I like the way he handles the human aspect of the team.
From all accounts, he’s excellent in handling his players and has been just about perfect in dealing with Milton.
Then there’s the part where he has handicapped the roster with two invalids, mismanaged the bullpen, and shown a management style that generally goes against what makes actual sense. He seems to be bright, so I can only hope he’s eventually receptive to having the personnel decisions made for him in a way that won’t allow him to continue to punch holes in the bottom of the good ship Mariner.
Be better, Wak, because you’re losing your fanbase and worsening Jeff’s mental health by the pitching change.
We seem to be going on more recent events. Whereas when it coems to Don, I think about last season as well. I have a feeling he knows what’s wrong and he will figure out he can fix certain things himself. He just needs to let go of his love for certain players.
The hilarious thing about this comment is that he had Griffey batting cleanup for the majority of April and Griffey is considerably worse than Vidro was.
but as GM Z was the guy who signed off on Griffey and Sweeney being on the roster. Wak didn’t make the decision for the organization to look backward and have all the retro giveaway nights and try and squeeze as much money out of the Griffey stone as possible. If anything, I feel the Griffey sitatuion handcuffs Wak and not the other way around.
The manager has two jobs: 1. handling the personalities and the media and 2. making in-game decisions. He’s one of the best at #1, but isn’t so good at #2.
I knew the manager position was going to be the first area of the organization to draw criticism. Sure enough, there have been decisions that I haven’t agreed with, particularly this year. His explanations for his moves are, at the very least, reasonable but there are also valid reasons against the moves he’s made.
I just love the way he handles his business, however. Even during these crappy times he stays calm. At the same time, he doesn’t beat around the bush when describing the situations he sees.
I’m still in a boat that’s trying to figure out Wakamatsu’s overall management tendencies. This is only his 2nd year managing in the Major Leagues. During the first year he was managing things like crazy to see what kind of team he was working with. This year, he’s been relying on the players he knows. Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley got the quick hook on the 3 & 4 spots in the lineup but Jose Lopez and Ken Griffey Jr. were allowed to stick to their spots in homes of getting it going. How much does he manage his team based on statistical analysis? How much does he manage his team based on “belief system?” I think we’re still learning what the balance is.
I just love the way he handles his business, however. Even during these crappy times he stays calm. At the same time, he doesn’t beat around the bush when describing the situations he sees.
Describes how I view him also. I think he is basically a great manager of men.
When I see guys like Lou Piniella go off on reports for no reasons it makes me appreciate Wak more. He’s not perfect, but I don’t think he’s really done anything to cost the team games. Sweeney being on the roster might be is fault, but that is easily fixable.
He values the things we value, like defense, he wouldn’t bat Raul 4th against a lefty because “you don’t move your 4th hitter down in the lineup” and he handles the players very well by all accounts.
Wakamatsu is an OG, face it. The man has to get up in the morning and spend his entire day lying to his ace pitchers about how many runs the offense will score. You go tell Cliff Lee that a 2 run lead is all he gets this month and see how you like it.
You won’t be getting much in the way of run support because I like starting guys who can’t hit in a position that has the word hitter in it. While that may sound strange to you and all, these guys are just rock solid men and I have a belief system in their ability to help this team. It won’t show up in the box score, or even the win column, or maybe even in the attendance anymore, but at some point Sweeney will do the whole crotch chop thing which my wife thinks is hilarious even though she won’t admit it. Plus we got Griffey to quit drinking soda pop and after he gets past the withdrawals he is good for a couple of glory laps around the bases and honestly you have to be dead inside to not get chills when that happens. But really, none of this is my fault as I have explained here. Go get ’em tiger.
Not just game management… but in the game against the Rangers when he argued Casey Kotchman getting called out for running inside the baseline Wak barely argued at all on what was a truly BS call. I was wishing for Lou Piniella more than ever at that moment. The next inning Ron Washington argues a call (that won them the game and he still found something to get mad about) and gets thrown out. I wish we had seen that from Wak. Show some fire.
