Macha Fired....Err, His Option For 2011 Not Picked Up

It wasn't all his fault, he did the best he could with the crappy pitching staffs he was dealt for two straight seasons. But in the end, it came down to his Win/Loss record and the fact that he could not seem to relate to many of the players and get the most out of them. Fair or not, that seemed to be the case. I was always pretty neutral on Macha. Didn't hate him but was not a huge fan. I actually overall agreed with most of his in-game managerial decisions. However, I was not a fan of many of his lineups and stubbornness when it came to playing many of the young players, specifically Mat Gamel, who might be the happiest person after hearing today's news. Four things I will remember most from the Ken Macha era you ask? Poppycock, Zim-Zam, @notkenmacha and his Grandfatherly pre and post game pressers.

Now Doug Melvin will have to hire his third manager during his tenure as Brewers GM. A lot of names floating around, the top two seem to be Bob Melvin and Pat Listach. I don't have a front runner or really an opinion on who they should hire. But those seem to be the two names mentioned most around the message boards and blogs. I just want someone from outside the organization and someone that can come in here and win. But the biggest factor if the new Manager wins or loses might be what Doug Melvin does to shore up the starting pitching and who he gets back in the almost sure Prince Fielder trade. If Doug fails at those two things, so will the next Manager.

I Do Not Believe Carlos Villanueva Gives Us The Best Chance To Win

But apparently Ken Macha does. Today in his pregame presser with the media Macha named Villanueva his starter for tomorrow's game vs Washington. This is a sick joke right? A bad dream? A sick demented twilight zone? No, it's truth and fact. A guy with a 6.18 ERA out of the bullpen and a 2-7 record will make a start for the Brewers tomorrow.

Of course it could be worse, we could trot Mike Burns or Seth McClung out there again. But throwing "Villa" out there is not much better then those two options. Most (myself included) thought tomorrow's starter would either be a guy the Brewers traded for (Washburn, didn't happened after heavy rumors) or Tim Dillard who the Brewers called up from AAA Nashville on Sunday. Dillard seemed like a better choice then Villanueva, he has been starting all year in Nashville with pretty good number all be them at AAA. 10-4 with a 3.66 ERA. Given the fact they gave Burns and McClung chances you would think Dillard would be next in line. I like Ken Macha and think he has done as good a job as he could have this season so far, but this move really boggles my mind. If the Brewers don't win tonight I have a hard time believing they can tomorrow to keep the chances alive of taking at least three from the lowly Nationals.

Prove me wrong Carlos and Ken. I'm rooting for you, but not with much confidence.

Brewers 2009 Coaching Staff Complete

The final piece of the 2009 Brewers coaching staff has been put in the puzzle. It is Stan Kyles who will serve as bullpen coach. Kyles has been apart of the Brewers organization for the past 8 years and has served the past 4 as the pitching coach of the AAA Nashville Sounds. A nice promotion for a guy who has no big league coaching experience. So with that the Brewers staff looks as so for 2009:

Manager: Ken Macha

Bench Coach: Willie Randolph

Pitching Coach: Bill Castro

Hitting Coach: Dale Sveum

1B Coach: Ed Sedar

3B Coach: Brad Fischer

Bullpen Coach: Stan Kyles

I have to say I look sit and look at that staff of coaches and I think that it might be one of the strongest I have seen in the history of the club. And if you don't agree with that you have to agree it is the best since Doug Melvin became GM in 2003 or since Mark Attanasio bought the club in 2005. Strong baseball minds up and down that list. I like Macha of course and I like how they brought new guys in but kept a few of the good guys from the old staff (Castro, Sveum and Sedar) who have some comfort and familiarity with the players. I didn't like Randolph as the choice for Manager but I love him as bench coach and his ability to work with the infielders.

After 17 Years, His Wait Is Over

Bill Castro was once a relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. After his career ended, he never could seem to find his way out of the bullpen. After 17 years as the Brewers bullpen coach, Castro finally got the job he has wanted. After an interview with Castro, Manager Ken Macha decided he didn't need to speak to anyone other candidates about the vacancy left by Mike Maddux as pitching coach. He has given the job to Castro. Congrats Billy, you have worked long and hard for this opportunity and deserve it. Hopefully Castro can bring the type of success to the pitching staff that Maddux had for the last 6 seasons. That still leaves two voids on the coaching staff for Ken Macha to fill, bullpen coach and bench coach. Those should be figured out shortly I would guess.

Ken Macha Named New Brewers Manager: "The Manager's Job Is Not To Always Be Buddies With The Players"

That quote above was how Ken Macha answered the first question asked of him at the press conference today when Doug Melvin announced him as the 16th Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. Let me just say WOW, what a breath of fresh air! I could never imagine Ned Yost saying something like that. Macha also talked about things like OBP, putting the best lineup on the field and if players are not producing, they won't play. He seems to be quite the opposite of Ned Yost and that is going to be a great thing for the Brewers.

Macha signed a 2 year contract with the Crew, that will make him the Manager through the 2010 season. Melvin and Macha both confirmed that Dale Sveum who was interim Manager after Yost was fired will come back on be part of the coaching staff. It just is not known if it will be as bench coach or 3B coach. Tomorrow Macha and Melvin will meet to discuss the coaching staff that will for sure include Ed Sedar, Bill Castro and now Sveum. It is not known yet if pitching coach Mike Maddux will be back. He has had some inquires from the Texas Rangers.

One thing I know for sure is Macha's record as the A's Manger speaks for itself; 368-280 (.568) record, including AL West crowns in 2003 and 2006. The A's were swept in the ALCS by the Tigers in 2006 which led to Macha's firing after that season. He spent this past season as a in-studio analyst for the Boston Red Sox on NESN in Boston. He has ties to the Red Sox, A's, Angels and Expos orginizations as a coach. He also played for the Pirates, Blue Jays and spent time playing in Japan. I think of the three candidates Melvin interviewed; Macha, Brenly and Randolph. Ken Macha was the best choice for this job and this team. I just hope he proves me right, I already have a bet with a guy at work who thinks that they Crew will not have a winning record under Macha. Get all your Macha info here.

Macha And Brenly Already Interviewed?

According to Tom Haudricourt's Brewer Blog on Jsonline.com Ken Macha and Bob Brenly have both already interviewed with Doug Melvin for the Manager's job and Willie Randolph will be next. Buck Showalter, Bobby Valentine and Davey Johnson seem much more like long shots at this point. So basically you can almost bet that either Macha, Brenly or Randolph will be the next Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. Many have called Brenly the worst Manager to ever win a World Series some eve to go as far as calling him "lucky" mostly because he had Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson on his pitching staff during their primes. Randolph reminds me to much of Yost, so I guess I'm giving my full endorsement to Ken Macha to be the next Brewers Manager. Although he was fired after only four seasons in Oakland he had four winning seasons including two divison titles. But failed to do anything in the playoffs and that is why he was fired.