How would Bob Melvin score?

[BC867]

During my years in Operations management, I hired and oversaw many Managers and Supervisors. We used various personality tests to determine the liklihood of a candidate succeeding. I took a few of the tests.

I wonder how Bob Melvin would score. If the quotes attributed to him, just from this morning's Arizona Republic, are any indication, I don't see how anyone would see him capable of leading 30-55 coaches and players or acting as day-to-day spokesman for the team.

The Diamondbacks were in the thick of both the NL West and NL Wildcard races (even with a weak pitching staff), and now 17 days later have dropped to almost the bottom by losing 11 out of 16 games against our NL West opponents.

About the team's disappointing drop in the standings, he said

We've got to keep grinding. We'll mix our lineup up, change some things around if we feel like it's the best thing to do as far as our bullpen goes and we'll do anything to try and get a little different flavor.

Real inspirational. Alot of words to say nothing.
About our weak offensive performance against the opposing pitcher

You tip your hat to Thompson today but we get tired of tipping hats, too. He located the ball well, but offensively against a guy like that we've got to do a little bit better.

"A little different flavor" . . . "Got to do a little bit better". No, Bob, we need to do alot better.
About Orlando Hudson

For a guy who is a little effervescent with his personality, he doesn't seem like a Pete Rose type of grinder.

There's that little again. Where's the inspiration?
And about Robby Hammock's versality at Tucson and his ability to play backup Catcher, 1B, 3B, LF and RF

He's a guy that you almost have to look to consider maybe putting on the roster.

"Almost" . . . "Consider" . . . "Maybe". What's his problem?

The Diamondbacks rejected Bob Melvin as a candidate for Manager until Wally Backman was found to be an abusive drunk five days after he was hired. Bring in a meek guy as Interim to cover their blunder. Fine!

But management chose to reward Melvin during the season with a 2-year extension. What a travesty. He is now failing as he did in his previous Managerial opportunity. He is not providing leadership to a team going through another BabyBacks phase . . . and is certainly not doing a credible job as team spokesman.

While he was here as Bench Coach, Lyle Overbay failed until he was traded away. Is that going to happen to the many prospects being brought up -- Jackson, Drew, Young, Quentin, etc., not to mention Chad Tracy's deterioration at the plate and his weak fielding. And Johnny Estrada's desire to be somewhere else next year. Why is that? Because he given too few at-bats all season to make the All Star team?

If Bob Melvin is not fired within two weeks of the end of the season, how low will our D'backs sink? Whether a Manager is brought in from the outside or Chip Hale (who worked wonders at Tucson) is promoted, it's got to change.

How would Bob Melvin score on a personality test? Leadership? Team spokesman? What do you think?

 

[The Commish]

When I first saw the title I thought this would be an evaluation of Bob Melvin's ability of getting laid.

However this is about an evaluation as a manager as a whole. In my opinion he is pretty weak sauce like the rest of our team right now. He can't motivate or promote growth among his players. He has a great mind for the game but lacks the necessary people skills to be good manager - often the downfall of many professional managers and coaches. Some people make great offensive coordinators but just not very good coaches. I think Melvin falls under that category. Managerially the only thing that Melvin does that irks me is that guys are constantly being shuffled around in the batting order and nobody really seems to know their roles. This is a bad thing to do on a team competing for a playoff spot.

To answer my previous assumption about the thread, I think money would have to be involved.

 

[boondockdrunk]

If it would be a question of how I would grade Melvin as a manager... I would give him a 'F'. Simply because he might be the worst coach in D'backs' history (Al Pedrique included) or perhaps the worst for young players.

 

[BC867]

...guys are constantly being shuffled around in the batting order and nobody really seems to know their roles. This is a bad thing to do on a team competing for a playoff spot.

Ironically the same thing happened when he was Bench Coach under Bob
Brenly. Thank goodness for Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

And Johnny Estrada's desire to be somewhere else next year. Why is that? Because he given too few at-bats all season to make the All Star team?