He argued for a good long time on that Kotchman call
I was actually surprised he didn’t get kicked out. I bet the total length of his argument was pretty similar to Washington’s, so maybe he just didn’t insult the ump’s mother or something.
But we’ve been messed with by the umps so many times, that one has to think it’s become frustrating for both the players and the fanbase. You can develop respect by playing by the rules and nothing else, true enough, but it’s something that requires that people already be paying attention to you and know what you’re doing. I don’t think that an umpire who blew a call and got an earful from the fans is going to think “gee I should review that maybe because Wak is such a nice fellow”.
I’m pretty sure that argument sounded rather dumb, but I tried.
Its hard to say what an argument has ever done for a team or a coach
but i’ll tell you this: if it were ME standing there and arguing with the ump, you bet your ass that my feelings at that moment would have gotten me ejected from the game and probably would have a restraining order against the umps mother because of the things I would have said I was going to do to her.
I want to see those same feelings in the M’s manager.
To assume that Sweeney’s on the roster because of Wak and not Z? That Kelly was sent down instead of Colome because of Wak’s wishes?
Those are assumptions I’m very comfortable making.
In terms of how he ranks relative to other baseball managers- I don’t watch enough of other teams to know. Here’s what I have seen
- questionable pitcher usage
- bad lineup construction
- stealing in just flatly terrible situations and other various small ball tactics that fail on a run expectation analysis.
I think it’s a lot easier for a manager to do harm than it is for him to add value, but I think you can look at a lot of what Wak’s done and see how his decisions have made it more difficult for the team to win.
The Colome vs. Kelly thing was an organizational thing
Kelly had options, Colome doesn’t. I don’t think that was a talent evaluation. I wasn’t a fly on the wall for the Sweeney situation, but I am sure Wak had a hand in it. Bottom line is Z is the boss, and if Wak wants something he doesn’t want, Z gets what he wants.
I completely agree with your pitcher use, lineup construction, and running into outs.
As far as value adding with a manager, its really hard to evaluate that. Some mangers make players want to play for them. Some don’t. What that means, who knows. I am not a huge Wak fan, but overall I think ‘terrible’ is a little harsh. Its not like he moved his best pitcher to the bullpen.
I love that he is the first asian-american manager, i love that bald spot he covers up, I love how his leg never seems to cramp while standing in that exact same position in the dugout, day in and day out. I love that every time I read “wak,” i think of the muppets.
I can say that overall that I love Wak despite not agreeing with some of his moves.
It has to be said that Wak seems to be an excellent manager of men.
For example, with almost any other manager, especially guys like Piniella, Hargrove, given above, I think the Milton Bradley thing could have been a sort of season killer and poisoned the atmosphere.
Instead you have Milton Bradley, The Milton Bradley, taking the unprecedented move of admitting he has problems (not blaming others) and seeking help from the team (going to Wak and Z and then talking to his teammates). I mean wow, this is really incredible when you think of MB’s history.
By Wak being who he is, by his handling of the whole situation, the trust he has with his players as their manager, and going back a little to the game, by reacting savvily and taking Milton Bradley out in the middle of the game (it was an extremely unpopular move at the time to almost everybody else) before Milton could do something crazy to the ump, I think Wak may have nipped a major incident in the bud and just made it minor.
This is Wak’s great strength, how he handles people well. Eventually players in slumps will start performing well again.
Wakamatsu comes before White!
RunningFool - May 7, 2010
Players - then managers?
seattlesundevil - May 7, 2010
It sure does
Jeff Sullivan - May 7, 2010
Is Alan Cockrell next?
Alexander Calloway - May 7, 2010
Oh oh! Can we do the mods next?
MT Olson - May 7, 2010
Happy now?
Jeff Sullivan - May 7, 2010
So, so happy.
RunningFool - May 7, 2010
It was love until recently...
Now downgraded to like. It’s more of an overall feeling for me – last season still carries a lot of weight.
seattlesundevil - May 7, 2010
I like the way he handles the human aspect of the team.
From all accounts, he’s excellent in handling his players and has been just about perfect in dealing with Milton.
