Really nothing new here, but I wanted to hear what you all thought about this ongoing "feud."

Marlins Owner Loria declines to endorse Girardi

Marlins owner Loria declines to endorse Girardi
Associated Press

MIAMI -- Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria offered a curt assessment of his strained relationship with manager Joe Girardi, which may mean the two will soon part company.

"Managers obviously have some input during the course of the season ... but what's important is the product that's put on the field by the baseball department as well."
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria

"Everything is, you know, it's fine," Loria said Saturday. "But I don't want to talk about it."

Addressing his rift with Girardi for the first time since it became public three weeks ago, Loria repeatedly tried to steer the conversation away from the subject. He declined to endorse the job Girardi has done in his first year as manager, even though baseball's youngest team has far exceeded expectations.

"Managers obviously have some input during the course of the season," Loria said. "But what's important is the product that's put on the field by the baseball department as well. An amazing job was done by our organization before we started this season."

When told his comments might fuel the perception Girardi won't return next season, Loria told reporters: "If you guys want to come to those conclusions, OK. As far as I'm concerned, the only focus for me and the fans should be what's on the field, personalities aside."

The rift erupted at a game Aug. 6, when Loria berated an umpire while sitting behind the plate. From the dugout, Girardi told or asked the owner to stop, witnesses said. Loria angrily left his seat and confronted Girardi after the game during a 90-minute clubhouse meeting.

Loria has declined to comment on the episode or respond to published reports that he fired Girardi, then changed his mind.

"I don't want to talk about ancient history," Loria said shortly before Saturday's game against Milwaukee. "These kids deserve the opportunity to finish out the season unencumbered by peripheral issues like who said what or who did what."

Girardi, under contract through 2008, has repeatedly declined to discuss the matter or his future. With baseball's lowest payroll, the Marlins were widely projected to lose more than 100 games, but instead they remain on the fringe of the NL wild-card race.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
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Personally, I think Loria's a nutjob. The way Girardi has that team playing, above and beyond the low expectations with essentially a team full of inexpierenced rookies. If I were in Loria's shoes, I'd be shutting my mouth right about now. I can understand how he might've felt he was "shown up" by Girardi, or whatever, but come on...look at the job Joe has done.

This also brings up the possibility of him getting canned at the end of the year too, and of course, with a possible managerial change in Chicago it could make things interesting. If Dusty isn't given an extension, who would you like to see take over the team? Aside from Girardi, there was Fredi Gonzalez, the 3B coach for the Braves who had interviewed for the job in 2002. And then of course there's Lou Pinella et al, the current out-of-work managers that'll come up in rumors and such.

Say Baker's gone and Girardi's fired. Who would you want to see managing the Cubs next year?

In that scenario I'll take Girardi but I don't think the Marlins will fire him. I think they would let him go to the Cubs with some form of compensation but they'll be too stubborn to fire him outright. Having said that I don't see Hendry showing even the slightest bit of interest in Girardi. If, and that is a highly doubtful if in my opinion, Baker is not brought back I think Hendry will go with one of the three of Lou Pinella, Bob Brenly, or Jimy Williams. All 3 would be a huge mistke in my book and not a whole lot better than Dusty Baker. If I were a betting man I'd bet on Baker being back next year. Hendry is sure (in his own mind) that he brought in the right man for the job and will announce the decision after the end of the year when he doesn't have to show up at work everyday to 40,000 screaming lunatics.

Bad press if Loria fire Girardi a guy that almost has the $14 million dollar payroll Marlins at a .500 record with only being 2 1/2 games out of the wildcard at the end of Aug.
The Obvious thing is going to happen this offseason. You won't hear anything about it then all the sudden Loria and Girardi are best buds. Hendry should of grab Girardi during off season but you know what happen. Why hire a guy the puts a fire under the players ass? :angry:

The Chico

I'm not so sure Girardi will be back in Florida next year, the way they're talking about it...still. But maybe he will. It's not like Loria can get any more bad press than he already has. At least it'll give us something to watch this offseason because you know we won't be signing any big free agents.

