Absolutely! While the players underperformed, it is ultimately the field manager that takes the blame. A new voice and a new direction should make for an exciting end to a terrible season. If Seattle is smart, they will hire ex-Met manager Willie Randolph, a respected coach that players want to play for. Good move, Mariners!
Mike said:
YES YES YES! It is about time! Mclaren had absolutely no fire in him and wasn't capable of motivating ANY of the players. He just look lost in the dugout.
Daniel Atkinson said:
I really don't think it's fair, but that's the business and fairness has nothing to do with it. It's not like they can salvage the season, so why bother? Why don't they dump Sexon and get a legitimate, left handed, power hitting first baseman and a real DH that is more than a base hit threat?
Mike B said:
Without a doubt. He should have been fired a long time ago. Players take note: Get your act together or you're next!
Eric said:
McLaren wasn't given much to work with, but what he did with what he had was terrible. Here are some examples:
1. Put Rick White, a terrible, over-the-hill, mop-up pitcher at best in high leverage (late and close) situations. (2007)
2. Put John Parrish, a terrible, over-the-hill, mop-up pitcher at best in high leverage (late and close) situations. (2007)
3. Left Raul Ibanez, worst defensive corner outfielder next to Manny Ramirez in left field while we had Balentien to fill his spot, and should have kicked Vidro out of DH.
4. Had Vidro hit 90% of the time in the 2-5 spots, when he is obviously one of the absolute worst hitters on the team.
There's no question that McLaren should have been fired. The timing doesn't matter too much, it had to happen sometime, and with Willie Randolph finally getting canned they probably thought now was as good a time as ever.
Gary Hunt said:
Two days ago the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club handed General Manager Bill Bavasi his termination notice.
The decision by Howard Lincoln, CEO and Vice President of the Mariners, to remove Bavasi came as no surprise and much to the joy of fans from the Pacific Northwest.
But it begs the question, did this move come a season or two too late?
Now the Mariners, have made another impact move at the helm, handing manager John McLaren his walking papers only two days later. The skipper who inherited a lopsided franchise after Mike Hargrove bailed almost a year ago in the midst of a pennant chase of the Angels, never really had a chance in my opinion especially with Bavasi calling the shots. But the chances he did have to get the ball club the much needed "W" were foolishly lost.
This comes as no surprise either, as McLaren seemed to spiral out of control in the last few weeks, unleashing a profanity laced tirade during a post game meeting with the press. The meltdown has since been heard around the world on various media outlets, and made McLaren an instant celebrity on YouTube, as the smoking moment was embraced by Bill Bavasi who went on record saying that McLaren was "in control" of his feelings.
But nontheless, now that Bavasi and McLaren are no longer with the Mariners it's time to focus on what is going ON the field instead of OFF of it.
Rumor control is spinning on the web, and no doubt in the Mariner front office, that Richie Sexson is the next person to get the boot on what should be shaping up to be a routing of familiar faces of the Mariners.
Sexson, who came over as a free agent from the fruitful Arizona Diamondbacks, has been nothing but a laughable mistake that will forever tarnish former General Manager Bill Bavasi's resume for his entire career.
Mariners fans have been screaming at their television sets to unload #44 for a few seasons now, and given the drastic and much needed
"closet cleaning" as of the last few days, the Mariners are sure to let him go. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. As the official cellar dweller of Major League Baseball, the only direction to go is up.
The offseason will see a new GM and a new coach named, but for now there are more pressing issues involving the boys that have 'Seattle' embroidered across their chests on the diamond.
The trade deadline is looming, and is a little over a month away now. It's time for fans of Seattle to watch what happens, as Howard Lincoln has already stated that nobody is safe from a trade, and nobody is safe from being designated for assignment.
Bedard? Ichiro? Beltre? Sexson? Who will pack their bags and leave the Emerald City next?
As a fan, I don't care who goes or who stays. Just get it done and find that spark this city needs.
woody said:
Yes!!! And fire Sexson and Kenji too.
Michael Polson said:
I feel that John McLaren should be put on a one year probation.
Melanie said:
While I realize that the team has not done well in the last few years, I cannot really blame the players too much. There has been so much upheaval in their team structure that it would be difficult to perform their best. Yeah, some of the incoming players have fantastic numbers on paper, but is that due to them alone or the way they work with the whole team? How can you tell how someone will perform after only a few days? Can any of us perform our best at work if there is a new person every day and literally anybody may be the next person replaced? I'd like to see if the players actually improve over the rest of the season before playing the numbers game. I honestly can't enjoy a game if it's merely a dugout full of strutting peacocks and management that talks only of numbers. To me, an entertaining game that creats a good fan base that ultimately keeps the ballpark open is just as important as the big wins, and you certainly can't get the big wins if you don't have a team.
