Why the Mariners' New Manager Hire is a Huge Mistake!

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Pushing The Odds with Matt Perrault

Mariners’ Inexperienced Managerial Hire Draws Strong Criticism

If you are a player in that locker room, you know what the new manager is: a puppet who will be told what to do by the front office. He will not have the freedom of someone like Pat Murphy, who can rely on his instincts when deciding whether to leave a pitcher in for a few more batters, when to get Misurovski or when to put Ashby into the game.

That gut feel comes from being around baseball and succeeding as a manager for a long time. I love Pat Murphy and the Brewers. I think baseball needs to return to that style of management. This Mariners move is the antithesis of Pat Murphy, and perhaps that is the point.

When one approach gains traction in Major League Baseball, other teams often follow it. The same thing happens in football and basketball. If one team succeeds with an experienced manager, others usually seek that same type of leader. The Mariners went in the opposite direction by hiring a 36-year-old who has never managed at any level.

I am not in on this move. The Mariners are a team to bet against next year because I believe experience and a true managerial mind matter. A manager must be able to lead a clubhouse through 162 games. This hire has never managed in professional baseball at any level.

To me, this is a manager installed by the front office to take direction and follow orders. Mariners fans may disagree, but I think it is a horrible hire.