It is complete speculation that Estrada is unhappy due to playing time, and likely incorrect. Guess how many NL catchers have enough at-bats this season to earn consideration for league leader status. Seven. You expect Estrada to have as many at-bats as those guys when:
A) he was coming off a very serious injury this season
B) he started the season completely cold and lost playing time a guy swinging a hot bat
C) his young back up is putting up very similar (or better) numbers
D) he has been fighting a serious stomach ailment for several weeks

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Managerially the only thing that Melvin does that irks me is that guys are constantly being shuffled around in the batting order and nobody really seems to know their roles. This is a bad thing to do on a team competing for a playoff spot.

Yet at the same time, many here have clamored for guys like Drew to be moved around in the order and given more responsibility. You can't have it both ways. Nobody knows their roles? Why do people act as if major league batters have the mentality of a two year old child? Do you really think that moving a guy in the lineup confuses or frightens him so much that it completely throws him off his game? While hitters are obviously much better in certain spots of the batting order based on their tool set, I don't think that trying different batting orders have nearly the impact some claim as opposed to staying with nearly the same thing every game.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

As for an overall rating, I'm giving Bob Melvin a C. Honestly, I really don't care about how entertaining a manager's newspaper comments are or how many times he gets ejected in a season. I think that is a pretty lousy way to rate a manager. Many find his press conferences too dull and his on-field managing too subdued (as if throwing a temper tantrum every week or two is really going to change anything), but I don't put much stock into any of those qualities.

It is tough to judge somebody when most of their job occurs behind closed doors. However, at the end of the day, all that matters is how the team performs, that is what I evaluate a manager by. A manager's first duty is to get the players to play at or exceed their potential. This team in general has played right at their talent level on paper, hovering at or just under .500. I would say that the Diamondbacks, given their personnel, are meeting what was expected out of them at the beginning of the season, so Melvin has been just average, thus giving him the C.

 

[The Commish]

Yet at the same time, many here have clamored for guys like Drew to be moved around in the order and given more responsibility. You can't have it both ways. Nobody knows their roles? Why do people act as if major league batters have the mentality of a two year old child? Do you really think that moving a guy in the lineup confuses or frightens him so much that it completely throws him off his game? While hitters are obviously much better in certain spots of the batting order based on their tool set, I don't think that trying different batting orders have nearly the impact some claim as opposed to staying with nearly the same thing every game.

Yeah but your approach as a hitter changes when you constantly move up and down the lineup. A leadoff man does not take the same approach as the 8th hitter. I just think for a group such as ours, we need to have a gameplan of what we would like to do instead of changing things around every day hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Though I can't completely blame Melvin because we lack a true power hitter and leadoff man. We just have a bunch of guys characterized as "doubles hitters". You won't score many runs if your team doesn't have the right personnel.

 

[abomb]

I like the psychological analysis. If you notice in the first phase of the D-Backs history, we first had Showalter, a hard-ass, my way or the highway type to instill values, expectations, etc. I believe this is the type of manager we need now. Next came BB, who was perfect at the time; the team was veteran-laden and ready to take the next step.

 

[BC867]

The return of Beavis & Butthead

Butthead is alive and well in Arizona. But now he goes by the name of Melvin -- Bob Melvin.

Miguel Batista carried a 5-1 lead through seven innings of the first game of a day-night double-header -- his 4th or 5th quality start in a row -- having thrown just 103 pitches.

And Bob Melvin decides that he's going to pinch-hit for Miggy and go to his disappointing bullpen . . . which then gives up the 4-run lead.

And in the bottom of the 11th, Brandon Lyon walks four batters to hand the victory to the Washington Nationals.

Manager Butthead has done it again. But he's found his General Manager Beavis Byrnes, who gave him a 2-year extension before the season ended . . . and Butthead's team fell to the bottom.

What did Brynes think? That other teams were going to tear the door down to sign Butthead to a contract?

It would be sad if it weren't so comical. For the fans, it is sad!