Comments on: KING reports Wakamatsu one step from being named manager

By: Lauren, token chick

Lauren, token chick — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:53:43 +0000

Wakamatsu’s real name is Wilbur. Wilbur Wakamatsu. I’m in.

By: John D.

John D. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:06:55 +0000

I’m starting the Bandwagon for keeping Mel as pitching coach right now.

Pass. I don’t care if he’s a winner or not. His “establish the fastball” philosophy is awful and if last season was any indication, he’s completely incapable of recognizing when his pitchers are hurt.

I second the motion.

By: jjracoon

jjracoon — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:20:59 +0000

Get him in here so we can get the rest of the team sorted out. Seeing players being grabbed already worries me since with the price the Mariners will be paying, they need every opportunity possible!! At least if it was Cora we would get some emotion in the position. He has the enthusiasm of a college grad!!Now can he coach???

By: fcb

fcb — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:39:37 +0000

you know, going into this process I kind of assumed the Mariners would go with Joey Cora for the sentimental factor, in lieu of say, logic. For a moment it sounded nice and then this occurred to me…THERES NO CRYING IN BASEBALL.

lols for Grizz and Galaxie.

By: The Ancient Mariner

The Ancient Mariner — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:00:38 +0000

Slapping his forehead? No, we know he was doing a bit more than that . . .

By: msb

msb — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:59:28 +0000

and Larry Stone reports Wakamatsu hasn't heard a word ....

By: msb

msb — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:26:19 +0000

Just hire Cora to wander around the stadium with the Moose.

no, I want that to be Rizzs’ new job.

By: galaxieboi

galaxieboi — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:18:29 +0000

Just hire Cora to wander around the stadium with the Moose.

By: Grizz

Grizz — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:17:00 +0000

The hold-up is Chuck Armstrong arguing for co-managers — Wakamatsu to run the club, and Joey Cora to wave to the crowd while running out the lineup card or making pitching changes and to sign autographs during the rest of the game.

By: joser

joser — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:07:10 +0000

If we have a Manager who will insist on hitters taking pitches and getting walks, we will win a lot of games we shouldn’t next year.

That has to be instilled in players long before they reach the bigs. If you want to see that, you need the farm teams to demand it and you need the M’s to sign players who already know how to do it. A manager can’t make that kind of change on his own, no matter how much he might “insist.”

That’s an interesting comment about needing approval from ownership in Japan. Does anyone know if all Mariners field managers need to be approved in Japan, or if there is something specific in the current circumstance requiring approval in Japan (such as the situation that Wakamatsu is part-Japanese and has a Japanese last name)?

If that’s both true and unusual, it probably has a lot less to do with the prospective manager’s last name and a lot more to do with the train of clusterfucks that has characterized managerial choices for this team in this century. I mean, really, if Mr. Yamauchi really watches most M’s games he must’ve been slapping his forehead along with the rest of us. How often do you let your underlings make bad hire after bad hire before you say “I want you to run it by me first”?