hurdle obviously prefers winning over losing but it's not always his top priority and it doesn't seem to bother him much anyway. So they have players who don't hustle or don't bother to learn to play smart baseball. They all want to win but they don't put themselves out for a manager who often barely gives them a chance.


The fiery manager won’t work in Today’s game. You may see results the first year; but the manager will flame out and soon the players will just turn a deaf ear to him. The players are basically set for life. They aren’t fighting to put food on the table. Hurdle has most of the attributes that you want. He played the game which gives him credibility among the players. Has had the high and low life experiences which the players can also learn from. He is an exceptional motivational speaker and is an excellent example to the community.

He has in my opinion 2 flaws and one of those is an organizational flaw. First flaw that he has total control over is making a player accountable for lack of hustle or mental mistakes. It took too long to sit Marte. Should have been done earlier and maybe repeatedly.

Secondly, we have all talked about the Sunday lineup issue.

Hurdle is not that different from Leyland in that they both used their full bench and rested players regularly. The issue we have is that Hurdle will do it when we are in must win situations.

Also I believe that this is also partly organizationally driven.

The team relies too much on analytics.


I really think their analytics team is failing the team. Early in the Huntington/Hurdle run, they were on the cutting edge of things like pitch framing, defensive shifts, embedding numbers guys in the dugout to explain what they were doing etc.



Some of that original talent is gone and other teams have stepped up their game.

Would you trade Marte and one of the Kevin's for Scooter Gennett and Billy Hamilton? Heck, the Reds love Harrison...we could throw him in too. If Kang returns those three could shake up this offense.

01262D0E430 wrote: I also concur with Thessy --- Bring in a new manager.



The owner has let this club down, NH has let this club down and so has the guy in the clubhouse.  At least on the surface, there appears to be too much of a nonchalant, I don't care attitude. 



Hurdle contract is cheap, about $5 mil for the next 3 years.    I have no ideas regarding who to bring in, but this team appears to be in desperate need of new direction.
They need a fiery manager who clearly hates losing and conveys that feeling to the players so that they will also hate losing. Hurdle just doesn't seem to care. He says "we'll come back tomorrow" and he often fields a lineup clearly inferior to what he could have fielded. There's no way that goes unnoticed by the players. Guys like Jim Leyland, Tony LaRussa or Earl Weaver detested losing and it rubbed off on their players. Hurdle obviously prefers winning over losing but it's not always his top priority and it doesn't seem to bother him much anyway. So they have players who don't hustle or don't bother to learn to play smart baseball. They all want to win but they don't put themselves out for a manager who often barely gives them a chance.


The fiery manager won’t work in Today’s game. You may see results the first year; but the manager will flame out and soon the players will just turn a deaf ear to him. The players are basically set for life. They aren’t fighting to put food on the table. Hurdle has most of the attributes that you want. He played the game which gives him credibility among the players. Has had the high and low life experiences which the players can also learn from. He is an exceptional motivational speaker and is an excellent example to the community.

He has in my opinion 2 flaws and one of those is an organizational flaw. First flaw that he has total control over is making a player accountable for lack of hustle or mental mistakes. It took too long to sit Marte. Should have been done earlier and maybe repeatedly.

Secondly, we have all talked about the Sunday lineup issue.

Hurdle is not that different from Leyland in that they both used their full bench and rested players regularly. The issue we have is that Hurdle will do it when we are in must win situations.

Also I believe that this is also partly organizationally driven.

The team relies too much on analytics.


I really think their analytics team is failing the team. Early in the Huntington/Hurdle run, they were on the cutting edge of things like pitch framing, defensive shifts, embedding numbers guys in the dugout to explain what they were doing etc.



Some of that original talent is gone and other teams have stepped up their game.






It is Neal's job to evaluate the analytics team though. I haven't been a fan of Neal for several years but do give him credit for making the Archer deal which I think is way out of character. However, I think the Bucs need a great GM and Neal has shown he is at best slightly above average.

We should go after Abreu or take a chance on AJ Reed from the Houston org. Bottom line Bell needs to go back to OF. We need some power . With the way these pitchers look of late we got something brewing but you gotta score. Personally I go after Reed .Look to move Bell and Marte . Pitching is name of game and we might have just found it .I expect Archer will elevate next year also.

576C666D41050 wrote: We should go after Abreu or take a chance on AJ Reed from the Houston org. Bottom line Bell needs to go back to OF. We need some power . With the way these pitchers look of late we got something brewing but you gotta score. Personally I go after Reed .Look to move Bell and Marte . Pitching is name of game and we might have just found it .I expect Archer will elevate next year also.


Bell to a corner OF is a very good solution for trading Marte.

Sign Dickerson for CF.

Sign Matt Adams for 1st

Restock upper minors for Marte.

5552444C4255121E67404A464E4B0944484A270 wrote: We should go after Abreu or take a chance on AJ Reed from the Houston org. Bottom line Bell needs to go back to OF. We need some power . With the way these pitchers look of late we got something brewing but you gotta score. Personally I go after Reed .Look to move Bell and Marte . Pitching is name of game and we might have just found it .I expect Archer will elevate next year also.


[highlight]Bell to a corner OF[/highlight] is a very good solution for trading Marte. 

Sign Dickerson for CF. 

Sign Matt Adams for 1st

Restock upper minors for Marte.


Is Bell quick enough to play LF at PNC? I doubt that Clint will move Polanco over there so LF is the only place left for Bell to play OF.

58797158737B1C0 wrote: We should go after Abreu or take a chance on AJ Reed from the Houston org. Bottom line Bell needs to go back to OF. We need some power . With the way these pitchers look of late we got something brewing but you gotta score. Personally I go after Reed .Look to move Bell and Marte . Pitching is name of game and we might have just found it .I expect Archer will elevate next year also.


[highlight]Bell to a corner OF[/highlight] is a very good solution for trading Marte. 

Sign Dickerson for CF. 

Sign Matt Adams for 1st

Restock upper minors for Marte.


Is Bell quick enough to play LF at PNC?  I doubt that Clint will move Polanco over there so LF is the only place left for Bell to play OF.


No he is not. Please don't move Bell back to the OF. If he can't cut 1B, then its time to move on. He doesn't have the speed or glove to play out there.

And he won't suddenly hit better, either. Nor, for that matter, is Dickerson a center fielder. He's barely able to manage left, with hustle making it possible.

2B29333523460 wrote: And he won't suddenly hit better, either. Nor, for that matter, is Dickerson a center fielder. He's barely able to manage left, with hustle making it possible.
Shuffling these guys around hoping we find a spot for them on defense, is just that rearranging the deck. If Bell can't hit well above average there is no place on this team for him. Moving him to the OF and putting Dickerson in CF only makes an already putrid defense even worse. On a side note is nice to have an above average SS on defense.

Dickerson is doing a surprisingly good job in LF and should be left alone. Marte is a great defensive CF and needs to get his attitude adjusted. As I've seen posted elsewhere, hitting coach Branson has to go. I would also like to fire Hurdle but given his contract would give him one season to "change his message".