Tony Alleman said:
The Mariners were right to fire McLaren. He showed little ability to motivate the players to play their best. I understand that the players were not hitting. How can you blame John for that? However, one needs only ask himself: Would Lou Piniella be 25-47 with this team? No way! Lou would be kicking butts and threatening the players with expulsion. The 2008 season is over for the M's. Now we need to see how Pelakoudas can do; ditto Riggleman. There needs to be a thorough re-evaluation of every player and get rid of the underperformers. Bedard should be first. He has superior pitching skills but no fire in his gut. He shows up, goes through the motions, quits after 100 pitches, and collects his paycheck. He doesn't seem to care how the team does. Next Richie Sexson. The big lovable teddy bear who can't play the game any more. These two alone are a cancer. All of the players need to know that nobody is safe.
Tony Alleman - Edmonds
Mae said:
The players have to step up and earn their pay just like any other employee. They haven't played well all year yet it is the managers who are fired, lets get some players who are excited about baseball and who play because they love it not just because they are going to get a big paycheck whether they do well or not. Maybe McLaren wasn't a good fit, but lets face it, it all falls back on the players to win the games.
Bruce said:
Sure firing him was the right thing to do. But why stop there? Shouldn't ALL the players be held accountable? The players are big boys and can't blame others for not motivating them to do their job.
If it were like any other business, the player would get a modest salary when they start, then as the proved themselves, they would get more money.
It is about time they started playing as a TEAM.
Dave said:
I do not think John should have been fired. The M's should have given him the chance to manage with out being under the shadow of Bavasi.
Bill Vicory said:
No! Bavasi put John in a bad place.
John can finally get some sleep. His BP will go down and he will survive.
Sad lot for us fans. Bavasi put the talent on the field and John was trying to find a combination and it was not working.
Trade the players. Set them down and let those incentives in their contacts wear on their sleepless nights!
Sam said:
I totaly desagree with the decision club has made today , i think that Mr.McLaren did best he could with this team to achive, but what can a manager do if players like Sexon struggle on the plate?you expect McKlaren to go out and swing for the players i mean come on !! and not only Richie is like half of the club is a struggle on the plate, and these guys get paid lots of money to swing bat,its the players to blame !!So what would happened if we had the best Manager in Major League here? , it would be samething ,nobody swings the damn bat well,there is no offense here, we need to trade players asap if we want to get somewhere, and with these team Mariners are not going nowhere no matter who the Manager is !!Trade players asap!! Managers dont swing the bat, players do !!Tnx !!
Michael said:
I think it was long over due. I would have fired along time ago. I never thought he was strong enough to be a manager. I never like Bavasi either, so you gotta wonder who is next.
Cindy said:
No division championship for the M's this year. They should have let John McLaren finish the season. I think the problems go much higher up the food chain than the field personnel. Sell the team to some real baseball people.
Ha!!! said:
Let him run as Obama vice president. They both have the same knowledge, skill and experience to run this country. Actually, make him president candidate and Obama VP, he has had more leadership experience than Obama.
Andrea Miller said:
I have thought for months that McClaren should have been let go. I actually got tired of listening to his excuses for the losses. I think anyone who is in a position like his, and cant look people in the eye when talking to them is weird anyway. I think that the Mariners havent been the same. They need someone like Lou Pinelle back at least he could smile at his players. He didnt just sit there and look like a dork.
Jody Henson said:
My name is Jody Henson,
I think the mariners should have waited until after this last road trip to fired John McLaren, to see how the road trip went. There are some people that I am not happy with. Especially when they are talking about Ichiro and Adrian. Some people want Ichiro gone but you know what he is to the team he is the heart and sole of this baseball team. If you are a die hard MARINERS fan you will NOT give up on this team. Look what happened in 1995 when we were 13 games back. It sounds like all of you are giving up of our baseball team. I AM A DIE HARD FAN AND I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS TEAM. I am not happy about this season. I will always be with this Baseball team in the good and the bad times. I think that Adrian is a great addition for this team. He is a great third baseman for this team and Kenji is a great catcher for this team too.
james said:
I don't think it's fair that they fired him midterm. The dumb-ass Bill Bavasi should have hired a proven or an inspiring up and coming fresh blood new guy during off season. McLaren has talent, wrong place, wrong time!
Nicki said:
No, they only fired him to make it look like they are doing something and they can't fire the players. They didn't really give him much of a chance to put it all together. What they need is a team leader a player like Martinez or Buhner who could lead by example among the players not a new manager. We don't have anyone like that anymore. Someone to draw them all together.