Then there’s the part where he has handicapped the roster with two invalids, mismanaged the bullpen, and shown a management style that generally goes against what makes actual sense. He seems to be bright, so I can only hope he’s eventually receptive to having the personnel decisions made for him in a way that won’t allow him to continue to punch holes in the bottom of the good ship Mariner.
Be better, Wak, because you’re losing your fanbase and worsening Jeff’s mental health by the pitching change.
abender20 - May 7, 2010
I voted dislike, by the way, but I'm teetering on the edge of fury.
abender20 - May 7, 2010
This is me exactly.
Sec 108 - May 7, 2010
Well stated. I'm surprised more people didn't the same.
ToddK - May 7, 2010
*didn't vote the same*
Dammit!
ToddK - May 7, 2010
Very surprised. I was expecting him to be a lightening rod for all the team chemistry/Sweeney/Griffey angst.
Kermit. - May 7, 2010
Like someone in another poll said.
We seem to be going on more recent events. Whereas when it coems to Don, I think about last season as well. I have a feeling he knows what’s wrong and he will figure out he can fix certain things himself. He just needs to let go of his love for certain players.
Hopefulmsfan - May 7, 2010
Plus.
Still much better than McLaren. I have to think that at this point even Wak wouldn’t still have Vidro batting cleanup.
Hopefulmsfan - May 7, 2010
The hilarious thing about this comment is that he had Griffey batting cleanup for the majority of April and Griffey is considerably worse than Vidro was.
abender20 - May 7, 2010
That's the difference.
Griffey isn’t batting there anymore. Neither is Jose Lopez, who was actually batting cleanup through most of April.
nemo1 - May 9, 2010
Just curious
why when it comes to Griffey and Sweeney being on the team everyone assumes its Wak’s fault when roster construction is the job of the GM?
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
The likelihood is high that Wak has had a major role in choosing his 25 man roster.
abender20 - May 7, 2010
That is true,
but as GM Z was the guy who signed off on Griffey and Sweeney being on the roster. Wak didn’t make the decision for the organization to look backward and have all the retro giveaway nights and try and squeeze as much money out of the Griffey stone as possible. If anything, I feel the Griffey sitatuion handcuffs Wak and not the other way around.
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
Hmmm,
This sums it up nicely.
abender20 - May 7, 2010
Fuckshit copypaste.
Try here.
abender20 - May 7, 2010
Yeah I get it,
I just feel Lincoln et al. have a hand in the Griffey situation. However, he could just not play him.
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
Or Sweeney.
Or wake up screaming “put in Sean White” in the middle of the night.
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
Yup
The manager has two jobs: 1. handling the personalities and the media and 2. making in-game decisions. He’s one of the best at #1, but isn’t so good at #2.
AnotherAaron - May 7, 2010
Wak's a badass- still love him - I think he's a top of the line manager
Corco - May 7, 2010
despite his inexplicable decisions
Corco - May 7, 2010
Liked him a lot last year, but as of now I'm pretty much indifferent.
Griffin Cooper - May 7, 2010
Yep, this is where I fall too
Despite all the good aspects, If he keeps up with the assbaggery (lineups, bullpen, DH situation, etc.) I will start actively disliking him.
appleshampoo - May 7, 2010
I love him, still do.
I knew the manager position was going to be the first area of the organization to draw criticism. Sure enough, there have been decisions that I haven’t agreed with, particularly this year. His explanations for his moves are, at the very least, reasonable but there are also valid reasons against the moves he’s made.
I just love the way he handles his business, however. Even during these crappy times he stays calm. At the same time, he doesn’t beat around the bush when describing the situations he sees.
I’m still in a boat that’s trying to figure out Wakamatsu’s overall management tendencies. This is only his 2nd year managing in the Major Leagues. During the first year he was managing things like crazy to see what kind of team he was working with. This year, he’s been relying on the players he knows. Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley got the quick hook on the 3 & 4 spots in the lineup but Jose Lopez and Ken Griffey Jr. were allowed to stick to their spots in homes of getting it going. How much does he manage his team based on statistical analysis? How much does he manage his team based on “belief system?” I think we’re still learning what the balance is.
ThundaPC - May 7, 2010
Great post.
I just love the way he handles his business, however. Even during these crappy times he stays calm. At the same time, he doesn’t beat around the bush when describing the situations he sees.
Describes how I view him also. I think he is basically a great manager of men.
Sam Regens - May 7, 2010
I need a "These pretzels are making me thirsty" selection.
Janic - May 7, 2010
Is there a joke here?
Or is it just a non-sequitur.
appleshampoo - May 7, 2010
I like him.
When I see guys like Lou Piniella go off on reports for no reasons it makes me appreciate Wak more. He’s not perfect, but I don’t think he’s really done anything to cost the team games. Sweeney being on the roster might be is fault, but that is easily fixable.
He values the things we value, like defense, he wouldn’t bat Raul 4th against a lefty because “you don’t move your 4th hitter down in the lineup” and he handles the players very well by all accounts.
MFAN - May 7, 2010
"Sweeney being on the roster might be is fault, but that is easily fixable."
How is this an excuse until it is fixed (by him or Jack)?
appleshampoo - May 7, 2010
Because I expect them to make a change soon wit the hugging DH's.
Not meant as an excuse, but there’s still time to fix that mistake and I think Wak is smart enough to do so.
MFAN - May 7, 2010
don't know but with all th e$$ spent this off season they better start winning
Rickfansince76 - May 7, 2010
The only "$$" spent this offseason was on Felix, really.
We traded for a lot of guys.
Kirk - May 7, 2010
Chone
Eyeball Kid - May 7, 2010
Lots of Love for Wak
Wakamatsu is an OG, face it. The man has to get up in the morning and spend his entire day lying to his ace pitchers about how many runs the offense will score. You go tell Cliff Lee that a 2 run lead is all he gets this month and see how you like it.
E2ESQUARE - May 7, 2010
See here is the thing Cliff.
You won’t be getting much in the way of run support because I like starting guys who can’t hit in a position that has the word hitter in it. While that may sound strange to you and all, these guys are just rock solid men and I have a belief system in their ability to help this team. It won’t show up in the box score, or even the win column, or maybe even in the attendance anymore, but at some point Sweeney will do the whole crotch chop thing which my wife thinks is hilarious even though she won’t admit it. Plus we got Griffey to quit drinking soda pop and after he gets past the withdrawals he is good for a couple of glory laps around the bases and honestly you have to be dead inside to not get chills when that happens. But really, none of this is my fault as I have explained here. Go get ’em tiger.
Sec 108 - May 7, 2010
Its become dislike.
Not just game management… but in the game against the Rangers when he argued Casey Kotchman getting called out for running inside the baseline Wak barely argued at all on what was a truly BS call. I was wishing for Lou Piniella more than ever at that moment. The next inning Ron Washington argues a call (that won them the game and he still found something to get mad about) and gets thrown out. I wish we had seen that from Wak. Show some fire.
Kenny Knows Sports - May 7, 2010
He argued for a good long time on that Kotchman call
I was actually surprised he didn’t get kicked out. I bet the total length of his argument was pretty similar to Washington’s, so maybe he just didn’t insult the ump’s mother or something.
appleshampoo - May 7, 2010
Lou is an arse.
Wak is infinitely preferable.
Eyeball Kid - May 7, 2010
I can see what you are saying
but I am not sure how theatrics lead to better performance. That being said, at this point you could always try something new.
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
It doesn't.
But we’ve been messed with by the umps so many times, that one has to think it’s become frustrating for both the players and the fanbase. You can develop respect by playing by the rules and nothing else, true enough, but it’s something that requires that people already be paying attention to you and know what you’re doing. I don’t think that an umpire who blew a call and got an earful from the fans is going to think “gee I should review that maybe because Wak is such a nice fellow”.
I’m pretty sure that argument sounded rather dumb, but I tried.
JY - May 7, 2010
Its hard to say what an argument has ever done for a team or a coach
but i’ll tell you this: if it were ME standing there and arguing with the ump, you bet your ass that my feelings at that moment would have gotten me ejected from the game and probably would have a restraining order against the umps mother because of the things I would have said I was going to do to her.
I want to see those same feelings in the M’s manager.
Kenny Knows Sports - May 7, 2010
No that makes sense.
I just am not sure it helps or hurts any, just because I don’t know. Does it endear you to your players? Maybe.
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
Really surprised by the results
Wak, to me, has been terrible.
I think it’s a fair assumption that many of the roster construction problems can be laid at his feet and his in-game decisions might be worse.
If his big value add is chemistry, that really hasn’t worked out.
Dids - May 7, 2010
So by terrible
do you think he is one of the worst manager in baseball?
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
Also
why is it fair to say that many of the roster construction problems can be laid at his feet?
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
Do you not think it's fair
To assume that Sweeney’s on the roster because of Wak and not Z? That Kelly was sent down instead of Colome because of Wak’s wishes?
Those are assumptions I’m very comfortable making.
In terms of how he ranks relative to other baseball managers- I don’t watch enough of other teams to know. Here’s what I have seen
- questionable pitcher usage
- bad lineup construction
- stealing in just flatly terrible situations and other various small ball tactics that fail on a run expectation analysis.
I think it’s a lot easier for a manager to do harm than it is for him to add value, but I think you can look at a lot of what Wak’s done and see how his decisions have made it more difficult for the team to win.
Dids - May 7, 2010
The Colome vs. Kelly thing was an organizational thing
Kelly had options, Colome doesn’t. I don’t think that was a talent evaluation. I wasn’t a fly on the wall for the Sweeney situation, but I am sure Wak had a hand in it. Bottom line is Z is the boss, and if Wak wants something he doesn’t want, Z gets what he wants.
I completely agree with your pitcher use, lineup construction, and running into outs.
As far as value adding with a manager, its really hard to evaluate that. Some mangers make players want to play for them. Some don’t. What that means, who knows. I am not a huge Wak fan, but overall I think ‘terrible’ is a little harsh. Its not like he moved his best pitcher to the bullpen.
Ballard Erik - May 7, 2010
I like a manager that has personality.
Wak has no personality.
d0nkey - May 7, 2010
I really do think that Wak has gone with the chemistry thing so long because I towrked last year.
And now that he can see first hand that winning games improves chemistry more than Griff/Sweeney in the clubhouse, maybe he’ll reevaluate his roster.
Hopefulmsfan - May 7, 2010
Love for all the wrong reasons
I love that he is the first asian-american manager, i love that bald spot he covers up, I love how his leg never seems to cramp while standing in that exact same position in the dugout, day in and day out. I love that every time I read “wak,” i think of the muppets.
But, I hate the line-ups.
Marihawks - May 7, 2010
*never cramp.
Marihawks - May 7, 2010
I think it's a shame he missed his true calling as a guy that plays a Comanche is Joh Wayne movies
Aaron Campeau - May 7, 2010
Good job you mental Leviathan
Aaron Campeau - May 7, 2010
A little piece of me misses Hargrove and Pinella
I wonder how they’d do compared to Wak.
Edgar for Pres - May 7, 2010
I can say that overall that I love Wak despite not agreeing with some of his moves.
It has to be said that Wak seems to be an excellent manager of men.
For example, with almost any other manager, especially guys like Piniella, Hargrove, given above, I think the Milton Bradley thing could have been a sort of season killer and poisoned the atmosphere.
Instead you have Milton Bradley, The Milton Bradley, taking the unprecedented move of admitting he has problems (not blaming others) and seeking help from the team (going to Wak and Z and then talking to his teammates). I mean wow, this is really incredible when you think of MB’s history.
By Wak being who he is, by his handling of the whole situation, the trust he has with his players as their manager, and going back a little to the game, by reacting savvily and taking Milton Bradley out in the middle of the game (it was an extremely unpopular move at the time to almost everybody else) before Milton could do something crazy to the ump, I think Wak may have nipped a major incident in the bud and just made it minor.
This is Wak’s great strength, how he handles people well. Eventually players in slumps will start performing well again.
Sam Regens - May 7, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.