I didn’t believe it. Practically called someone a liar when she told me the news.
Ned Yost fired? Sorry. Nice try, unnamed co-worker, but you’re five months late for April Fools’ Day.
Oh, it’s not like the possibility hadn’t crossed my mind. When you write a sports column, you get asked a lot of sports-related questions, and it’s no different here at the Milwaukee Magazine office.
So the Monday morning questions about Ned Yost’s future were expected. Any chance he’d be fired after the Brewers got swept in Philly?
I said it would be a bold move, and I didn’t think Brewers general manager Doug Melvin would be so bold. Not after sticking by him after the 2007 collapse. Not after bypassing two chances to fire him back in May, when one timely hit prevented an eight-game losing streak and a subsequent sweep at Boston. Not after staying the course despite more recent sweeps at the hands of Chicago and the Mets.
So I didn’t really broach the subject when sitting down Monday morning to do this week’s original column (“Sunday, Bloody Sunday,” below in its entirety). Instead, I rehashed the Brewers’ Black Sunday, noted that the Brewers needed a feistier approach, and said it wasn’t too late for Yost to turn things around.
Some 15 minutes after I posted the column, you know what happened. That’s when the co-worker came to my desk and said a radio station was reporting Yost’s firing. I told her I didn’t believe her. Several times. When she didn’t crack a smile after the fifth denial…
Yeah, it was true. The Philly series was the final straw. You thought the Brewers went all-in with the Sabathia trade? Now they’ve anted up the deed to their house, too.
Many will construe this as a desperate move, and they’ll be absolutely right. But here’s the thing.
The Brewers are desperate. More than any franchise in baseball. It’s been 26 years since their last playoff date, folks. Nuns date more often.
And now, for a second straight year, with the playoffs so close that you could smell that extra batch of brats, it was slipping away. Again.
So Melvin and owner Mark Attanasio got bold. Unprecedented really, as no manager of a playoff contender has been fired so late in the season. And while thanking Yost for everything he’s done, they tacitly declared he could do no more.
Can interim manager Dale Sveum do better? Maybe, maybe not. But after a 3-11 September, it’s hard to do worse, and at least one player subscribed to that theory.
“I think we have sucked in September so far and I don’t think it’s his fault that we can’t hit or pitch right now but something had to change,” an anonymous Brewer told ESPN.com’s Amy K. Nelson, a quote that was later removed from the Web site’s main story on the move.
So now something has changed, and given the evidence at hand, it’s hard to argue the move. But one thing, the most important thing, remains the same.
The Brewers still have 12 games to make history, and it should be fun watching them try.
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Brew Crew finds its Death Valley. Now, can the team climb out of it?
Of course those despised Cubs threw a no-hitter at Miller Park. What else would you expect from the Brewers’ Black Sunday?
“The way things are going, it doesn’t surprise me,” said Ryan Braun. “It’s almost fitting.”
Like a batting glove.
It must be the second-worst day in franchise history, trailing only Game 7 of the 1982 World Series. But at least back then, Milwaukee fans gathered for a parade when their team came home.
The only thing they’d gather for now is a posse.
As for the Brewers, all things considered, they’d rather be out of Philadelphia. Faced with the club’s biggest day in 26 years, the Brewers laid their biggest egg, losing both ends of a doubleheader to the Phillies. Then, with the Philly faithful’s chants of “sweep, sweep, sweep,” still ringing in their ears, the Brewers watched Carlos Zambrano end Milt Pappas’ tenure as a trivia answer, much to the delight of 23,000 screaming Cubs schlubs. Then the Cubs celebrated in the Crew’s own clubhouse.
The perfect ending to a perfectly rotten weekend. Especially if you owned Lehman Brothers stock. Which reminds us again that baseball is just a silly game, not real life.
Still…
Four games against Philly, four losses, none by less than three runs. That’s the result from the franchise’s most important series since 1982.
Milwaukee’s lead in the wildcard race? Gone. A disappearing act. David Copperfield would be proud.
Through it all, a September record now at 3-11, Ned Yost’s response has remained the same. A Kevin Bacon Animal House special. Remain calm. All is well.
No, it’s not. No matter how many times Yost says so.
Once again, we turn to Braun, who so eloquently described the trip to Philly. “This series was a complete and total disaster,” the young slugger said. It’s a sharp contrast to Yost’s kumbaya approach, and one that’s desperately needed.
But even after the Philly debacle, here’s the most Yost would admit: “We’ve just been going through a rough stretch.”
You know. Kinda like that Lehman stock price.
It’s not all Yost’s fault. Suddenly his hitters can’t hit.
It’s not even mostly Yost’s fault. Suddenly his bullpen can’t pitch.
But it’s partly Yost’s fault, both for his actions and attitude.
No way lefty Brian Shouse should be facing righty Pat Burrell in the eighth inning of Sunday’s first game (result: game-winning hit), not when your right-handed closer is available and hasn’t pitched since Wednesday. No way Jason Kendall should catch both ends of a doubleheader (result: 0-for-5 with a walk), especially in 89-degree heat with three other catchers on your roster.