Nicki said:
No they shouldn't have fired him. They only did it to make it look like they were doing something and the can't fire the players. They didn't really give him much time to work at it. What the team needs is a team leader like Martinez or Buhner or someone like that who can get everyone working together and being there for each other. A new manager now won't make any difference.
dave said:
he shoulda been fired long b4 he was, good riddence, he was terrible, sexson needs to go next. dont like the M's so i hope they keep on LOSING, hahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha
they should fire everyone including the batboy
Absolutely! While the players underperformed, it is ultimately the field manager that takes the blame. A new voice and a new direction should make for an exciting end to a terrible season. If Seattle is smart, they will hire ex-Met manager Willie Randolph, a respected coach that players want to play for. Good move, Mariners!
YES YES YES! It is about time! Mclaren had absolutely no fire in him and wasn't capable of motivating ANY of the players. He just look lost in the dugout.
I really don't think it's fair, but that's the business and fairness has nothing to do with it. It's not like they can salvage the season, so why bother? Why don't they dump Sexon and get a legitimate, left handed, power hitting first baseman and a real DH that is more than a base hit threat?
Without a doubt. He should have been fired a long time ago. Players take note: Get your act together or you're next!
McLaren wasn't given much to work with, but what he did with what he had was terrible. Here are some examples:
1. Put Rick White, a terrible, over-the-hill, mop-up pitcher at best in high leverage (late and close) situations. (2007)
2. Put John Parrish, a terrible, over-the-hill, mop-up pitcher at best in high leverage (late and close) situations. (2007)
3. Left Raul Ibanez, worst defensive corner outfielder next to Manny Ramirez in left field while we had Balentien to fill his spot, and should have kicked Vidro out of DH.
4. Had Vidro hit 90% of the time in the 2-5 spots, when he is obviously one of the absolute worst hitters on the team.
There's no question that McLaren should have been fired. The timing doesn't matter too much, it had to happen sometime, and with Willie Randolph finally getting canned they probably thought now was as good a time as ever.
Two days ago the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club handed General Manager Bill Bavasi his termination notice.
The decision by Howard Lincoln, CEO and Vice President of the Mariners, to remove Bavasi came as no surprise and much to the joy of fans from the Pacific Northwest.
But it begs the question, did this move come a season or two too late?
Now the Mariners, have made another impact move at the helm, handing manager John McLaren his walking papers only two days later. The skipper who inherited a lopsided franchise after Mike Hargrove bailed almost a year ago in the midst of a pennant chase of the Angels, never really had a chance in my opinion especially with Bavasi calling the shots. But the chances he did have to get the ball club the much needed "W" were foolishly lost.
This comes as no surprise either, as McLaren seemed to spiral out of control in the last few weeks, unleashing a profanity laced tirade during a post game meeting with the press. The meltdown has since been heard around the world on various media outlets, and made McLaren an instant celebrity on YouTube, as the smoking moment was embraced by Bill Bavasi who went on record saying that McLaren was "in control" of his feelings.
But nontheless, now that Bavasi and McLaren are no longer with the Mariners it's time to focus on what is going ON the field instead of OFF of it.
Rumor control is spinning on the web, and no doubt in the Mariner front office, that Richie Sexson is the next person to get the boot on what should be shaping up to be a routing of familiar faces of the Mariners.
Sexson, who came over as a free agent from the fruitful Arizona Diamondbacks, has been nothing but a laughable mistake that will forever tarnish former General Manager Bill Bavasi's resume for his entire career.
Mariners fans have been screaming at their television sets to unload #44 for a few seasons now, and given the drastic and much needed
"closet cleaning" as of the last few days, the Mariners are sure to let him go. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. As the official cellar dweller of Major League Baseball, the only direction to go is up.
The offseason will see a new GM and a new coach named, but for now there are more pressing issues involving the boys that have 'Seattle' embroidered across their chests on the diamond.
The trade deadline is looming, and is a little over a month away now. It's time for fans of Seattle to watch what happens, as Howard Lincoln has already stated that nobody is safe from a trade, and nobody is safe from being designated for assignment.
Bedard? Ichiro? Beltre? Sexson? Who will pack their bags and leave the Emerald City next?
As a fan, I don't care who goes or who stays. Just get it done and find that spark this city needs.
Yes!!! And fire Sexson and Kenji too.
I feel that John McLaren should be put on a one year probation.
While I realize that the team has not done well in the last few years, I cannot really blame the players too much. There has been so much upheaval in their team structure that it would be difficult to perform their best. Yeah, some of the incoming players have fantastic numbers on paper, but is that due to them alone or the way they work with the whole team? How can you tell how someone will perform after only a few days? Can any of us perform our best at work if there is a new person every day and literally anybody may be the next person replaced? I'd like to see if the players actually improve over the rest of the season before playing the numbers game. I honestly can't enjoy a game if it's merely a dugout full of strutting peacocks and management that talks only of numbers. To me, an entertaining game that creats a good fan base that ultimately keeps the ballpark open is just as important as the big wins, and you certainly can't get the big wins if you don't have a team.
