After a year and a half of coaching for the Baltimore Orioles, Lee Mazzilli gets fired. Mazz was 78-84 with the O's and riding a 8 game losing streak. The Orioles are 10 1/2 out first place and 5 games under .500 (51-56). A common thought around sports is that the O's were winning the first half in spite of Mazz, not because of him.
I think this true about the Orioles. I think the problem with the Orioles right now is that they need a stern coach and not a players coach. The Orioles are a very young team with a few veterans. Mazz is definitely a players coach. He nice, laid back type of coach, and they need a coach with the enthusiasm like Tejada. Sam Perlozzo, Orioles bench coach, is going to be the interim Manager for the rest of the season. He might not be able to stop the bleeding, but he really can't do any worse.
I want to know what you think. Should the Orioles kept Lee Mazzilli or not?
Posted by helimech24 at August 4, 2005 03:20 PM | TrackBackOne of the few things I respected about Peter Angelos is that he didn't fire any managers mid-season. I guess there's always the first. I don't think that Mazzilli is any great shakes as a manager. But if the braintrust fires him before two years are up; it reflects rather poorly on them. And one of Mazz's biggest problems was the lack of production from the outfield. That wasn't his fault either. (Though if he'd platooned more maybe he'd have done better.)
Posted by: David Gerstman at August 4, 2005 05:52 PMOne of the major set backs of Mr. Lee is that he wouldn't do the little thing to help the O's in the game. After a couple of runners got caught, he didn't send the runners for like a month or two. He refused to make his power hitters to lay down bunts in key situations. Mazz's biggest default was his use of the bullpen. He either left pitchers out on the mound to long, or replaced them when the pitchers where doing outstanding. He also used Steve Kline way to much in key situation throughout the year. I just he was more of a liability than a help for the Orioles.
Posted by: Chris(helimech24) at August 4, 2005 07:44 PM