Ventura wants to stay

[Balta1701]

He just doesn't do it for the TV cameras. He does it in the locker room.

His recent quotes definitely have the sound of a guy who has been completely exhausted and beaten down by trying to deal with this team this season.

[Dick Allen]

His recent quotes definitely have the sound of a guy who has been completely exhausted and beaten down by trying to deal with this team this season.

Didn't you say he "checked out" long ago? How could he be beaten down if he checked out?

[Rowand44]

I don't think I'd call Ventura laid back. He gets on guys quite a bit. I'd say his temperament is better described as calm.

And Ozzie was all talk in that regard. All talk, no action.

[BigEdWalsh]

Where do I begin?

 

"Over-use pitchers"

 

Ok first, in whose opinion has Ventura overused his staff? Yours? You know more than Ventura and Cooper about what a Major League pitcher can and can't do? The only person that was overused in my opinion was Crain and Ventura was forced into that by the fact that the rest of the bullpen was hot garbage and we were still somewhat in it at that point.

 

"Never sit Alexei (he still won't in September garbage time)"

 

If Alexei is the best option and is physically able to play everyday, why not play him? He has, in fact, sat out two games in September. Not a lot but some. Ventura has rotated the young players around enough to give them all plenty of playing time. I have no problem with the way Ventura handled this.

 

"Intentionally walk Chris Getz"

 

If you honestly have a problem with this, then I really question your baseball knowledge. The game where Getz was intentionally walked was a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the 10th with 2 outs, a runner on second, Omogrosso pitching and Kotarras on deck. In this situation, Getz's run meant absolutely nothing. Getz has a better chance of beating you than Kotarras and I'm wouldn't be surprised if Omogrosso was given the option of who to pitch to. This was the right call in this situation.

 

"Intentionally walk the batter to clog the bases"

 

This is usually done to set up a double play. If you have a problem with Ventura doing this, then you must have a problem with every manager that has ever managed because they ALL do it.

 

"2 runners on down 2 in the 9th"

 

If these runners are at first and second with no outs, this is the right play (depending on whose batting). I would have a hard time believing this happened this year other than if there were 2 on nobody out. You would have to provide some sort of evidence for me to believe it and I bet you can't.

 

All in all, Ventura is not a great manager but is nowhere near as bad as some make him out to be. As pathetic as the team played this year, it did not matter who was manager.

Excellent post. Though I'm not so sure about your last sentence; I would say a really good manager probably wouldn't have made too much of a difference.