The Mariners were right to fire McLaren. He showed little ability to motivate the players to play their best. I understand that the players were not hitting. How can you blame John for that? However, one needs only ask himself: Would Lou Piniella be 25-47 with this team? No way! Lou would be kicking butts and threatening the players with expulsion. The 2008 season is over for the M's. Now we need to see how Pelakoudas can do; ditto Riggleman. There needs to be a thorough re-evaluation of every player and get rid of the underperformers. Bedard should be first. He has superior pitching skills but no fire in his gut. He shows up, goes through the motions, quits after 100 pitches, and collects his paycheck. He doesn't seem to care how the team does. Next Richie Sexson. The big lovable teddy bear who can't play the game any more. These two alone are a cancer. All of the players need to know that nobody is safe.
Tony Alleman - Edmonds
The players have to step up and earn their pay just like any other employee. They haven't played well all year yet it is the managers who are fired, lets get some players who are excited about baseball and who play because they love it not just because they are going to get a big paycheck whether they do well or not. Maybe McLaren wasn't a good fit, but lets face it, it all falls back on the players to win the games.
Sure firing him was the right thing to do. But why stop there? Shouldn't ALL the players be held accountable? The players are big boys and can't blame others for not motivating them to do their job.
If it were like any other business, the player would get a modest salary when they start, then as the proved themselves, they would get more money.
It is about time they started playing as a TEAM.
I do not think John should have been fired. The M's should have given him the chance to manage with out being under the shadow of Bavasi.
No! Bavasi put John in a bad place.
John can finally get some sleep. His BP will go down and he will survive.
Sad lot for us fans. Bavasi put the talent on the field and John was trying to find a combination and it was not working.
Trade the players. Set them down and let those incentives in their contacts wear on their sleepless nights!
I totaly desagree with the decision club has made today , i think that Mr.McLaren did best he could with this team to achive, but what can a manager do if players like Sexon struggle on the plate?you expect McKlaren to go out and swing for the players i mean come on !! and not only Richie is like half of the club is a struggle on the plate, and these guys get paid lots of money to swing bat,its the players to blame !!So what would happened if we had the best Manager in Major League here? , it would be samething ,nobody swings the damn bat well,there is no offense here, we need to trade players asap if we want to get somewhere, and with these team Mariners are not going nowhere no matter who the Manager is !!Trade players asap!! Managers dont swing the bat, players do !!Tnx !!
I think it was long over due. I would have fired along time ago. I never thought he was strong enough to be a manager. I never like Bavasi either, so you gotta wonder who is next.
No division championship for the M's this year. They should have let John McLaren finish the season. I think the problems go much higher up the food chain than the field personnel. Sell the team to some real baseball people.
Let him run as Obama vice president. They both have the same knowledge, skill and experience to run this country. Actually, make him president candidate and Obama VP, he has had more leadership experience than Obama.
I have thought for months that McClaren should have been let go. I actually got tired of listening to his excuses for the losses. I think anyone who is in a position like his, and cant look people in the eye when talking to them is weird anyway. I think that the Mariners havent been the same. They need someone like Lou Pinelle back at least he could smile at his players. He didnt just sit there and look like a dork.
My name is Jody Henson,
I think the mariners should have waited until after this last road trip to fired John McLaren, to see how the road trip went. There are some people that I am not happy with. Especially when they are talking about Ichiro and Adrian. Some people want Ichiro gone but you know what he is to the team he is the heart and sole of this baseball team. If you are a die hard MARINERS fan you will NOT give up on this team. Look what happened in 1995 when we were 13 games back. It sounds like all of you are giving up of our baseball team. I AM A DIE HARD FAN AND I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS TEAM. I am not happy about this season. I will always be with this Baseball team in the good and the bad times. I think that Adrian is a great addition for this team. He is a great third baseman for this team and Kenji is a great catcher for this team too.
I don't think it's fair that they fired him midterm. The dumb-ass Bill Bavasi should have hired a proven or an inspiring up and coming fresh blood new guy during off season. McLaren has talent, wrong place, wrong time!
No, they only fired him to make it look like they are doing something and they can't fire the players. They didn't really give him much of a chance to put it all together. What they need is a team leader a player like Martinez or Buhner who could lead by example among the players not a new manager. We don't have anyone like that anymore. Someone to draw them all together.
No they shouldn't have fired him. They only did it to make it look like they were doing something and the can't fire the players. They didn't really give him much time to work at it. What the team needs is a team leader like Martinez or Buhner or someone like that who can get everyone working together and being there for each other. A new manager now won't make any difference.
he shoulda been fired long b4 he was, good riddence, he was terrible, sexson needs to go next. dont like the M's so i hope they keep on LOSING, hahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha