Fire Bob Brenly thread

[Lefty]

I have had it with Brenly. He is an idiot. He stays loyal to Mantei who has cost this team five games already this year.

Remember, Bob Brenly almost lost the 2001 World Series but thank God Curt and Randy saved his a$$. Bob Melvin was the brains behind the 2001 team, not Brenly.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I have had it with Brenly. He is an idiot. He stays loyal to Mantei who has cost this team five games already this year.

Remember, Bob Brenly almost lost the 2001 World Series but thank God Curt and Randy saved his a$$. Bob Melvin was the brains behind the 2001 team, not Brenly.

I would take it one step further....They must also terminate Joe Garagiola Jr. in the process, but typically the manager is the first one to get the "axe"....

Let's face it.....Garagiola Jr. has more control of the player personnel than Brenly and Brenly must contend with whatever Garagiola gives him.....

It's beyond me that the Dbacks acquire 3 pitchers in 2 separate trades this offseason that either had a history of injury or were injured at that point in time.. Didnt Lyons, Fossum, or Nance receive any physicals to give them a clean bill of health?

I know I've been reiterating these next 2 points a lot lately....Why keep 3 catchers on the regular roster? I understand that they did that initially as a precaution to see if Hammock could handle the rigours of catching a 9-inning game on a regular basis and he immediately proved that... Then, they promote up DeVore this past week in favor of another middle reliever (something they desperately need because they only have 11 pitchers on the staff) or another 1B (such as Zinter) to apparently be the late inning replacement for Gonzalez in LF and didnt even see any action in a 14-inning game.....Most of the Phillies hits seemed to be going out to LF and of course that's where I would fault Brenly there for not doing the most sensible....

I wouldnt completely blame Villarreal for today's defeat whatsoever since he shouldnt have had to do that "unintentional" intentional to Thome in the 14th inning....Oscar was already suffering from fatigue, however, we all know that because of only having 11-pitchers on the staff (and the rest of the bullpen used), he would be "hung out to dry".....Only pitchers that might have been available if the game went beyond the 14th inning are Sparks (who is scheduled to start Tues) or Dessens (who should be a middle-reliever in the 1st place).....

And why put Tracy (in a tie game) or Mayne (when they had a 1-run lead) in at 1B when they've had none or 1 game experience at that position when they had Baerga (whose played there quite a few times) at their disposal...

And if Brenly continues to give Mantei a VOC (vote of confidence) as being the closer...then....I don't know.... Enough "ranting" from me now..This game was a microcosm of the Dbacks season thus far and I dont know if any "relief" is in sight....

 

[IndyDevil]

BB's decision-making today clinched it for me - - FIRE BRENLY NOW !! I don't care how early in the season it is, how other WS winning teams started out as poorly as we have yet won it all, or how the coaches don't swing the bats or make the pitches; there is no way BB could have been paying any attention at all to our walk-inducing bullpen before making an absolute boneheaded decision to load the bases and depend on Villarreal to get out of the jam!! Keeping BK-Mantei as the closer was bad enough, but the game-ending idiocy should be enough to compel JC to can him!! BB has an occasional hunch that works (Baerga on Saturday night), but to put Villarreal in that position was insane!

BTW, who is this DeVore I keep hearing about? I know we called him up from Tucson, but did he take Greyhound to Philly, or is he hidden on the bench??

 

[BC867]

Bob Melvin was the brains behind the 2001 team, not Brenly.

Good point. When Brenly was suspended for a game recently, Robin Yount (who apparently recognizes his limitations) said he hopes BB stays not too far away in the tunnel.

Robin's a nice guy, but he's tying up the Bench Coach spot and not providing the insight that Brenly needs.

When the Manager took out Shea Hillenbrand for a pinch-runner today (after geeting three hits in the cleanup spot), then moved Chad Tracy to 1B for the first time in his Major League career (where he promptly made an error), then back to 3B -- after he said specifically he was not going jockey him around . . .

It illustrated two of Bob Brenly's major weaknesses. (A) He doesn't think ahead; (B) He doesn't stick to his word.

Oh, how I wish the job gets turned over to Al Pedrique.

 

[Lefty]

Casey Fossum pitches today for the Sidewinders and then he will pitch again on Friday. If everything goes well I would not be surprised to see Casey called up next week. If that happens I would put Dessens in the bullpen and have Fossum replace him in the rotation.

Nance has been pitching for the Sidewinders. I don't think Lyons has been throwing yet.

 

[AZZenny]

From the DBack's website:
Mantei said "I just need to pitch and get back out there and try to redeem myself again. I don't understand this. I don't deserve to be on that field right now."

Brenly said he would talk with Mantei before saying whether he would remain the club's closer. Despite his struggles this season, the skipper had stood firmly behind Mantei, but may be rethinking the situation.

Criminy, he better be rethinking it.

The same article made it sound like it was Oscar's fault for the way the 14th inning played out - I'm going to hang that one on Brenly.

 

[ajcardfan]

Who would be the manager? Yount? Grace?

Come to think of it, firing Brenly and getting Grace out of the booth sounds pretty good.

 

[IndyDevil]

Who would be the manager? Yount? Grace?

Come to think of it, firing Brenly and getting Grace out of the booth sounds pretty good.

Al Pedrique should become the next manager - BC867's post above is right on the mark.

 

[RLakin]

It's beyond me that the Dbacks acquire 3 pitchers in 2 separate trades this offseason that either had a history of injury or were injured at that point in time.. Didnt Lyons, Fossum, or Nance receive any physicals to give them a clean bill of health?
QUOTE]

I was thinking the same last week. Also, did they not know Shane Reynolds' fastball was topping out at 84 before he signed the ridiculous $1 million deal?
As to the former, it seems that Colangelo was is such a hurry to make the deal for Sexson, that they didn't really care so much about the "other" three.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I was thinking the same last week. Also, did they not know Shane Reynolds' fastball was topping out at 84 before he signed the ridiculous $1 million deal?
As to the former, it seems that Colangelo was is such a hurry to make the deal for Sexson, that they didn't really care so much about the "other" three.

I guess though the key pitcher in the Schilling trade was Jorge De La Rosa (who the Dbacks ultimately sacrificed in part of the Sexson deal)....I wonder when the Red Sox deal went down that they knew that the Brewers would demand De La Rosa to be included.... The Red Sox had already depleted their farm-system in previous deals seemed relatively desperate to give up on Fossum and Lyons (who once were both highly regarded prospects)....

I don't remember the specifics, but didnt the Brewers have a deadline to trade for Sexson that the Dbacks had to comply with? I wonder if knowing that getting Sexson was contingent on trading Schilling that the Dbacks were too impulsive and actually didnt care about the results of any physical..... I just can't figure out any other reasons....Or why didnt Jerry C. demand more for Schilling in the first place? What were the Yankees proposing to trade? Oh well, we'll more than likely never know the reasoning behind most of the transactions the Dbacks made this past offseason (besides the Sexson deal)....

 

[AZZenny]

They KNEW Fossum and Nance were not healthy. I think Lyons surprised them. Here's my theory about trading for all the injured pitchers - Joe Nincompoop thought that was a great way to stockpile near-ready arms without taking roster space! 'Hey, we'll have three majors-ready guys in the wings to feed into the pipeline when the worn-out veterans and overrated clowns I pick up don't live up to my fantasies, and I'll look like a genius!'

The way the Sexson deal was timed, it seemed like DeLa Rosa was a planned part of the deal to Milwaukee. We also got Noochie Varner, mid-range OF prospect, in those trades, and he's looking OK - just went from El Paso to Tucson.

 

[Lefty]

Lyons was hurt last year for the Red Sox. They had to of known.

 

[Cland]

I can't figure out why Brenly gets blamed for his pitchers not throwing strikes. We have 111 walks. That puts us tied for last, not in the NL but in the majors. Oscar was the only guy in our entire pen that has shown some signs of control this year. I think he only had one walk all year going into yesterday. So it's brenly's fault that the comes in and hits a guy and walks a guy?? The guy has made a ton of questionable moves this year. His pen's inability to throw strikes is not one of them.

I thought bringing Valverde in to intentionally walk a guy was a lot worse than that move in the 14th.

 

[Dback Jon]

How many blown games will Jerry tolerate? Bob is showing that he can't handle a bullpen (much like Dusty Baker) and is too loyal to his players.

Not ready to fire him yet, but Jerry needs to have a long talk with him via Joe.

 

[IndyDevil]

I can't figure out why Brenly gets blamed for his pitchers not throwing strikes. We have 111 walks. That puts us tied for last, not in the NL but in the majors. Oscar was the only guy in our entire pen that has shown some signs of control this year. I think he only had one walk all year going into yesterday. So it's brenly's fault that the comes in and hits a guy and walks a guy?? The guy has made a ton of questionable moves this year. His pen's inability to throw strikes is not one of them.

I thought bringing Valverde in to intentionally walk a guy was a lot worse than that move in the 14th.

Good point about Oscar, but the thing that upset me the most is how BB basically set Oscar up to fail - Villarreal already hit a batter & allowed the tying run in the inning, so loading up the bases was a losing proposition to begin with. Maybe I'm just so tired of BK-Mantei that I am looking for a scapegoat, but it seems as though BB's poor decisions have hurt more this year than in the past, even as early as it is in the season.

*must remain calm* *must remain calm*

 

[Cland]

Good point about Oscar, but the thing that upset me the most is how BB basically set Oscar up to fail - Villarreal already hit a batter & allowed the tying run in the inning, so loading up the bases was a losing proposition to begin with. Maybe I'm just so tired of BK-Mantei that I am looking for a scapegoat, but it seems as though BB's poor decisions have hurt more this year than in the past, even as early as it is in the season.

*must remain calm* *must remain calm*

I hear ya. And by no means do I think Brenly is going to be manager of the year. I just think he was delt some pretty crappy cards as far as our pitching is concerned, especially in the pen. But like you said, this game was lost in the 9th, not the 14th.

 

[BOB_Man24]

I hear ya. And by no means do I think Brenly is going to be manager of the year. I just think he was delt some pretty crappy cards as far as our pitching is concerned, especially in the pen. But like you said, this game was lost in the 9th, not the 14th.

Ok, so Mantie converts Saturday night, and looks like he is back on track...Then he gets the first two batters out and looks like his old self...then his implosion...

I dont blame Brenly soo much for losing this game. Mantie did. Did Brenly maybe lose the game for a second time with Oscar? Probably, but if Mantie converts this is a null issue.....

After last nights game, i would be shocked if Valverde isnt closing come tuesday.

 

[boondockdrunk]

I agree. Bob needs to go... maybe Melvin will get fired in Seattle and we can hire him. He isnt the best manager, but he will do over our POS.

 

[AZZenny]

On what basis can you say Bob Melvin would be better than Brenly?! He may be better-liked, but he's not looking like a superior manager by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't think Brenly's going anywhere real soon, not unless they have a significantly better option - and no one who has been mentioned thus far fits that bill.

 

[IndyDevil]

I don't think Brenly's going anywhere real soon, not unless they have a significantly better option - and no one who has been mentioned thus far fits that bill.

I think Pedrique is a very good option, but I would bet that Yount gets the job if BB were to be fired.

 

[Lefty]

After 24 hours my frustrations have been flushed out. I will support this team 100% and whatever happens, happens. My personal opinion is I don't think Brenly is the answer but while he is here I will support him.

 

[Ryanwb]

Brenly was about 4 games late in making his move with Mantei, but I am glad he made the decision public intead of just magically having Valverde appear in a save situation.

 

[IndyDevil]

Ok, so Mantie converts Saturday night, and looks like he is back on track...Then he gets the first two batters out and looks like his old self...then his implosion...

I dont blame Brenly soo much for losing this game. Mantie did. Did Brenly maybe lose the game for a second time with Oscar? Probably, but if Mantie converts this is a null issue.....

After last nights game, i would be shocked if Valverde isnt closing come tuesday.

BK-Mantei didn't look very impressive Saturday night, but he got the save so he lived to see one more opportunity....which turned out to be his last chance, since BB (much to his credit) has given the closer role to Valverde.

 

[schillingfan]

Honestly, I'd be happy to give you guys Larry Bowa any day you want him.

You need to see what a really, really bad manager is like.

BTW, I think Brenly probably gave Mantei at least one if not two chances too many, but Valverde and everyone else in the pen was struggling too, so it's not like there was an option that looked superior. I imagine that Valverde's performance cemented the deal.

But I will commend him for not publically embarrassing Mantei. While fans might enjoy it, players don't like it, and little things like that can mean a lot to creating a happy team atmosphere and to the leaguewide perception that players have of certain teams.

D-Backs, for the most part, don't alienate their own players and I think Brenly contributes to that. Almost never see him say anything negative about a player in the press.

Personally I like the fact that Brenly is not by the book and shows some flexibility. Not a lot of managers would have let Valverde close last year while Mantei was out, being afraid of rookies.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

It's about time to revive this thread and revisit firing Brenly....

I can't figure out these types of quotes from him that were in azcentral.com today....

"Casey Fossum pitched darn good tonight. He had all his pitches working, and save for a pop-up hit into a tricked-up corner of a ballpark he probably would have had a better result," Brenly said. "It's not for me to talk about designing stadiums, but they put that short porch out there, and Nevin found it.

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"We hit at least three balls that I felt were mashed a lot harder than that one, and they didn't come anywhere near the fence.

So he essentially blames lastnight's defeat on a short RF fence, however, we all know it was because his players couldnt execute with runners on base and some more defensive lapses.........

The following on bringing Bautista next year......

Manager Bob Brenly wouldn't mind it, either.

"He went on that (21-game) hitting streak, and he hasn't really stopped," Brenly said. "He's had an at-bat or two here or there where he got jammed or didn't take a particularly good swing. But boy, you can almost count on two hands the number of bad at-bats he has had this year.

I'm glad Brenly doesnt have too much input on personnel decisions, because it's quite obvious that this is Bautista's "push" in his contract year and if he does re-signs, the inevitable will happen....He'll sustain a serious injury in the earlier part of next season....They must give Quentin, Marland Willams, Conor Jackson, or Terrero an opportunity as the starting RFer....They're obviously more cheaper and safer alternatives....They have to finally invest a substantial amount of money toward the pitching staff.....

I'm also concerned about the use of Villafuerte.....

If my calculations are correct...Since 6/15...he's thrown 73 pitches over
4 1/3 innings.....That doesnt factor in how often he warms-up and such... Hasnt he learned anything from what has happened to the likes of Villarreal and Bruney? I honestly dont know.......

The team needs some spark and I believe firing Brenly would ignite one...