He may not be managing in Florida next year but I don't think he'll be managing in Chicago either. I still think Hendry will bring his best bud Dusty back for two years. :(

This team is a total fustercluck. There aren't enough free agents and managers-to-be out there to turn this steaming pile around in the foreseeable future.

I like Girardi, and as much as I'd like to see him as the Cubs manager, I don't know that I would wish that on an enemy, let alone someone I like.

Until there are different butts in the front office, it will be same-old-same-old.

Marlins' Girardi not coming back, source says


By Mike Berardino
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted September 22 2006

Joe Girardi, who guided the surprising Marlins into playoff contention dfespite baseball's lowest payroll, will soon be out as manager after just one season.

On a scale of 1 to 10, Girardi's chances of returning next year are "zero," according to a source who has spoken with the Marlins' front office.

"I don't think there is any chance," the source said.

With two years left on his contract, Girardi would be owed an estimated $1.5 million if no other club picks him up. The Cubs, expected to part ways with Dusty Baker, have been mentioned as a possible destination.

The Marlins are already compiling information about Girardi's successor, with a trio of third-base coaches likely to receive interviews: Fredi Gonzalez (Braves), Joey Cora (White Sox) and Manny Acta (Mets).

All three have Latin roots and speak fluent Spanish, which would be considered a significant upgrade from the current English-only staff. Gonzalez, who spent a decade with the Marlins as a minor league manager and major league coach, was the runner-up to Girardi after interviewing last fall.

Other possible candidates to replace Girardi include Triple-A Albuquerque manager Dean Treanor, Japanese League manager Trey Hillman, Braves special assistant Jim Fregosi, Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo, Mets bench coach Jerry Manuel and Marlins broadcaster Cookie Rojas, although Rojas is more likely to fill a coaching role.

The last straw for Girardi, 41, apparently was his ill-fated decision to bring back prized right-hander Josh Johnson after an 82-minute rain delay at Dolphin Stadium on Sept. 12.

"Not one of the smarter moves of the year," said the source, adding the Marlins' decision makers were "shocked" Johnson returned to the mound that night.

With the Marlins still clinging to wild-card hopes, Johnson tried to stay loose by playing catch with Dontrelle Willis in an indoor batting cage. That Johnson left four innings later with cramping in his forearm and was subsequently shut down for the year with a strained ligament did not help Girardi's case.

Sunday's 10th-inning meltdown in Atlanta was another strike against Girardi, who had never managed at any level before this season. Marlins management was disappointed Girardi inserted little-used center fielder Reggie Abercrombie as a defensive replacement instead of the more polished Eric Reed.

Two Abercrombie misplays opened the door for the Braves to rally from a four-run deficit to hand the Marlins a crushing 8-7 defeat that essentially ended their playoff chances.

Nor has it helped that Girardi's tense relations with Marlins management have not improved. The rookie manager and General Manager Larry Beinfest "barely speak" and have "no relationship at all," the source said.

Although Beinfest recently said Girardi and his staff deserved "a lot of credit" for the team's turnaround, he stopped short of an outright endorsement. Unlike most GMs, Beinfest is rarely seen in the manager's office anymore.

Marlins President David Samson appeared this week on ESPN and said the team would evaluate Girardi at the end of the season, but the source said that process already has been completed.

There also has been talk of frosty relations between Girardi and first base coach Perry Hill, a holdover from former manager Jack McKeon's staff and a longtime favorite of Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. Hill left the Marlins this week for the fourth time this season because of a family medical problem.

At odds with Loria and the rest of the front office almost from the time he was hired last October, Girardi was nearly fired on Aug. 6 after a home loss to the Dodgers. That was the steamy afternoon when Girardi and bench coach Gary Tuck yelled at Loria to stop criticizing umpire Larry Vanover from his field-level seat, witnesses said.