And no way do you pretend that everything’s fine when every piece of evidence tells you it’s not (result: a complete and total disaster).
It took Milwaukee 14 days to lose a 5 ½-game lead on the Phillies. Now they have 14 days to get a piece of it back.
I’ve long said that Ned Yost is a subpar in-game manager, particularly when it comes to pitching changes, but he might make up for it by being a fine clubhouse manager. His teams have had excellent chemistry, particularly this season. Witness the Corey Hart All-Star celebration, the seamless transition of Sabathia into the fold, the complete lack of finger-pointing at one another even during severe “rough stretches.”
But even Yost’s clubhouse presence may be in doubt now. He’s obviously got no answer for a second straight late-season meltdown, and only 12 games to find one.
The good news is, it’s not too late.
Perhaps Yost should start simple. Like sitting everyone down and watching Harvey’s Wallbangers, the documentary on that 1982 team.
I’m serious. Job No. 1 is getting his players to feel good about themselves again. Maybe watching their Brew Crew ancestors do exactly that will spill over into these last 12 games. Maybe they’ll see what they’ve got to look forward to rather than look back at what they’ve lost.
The Brewers can still have a parade instead of a posse, still be victorious instead of victimized. But only they can choose which path to take.
As for Yost, well, the man usually thinks he’s the smartest baseball guy in the room. Now it’s time to prove it.
Quote of Note
“How bout the Brewers putting up a seven-run inning?”
– Brian Anderson, Brewers/FSN play-by-play man and ever the optimist, a half-inning before the Phillies completed their sweep Sunday night with a 6-1 win.
Quote of Note II
“There’s a sense of panic, anxiety. The team picks up on it. He’s a Nervous Nellie. A manager is supposed to calm you down, not rile you up.”
– An anonymous scout, on the Brewers and Ned Yost, courtesy of Ken Rosenthal of foxsports.com.
In other news…
Brewers Fire Manager (but not the one you think)
All I know about Frank Kremblas is what his bio says and what his former players say. But according to those sources, there’s plenty to like about the man who just spent four years as the Brewers’ Triple-A manager in Nashville.
First, his resumé. His teams won division titles in three of the past four years, and he had just two losing seasons in eight years as a minor league manager in the Brewers organization. Not too shabby.
And the testaments from former players, who now make up the core of the big-league Brewers, are even better.
“He has been an inspiration to us all, so you really hate to see him go,” said Tony Gwynn Jr.
“He’s a great manager, a great baseball guy,” gushed Corey Hart.
So why are the Brewers cutting him loose?
Basically, the Brewers told Kremblas there wouldn’t be a spot on the big-league staff for him. Which should come as no surprise. He’s been passed over for big-league roles twice before.
The follow-up question: why?
Maybe because he’s too well-liked by the players.
Just speculating here, but picture Kremblas on the same staff as Ned Yost. It reeks of a recipe for disruption. Who would the players bond with more, would trust more, when the chips are down?
My guess is it’s the guy whose “best strength is managing personalities and making players forget about their surroundings and just play.”
Sounds like a quality the Brewers could use right now. Problem is, Gwynn said that about Kremblas, and he’s looking for a job.
Packers Preview
I know I promised part II of a Packers preview this week, but those pesky Brewers got in the way. So here’s the truncated version.
Green Bay wins the NFC North with a 10-6 record, holding off those pesky Chicago Bears by a single game. Minnesota fans wonder what went wrong in a 7-9 season punctuated by brisk sales of Tarvaris Jackson voodoo dolls. And the Detroit Lions, thanks to a Thanksgiving Day win over Tennessee, barely avoid going 0-16 (seriously, look at their schedule and find a win).
In the playoffs, though, the NFC East is just too strong. The Packers lose a first-round game to either Philadelphia or the Giants, while Dallas goes on to win the Super Bowl (yeah, it pains me to even write it, but they’re just too darn good).
Still, it’s a season Packers fans will remember fondly. Aaron Rodgers becomes the quarterback Green Bay hoped for, and even stays healthy, letting everyone finally move past the Brett Favre divisiveness. Meanwhile, Favre really retires after a first-round playoff loss with the Jets, and is welcomed back with open arms at Green Bay’s 2009 home-opener, where his jersey is retired with appropriate fanfare.
And everyone’s one big happy family again.
And finally…
Back in February, Ned Yost finally opened up to the Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt about the collapse of 2007. For some reason, this seems like a good idea to revisit the article, including this quote.
“People thought I was crazy,” Yost said, “but I had to stick up for my players.”
The more things change…
Tune in every Tuesday morning during the 6 o’clock hour when I join Doug Russell and Mike Wickett on SportsRadio 1250 AM for Tuesdays with Howie. And don’t forget to check out our Bar Time column.
