Astros stealing signs - But Dusty to the Rescue

[Natsinpwc]

Which makes some sense, except there is evidence that the Astros were doing it this post season

Apparently not enough evidence for MLB.  The whistling and such could have just been old fashioned sign stealing.  And tipping of pitches.  We will never know unless someone spills the beans. 

[Elvir Ovcina]

He’s the freaking bench coach- he’s right above the bullpen catcher on the org chart. For him to get a worse punishment than his bosses is absurd

That's pretty laughably inaccurate.  The bench coach is above everyone on the coaching staff except the manager (and in some places the pitching coach).   And the reason he's going to get a worse punishment than his bosses is because his conduct was worse.  Unless you have some inside information that proves what Manfred wrote was meaningfully inaccurate as to the conduct of Cora versus Hinch, it's pretty hard to take you seriously here.

[bluestreak]

Which makes some sense, except there is evidence that the Astros were doing it this post season

Is there? It wasn’t in the Report.

[HalfSmokes]

Is there? It wasn’t in the Report.

Sure, it was years ago, case closed nothing to see here. The Yankees were totally wrong when they complained this year. The trash can banging in 2019 was just coincidental

[bluestreak]

Just like that, two of the best managerial jobs in baseball are open. This is probably unprecedented. I’ll be curious how they get filled. And don’t forget the Cubs got a new manager this offseason too.

[Dave in Fairfax]

Just like that, two of the best managerial jobs in baseball are open. This is probably unprecedented. I’ll be curious how they get filled. And don’t forget the Cubs got a new manager this offseason too.

For Boston, in the short term I imagine it might be Ron Roenicke's job to lose. However, they did interview Brad Ausmus at the time they hired Cora, and he is looking for another opportunity to manage.

For Houston, the initial talk was that they might need an old-school control-the-clubhouse type manager. Dusty and Buck were the names thrown out there, but who knows what direction they'll actually go.

[Count Walewski]

It's certainly unprecedented for there to be two managerial openings at THIS POINT IN THE YEAR. Should be a weird recruitment process. The top names are off the market.

[imref]

It's certainly unprecedented for there to be two managerial openings at THIS POINT IN THE YEAR. Should be a weird recruitment process. The top names are off the market.

Yeah, I'd guess the bench coaches get the nod.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I can't imagine a numbers team turning to Dusty at  this point.

[Dave in Fairfax]

Even though I mentioned Ron Roenicke above as at least an interim candidate, Ken Rosenthal reminds me (and anyone watching Hot Stove) that Roenicke might be implicated in the MLB investigation of the Red Sox, since he was bench coach in 2018.

[UMDNats]

I mean, Hinch and Luhnow were suspended for the entire season and then subsequently fired, I really don't think that's close to a relative pass.  I will be curious about Cora, maybe his will be harsher because he'll have done it with two different teams?  also Hinch is 45, not sure that counts as "OWG" yet. 

hinch will be back in baseball soon enough. him and luhlow got the "you got fired because you were in charge, even if you didn't know/didn't approve" like the head coach has no power

[UMDNats]

Just like that, two of the best managerial jobs in baseball are open. This is probably unprecedented. I’ll be curious how they get filled. And don’t forget the Cubs got a new manager this offseason too.

The managerial job in baseball is the Nats job because the Nats are champs.

[Slateman]

The managerial job in baseball is the Nats job because the Nats are champs.

It's pretty rare for major market, 90+ win potential teams to have open managerial positions.

The penalties will have minimal affect on either team's ability to win. Someone is going to walk into a team ready to make a deep postseason run.

[imref]

every time I read this thread, I think of this:

[imref]

I guess everyone still gets paid?

[UMDNats]

It's pretty rare for major market, 90+ win potential teams to have open managerial positions.

The penalties will have minimal affect on either team's ability to win. Someone is going to walk into a team ready to make a deep postseason run.

Someone is going to also walk into a team that is not the champs, and therefore worse than the champs.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Even though I mentioned Ron Roenicke above as at least an interim candidate, Ken Rosenthal reminds me (and anyone watching Hot Stove) that Roenicke might be implicated in the MLB investigation of the Red Sox, since he was bench coach in 2018.

MLB.com identified some interesting candidates.  Varitek has an upstairs title (special assistant) and works with pitchers but has not managed.  Febles was the 3d base coach but is an organization guy who has done a lot of managing.  They also identify the TB bench coach as a possible from outside the organization, and Hensley Meulens, who would immediately click with Bogaerts.

[Senatorswin]

Is this serious?

Yes. If he's talking about Ron Washington. The Astros are trying to clean up their image, which is the worst in baseball. You wouldn't want to bring a guy in that situation who admitted using cocaine while managing the Rangers.

[bluestreak]

Yes. If he's talking about Ron Washington. The Astros are trying to clean up their image, which is the worst in baseball. You wouldn't want to bring a guy in that situation who admitted using cocaine while managing the Rangers.

The cocaine was  over 10 years ago and probably is a non-issue.

Now, him leaving abruptly 4 years later due to some unspecified breach of his wife’s trust....

[imref]

ibnsportswrap.com just tweeted that the Mets are going to have an announcement soon.  Lots of twitter chatter that Beltran is toast.  Barstool sports is reporting that his niece already told people he's being fired.

[Senatorswin]

The cocaine was  over 10 years ago and probably is a non-issue.

Now, him leaving abruptly 4 years later due to some unspecified breach of his wife’s trust....

I couldn't disagree more. The new manager can't have any baggage. He better be clean as a baby bears butt who just wiped with Charmin.

[Dave in Fairfax]

I've seen Bo Porter and John Gibbons mentioned in connection with the Astros managerial opening.

[GburgNatsFan]

Spring Training in WBP is going to be weird this year. 

[bluestreak]

Carlos Beltran Out....

[bluestreak]

Also, Jessica Mendoza should probably keep quiet about this. She works for a team and covers MLB. Not a good look to say that coverups are a good thing.

https://sports.yahoo.com/jessica-mendoza-bashes-mike-fiers-160325570.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJve0I5pZjwXKqnEnMZemE4sK5MMHboXLlS-fHhOcVUFWPRL16KXOkL0bX55Lh4oZg7zyHy0prUPMZchnRf7Zqv1YSFUoQfGJaZFLhma7UZjdXRSyFcYP3Voc41oSDp1V2ewbjRoqN0jx64Rr16b7XMRNtdoh4qHhph5gZ_mJHAy

Golic: You have a problem with Mike Fiers leaving the Astros, going to another team, and then going public with all of this?

Mendoza: Going public, yeah. I mean, I get it. If you’re with the Oakland A’s and you’re on another team, I mean heck yeah, you better be telling your teammates, “Look, hey, heads up. If you hear some noises when you’re pitching, this is what’s going on.” For sure. But to go public, yeah. It didn’t sit well with me. And honestly, it made me sad for the sport that that’s how this all got found out. This wasn’t something that MLB naturally investigated or that even other teams complained about because they naturally heard about, and then investigations happen. But it came from within. It was a player that was a part of it, that benefited from it during the regular season when he was a part of that team. When I first heard about it, it hits you like any teammate would. It’s something that you don’t do. I totally get telling your future teammates, helping them win, letting people know. But to go public with it and call them out and start all of this, it’s hard to swallow.