According to reports, Girardi later apologized to Loria in front of the team, but the manager and owner have been unable to bridge the gulf between them.

"His introverted behavior and lack of people skills have caused most of the problems," the source said of Girardi, who spent one season as Yankees bench coach after a 15-year playing career. "Both sides are at fault."

Sources also told the Sun-Sentinel in the past month that Girardi and the front office have clashed over numerous personnel decisions, including where to play Miguel Cabrera, Dan Uggla and Josh Willingham and whether to use Johnson and Ricky Nolasco as starters or relievers.

Nonetheless, Girardi is widely considered a strong candidate for National League Manager of the Year after guiding a team with 22 rookies and a $15 million payroll into playoff contention. Not since Davey Johnson bolted the Orioles after 1997 has a newly named Manager of the Year failed to return the following year.

It's happened only one other time since the award was instituted 23 years ago. Bobby Cox, named the American League's top manager in 1985, left the Blue Jays to return to the Braves as general manager.

Loria is said to have a good relationship with Fregosi, 64, who hasn't managed since the Blue Jays fired him after the 2000 season.

Hillman, 43, has spent the past four seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, who were leading the Pacific League. He previously worked in the Yankees and Rangers organizations.

Lou Piniella, who left the Devil Rays a year ago, might prove too costly, especially with the Cubs and possibly the Phillies expected to pursue his services.

Mike Berardino can be reached at mberardino@sun-sentinel.com.

And that's why I'd rather not see Girardi managing the Cubs next year.

I'm willing to bet Hendry will get Girardi but he'll do it before the Marlins actually fire him and he'll have to give up some prospects to get him. Of course the smart thing to do would be to wait until the Marlins fire him and then you can get him for nothing but since when does Hendry do the smart thing? And don't rule out that extension for Dusty yet either. This is the Cubs ya know...

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

You just can't decide which bad Hendry decision to hang your hat on, can ya? :lol:

Who are the top three people you'd like to see hired, regardless of whether Hendry will go after them or not?

I have full faith that if Hendry had only one bad choice in a million he would pick it. <_<

That said, if he declines to NOT bring Baker back, he will have a tough time finding a worse choice as there are not very many. He has said before he really likes Jimy Williams and that is the one person on the planet that could be worse than Dusty. Don't underestimate Jim and his ability to bring in crapiness. :blink: I wouldn't be surprsed to see Lou Piniella and I don't want to see that either.

My personal choice would be Fredi Gonzalez. Coaching with Bobby Cox had to have something rub off on him. I've also read great things about Razor Shines. Rick Peterson of the Mets might not be a bad choice either. He has done a pretty decent job with that Met pitching staff. It would be nice to have a manager for a change that had a clue when it came to pitchers.

AND LARRY ROTHSCHILD HAS GOT TO GO TOO!!! :angry:

Jimy Williams as manager? mind as well not play the 2007 season. When a manger gets fired during mid season and all the sudden that teams goes from 15 games under .500 to making the playoffs, should be a good sign to stay away from him.

Girardi bleeds Cubbie blue, he would kill himself push this team to preform at there best. Girardi is not the best in game manager, but he must be better then Dusty. Girardi expects only the best, when you slack he will rip your head off, kind what this frekin team needs.

What other manager out is a better choice. I heard that Razor Shines could be a canidate, Freddi Gonzalez? Who?

The Chico

I personally don't mind a manager that would tell the owner to shut his yap when the owner is being an idiot.

As far as fighting with the front office on how the game is managed, more power to him.

Chico is right - Girardi would probably give more of a crap about the Cubs than our current "dude" in the spot. Maybe he could tell Hendry that relying on two starters that haven't been healthy in two years is a boneheaded idea.

That's not to say that Girardi hasn't made some boneheaded moves as a manager - all managers have, especially in their first gig. The point is that you get a guy that can recognize the boneheaded move, fess up to it, and learn from it. I don't know that the "dude" has ever done that.

Girardi might at least make it interesting.