Should it be Cito?

by bunner on Oct 12, 2010 12:11 PM EDT

Should Cito win, or even be considered for AL Manager of the Year in 2010?

Typically a 4th place finisher's manager would not be considered however, thinking that most 'experts' picked the Jays to finish last in the AL East (behind the Orioles) after the loss of Doc, in the end the Jays finished a VERY respectable 85-77 in baseballs toughest division

The Jays were supposed to have a weak pitching staff but the emergence of Morrow as a future top end SP, Marcum's recovery from injury, Cecil's emergence and Romero's continuation of a solid rookie campaign all came under Cito's guidance. Also the back end of the bullpen was very solid...

Sure Hill and Lind regressed, however Vernon Wells had a rebound/healthy year, of course Bautista busted out and knocked 54HR, the Jays had 8 (I think?) 20+HR hitters, so we can say the offence flurished under Cito in 2010.

The Jays improved across the board, all under Cito's guidance!

Typically manager of the year doesn't go to a manager of a team that is 'expected' to win, so can we eliminate Girardi, Maddon and Gardenhire? The award typically goes to a manager who has helped his team improve from the past year so I beleive Cito should be in the conversation, however in the end I think Ron Washington will win as he guided his team to the playoffs but I'd like to give my sentimental vote to Cito!

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If there are any responsible voters

Cito should certainly be considered as the MOY, but ultimately he won’t win. Partially because he guided a 4th place team and partially because voters may mistake his in-game non-managing as doing nothing. Cito had a lot to do with recognizing what type of team he had this year, creating a plan to take advantage of its strengths and minimize its weaknesses, and then stick to that plan for the entire year.

by siggian on Oct 12, 2010 1:05 PM EDT reply actions

He should be considered, but as people around here have speculated (and I agree with) its doubtful to happen.

Too bad, he at least deserves some looks.

Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...

by JohnnyG on Oct 12, 2010 3:56 PM EDT reply actions

I figure Cito might pick up a few 1st and 2nd place votes, as well as a bunch of 3rd place ones, but it won’t add up to him finishing better than third or fourth overall I don’t think. But who knows, he may get a bump from the publicity and chatter around his farewell.

If this were the Academy Awards he’d win for sure, where people often get recognized for sentimental reasons and/or being at the end of their careers, rather than just for their movie that year. That said, it doesn’t mean they didn’t do some good work and Cito would be deserving too.

By the way, stumbled on a couple of interesting articles about Cito that may or may not have been shared here before. BigLeagueStew has a really nice round-up on Cito “baseball mystery manager”. And FanGraphs compares Jose Bautista’s season this year to Cito’s big season as a player in 1970.

by jabalong on Oct 12, 2010 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I think that if the Jays would have manged to finish 3rd, then it would have been very difficult to ignore Cito’s candidacy.
Finishing ahead of the Oriols, though, doesn’t strike the average writer/“expert” as a major achievement. add to that the usual belittling of anything that happens north of the border (did somene say ESPN?) and I’m not sure that he’ll end up even in the Top-5.

Personally, I think that probably Washington is the most deserving. Especially if Texas will beat the Rays tonight.

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Oct 12, 2010 5:09 PM EDT reply actions

MOY and all other end of year awards

…are only for the regular season.
Washington and Francona, IMO

by Summer02 on Oct 12, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I know that. But somehow the post-season seems to have some effect...

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Oct 12, 2010 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Voting happens before the playoffs

The baseball writers certainly consider who’s teams made the playoffs, but what happens during the playoffs themselves has no bearing as the voting occurs before the playoffs start (ballots must be postmarked no later than the date of the first postseason game).

by jabalong on Oct 12, 2010 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks. I wasn't sure of that.

Washington’s my man, nevertheless…

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Oct 13, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

It is a tough one to me.

The team out performed all expectations, but then the team was supposed to be rebuilding mode. We were told the young guys would get to play but it didn’t really turn out that way. The Writer’s ballot allows for three choices….I might give the last vote to Cito, were I allowed a vote.

by Tom Dakers on Oct 12, 2010 8:24 PM EDT reply actions

part of what’s holding me back here is that I never bought that malarky about how poor the team was. i predicted 83 wins, so this team is right about what i expected it to be (albeit, with the offense Bautista contributed scattered among Hill, Lind, and Snider)

So in that regard, i don’t see the “overachievment” that is being cited by many.

by TamRa on Oct 13, 2010 4:33 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree with much of what you guys said

My votes would be:

1. Washington
2. Francona
3. Gaston

by Minor Leaguer on Oct 13, 2010 12:09 AM EDT reply actions

Wait, wait, wait

Like three or four people on this thread have mentioned Francona as a consideration. Terry Francona? The Red Sox manager? The guy whose team was supposed to make the playoffs but didn’t? They guy who managed Evil Empire Lite? We were supposed to lose 90-100 games, and we still almost beat out Francona’s team. I’d vote for Ozzie Guillen before I’d vote for Francona. Not that I’d ever vote for Guillen, mind you.

1. Washington
2. Cito
3. Gardenhire
4. Well, in the AL, there really isn’t anybody else.

by CuseJay on Oct 13, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Look at who they played without!

and still almost made the playoffs.
And, did it with YOUNG players the organization wanted to look at. Imagine!
Francona has come a long way with this team and he is a master of taking care of his players, communicating with the media and handling issues which come up every day.
Do you watch much Sox baseball, Cuse? LOL

by Summer02 on Oct 14, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Look at whom they played with!

Ortiz, Pedroia, Youkilis (until a late season injury), Lackey, Lester, Papelbon, our Scutaro whom we couldn’t afford to keep, that Japanese guy, etc. Cito didn’t even have anyone to play without.

Boston is loaded with good young players AND overpaid veterans. Francona has it made with what his owner and those bags of money give him.

Francona’s team finished six games shy of the wildcard, and it wasn’t that close. With a team that was supposed to make the playoffs. What does communicating with the media have to do with being Manager of the Year. Politician of the Year, maybe. Manager of the Year? No!

And BTW I do not watch much Socks baseball. The Socks sicken me. LOL

by CuseJay on Oct 14, 2010 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions

If I knew...

…how to upload the picture of Pedroia on crutches, I would.
Played in 75 games.

There is a stat out there somewhere which lists by team, the number of days lost to injury. Anyone know how to retrieve that for us? Just curious what it would reveal.

by Summer02 on Oct 15, 2010 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe it's time for the Red sox to fire the team physicians...

It seems that they’re not up to par…

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Oct 18, 2010 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions

To not make the playoffs with that payroll means no consideration for manager of the year in my books.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

by Jevant on Oct 14, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

well when a large part of that pay roll was hurt for a good part of the year

And the manager kept them in the running with a Triple-A team for quite awhile.

by Tom Dakers on Oct 14, 2010 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Whoa! Are we feeling sorry for the Red Sox here?!?!

It is the Boston “Please-Do-Not-Disturb-We’re-in-a-Bidding-War-with-the-Yukkies” Red Sox, after all…

Festina Lente

by HESS2479 on Oct 18, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d consider him only at the fringes. I’d think you could make solid cases for Maddon, Gardenhire, Washington and Francona before him – heck, some might even argue for Showalter.

by TamRa on Oct 13, 2010 4:31 AM EDT reply actions

Will

…so agree with Showalter!! People are REALLY excited about Oriole’s baseball again.
And, as organized as he is, management knows exactly how he will move forward successfully with this team, because he told them who he wanted to bring in and how he would get better play out his young core.

by Summer02 on Oct 14, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

There’s no doubt that Showalter did a great job taking over midseason for the Orioles, but managing 54 games isn’t nearly enough in my view to be considered for a full-season award.

by jabalong on Oct 14, 2010 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions

No, it probably shouldn’t be, but he certainly should be in the top 3-4 finalists.

The main reason to vote for him would be the consistancy of the pitching staff, and the way Gaston handled his main four starters; letting them pitch deep and try to pitch out of troubles, but being ready to pull them when it was time. He really allowed the pitchers and the organization to see how they could do under pressure, but not to the point of letting them get shelled just to save the bullpen.

The offence certainly owes a lot to his approach, and he did a pretty good job using his bench during games to keep them in contention.

But, the negative is that Gaston had largely the same line-up, bullpen and rotation going into the season as he had coming out, so he didn’t have to react to overcome limitations imposed by injury much. His own reputation as a quiet ingame manager loses the flashy subsituitions that people notice, and since the Jays aren’t a running team, you don’t get the late inning defensive shuffles that have become equated with ‘good management’.

by dexfarkin on Oct 13, 2010 9:22 AM EDT reply actions

Top 3

I think Cito deserves to be in the top 3. He did a surprisingly great job of bringing the young guys along while keeping the team competitive.

by DW19 on Oct 13, 2010 1:22 PM EDT reply actions

No

Washington or Gardenhire. Cito could maybe be third.

I do not understand why Francona would get a vote, for taking a perennial playoff team with the 2nd largest payroll and finishing 3rd behind a notoriously cheap franchise.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

by Jevant on Oct 14, 2010 8:36 AM EDT reply actions