gambitto

This guy is a terrible GM.

I know the season is only 19 games old but with a managerial record hovering around .500 and a payroll around $200 million, the time has come to fire Joe Girardi. The only thing Girardi has proven during his two stints as manager (Florida and New York) is that he is incapable of managing youngsters as well as the largest payroll in baseball. Simply, he is a mediocre manager.

Yes, pitching coach Dave Eiland is about the worst coach ever and he shouldn't be anywhere near major league talent but Girardi is ultimately the one who needs to take the fall.

It is very hard to see Girardi surviving the season especially if the team continues to falter. Who would replace Girardi? While I would like to see Don Mattingly return to the Yankees as manager (he should have been hired instead of Girardi in the first place), he would have to be a candidate after the season ended. At this point, I wouldn't care who takes over as long as Girardi and Eiland are gone. The Yankees have the talent in place, they just need the right person to steer the ship.

BTW, GM Brian Cashman needs to go as well. The Pavano and Igawa deals alone should have gotten him canned long ago.

Now that the Chargers season is officially over at 4-6, who will be the new head coach and GM heading into 2009? Bill Cowher would be a good choice as head coach. The hiring of a qualified GM is what the Chargers really need at this point. GM A.J. Smith ranks as one of the worst GMs in NFL history. He almost makes Matt Millen appear competent. How can you stick with a kicker like Nate Kaeding after watching him choke time and time again in big games. Remember the playoff loss to the Jets at home? The FG attempt against the Eagles that was returned for a TD? Choke job against the Ravens? Whenever the Chargers lose a close game, I always look at the kicker stats and it's almost guaranteed that there are some missed points from chip-shot FGs.

Then you draft Eric Weddle who has done nothing but get burned consistently, waste a second round draft pick for an over the hill WR in Chambers then hire two of the worst coaches in NFL history in Norv (.442 winning pct) Turner and Ted Cottrell. Cottrell was such a bad defensive coordinator that he was out of the league when the Chargers called. A coach that all of the NFL teams didn't want is suddenly going to help coach your team to a Super Bowl title? As for Norv, it was always said that he would have better record if he had the talent, well he has proven that he can fail with talent or without.

A.J. Smith was not qualified to be GM. He got the job because John Butler died. It was Butler that drafted LT, Brees and brought in a solid scouting dept and coaching staff in Marty, Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips. A.J. Smith has received the credit for Butler's work but he has accomplished nothing on his own. It is time for the Chargers to fire A.J. Smith and his handpicked lackey Norv Turner and for the Chargers to bring in an established football management team and coaches.

Now that the Chargers' season is officially over, what should the Spanos family do with the laughingstock GM A.J. Smith and the lousy coaching staff?  Another week and another late game blunder by Norv Turnover and Ted "the best Offensive Coordinator any opposting team ever had" Cottrell.  What will be GM A.J. "I take credit for late GM John Butler's moves" Smith's excuse this year? It is a shame that the scouting dept Butler built and franchise players that Butler drafted are being wasted with the pathetic coaches hired by Smith and his massive ego. It has become clear that Norv Turnover is the wrong person to be coaching this team and they need to give Bill Cowher a call and give him total control of the franchise.

Eight game winning streak, then the big trade and now back to struggling with a 5-9 record since. Having the extra right handed bat doesn't mean much when you're giving up a ton of runs. The Yankees have $86 million dollars sitting in the minors in Igawa and Pavano yet they are starting Giese, Ponson and Kennedy. When is GM Brian Cashman going to take blame for this mess? I'm sure glad the NFL season is back.

While most people are talking about the Yankees' acquisitions, I am ecstatic over the subtraction of Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins from the roster. These two were absolutely dreadful and regardless of who they plug into the eighth inning role, I'm sure that person can do a better job than these two. How many times could you watch Farnsworth start an inning off by allowing the first batter to reach or watch him give up the tying homer? Farnsworth only pitches well when there is no pressure. As for Hawkins, his uniform number fiasco doomed him from the start. He's just a terrible pitcher who also doesn't handle pressure well.

Five in a row since the All-Star break and now only three and half games back from first, the Yankees have been playing well. The pitching has been very good lately with the bullpen doing ridiculously well. It is going to be a tough decision if/when Bruney becomes ready to come back to the big club. The current bullpen bunch have been solid in covering the seventh, eighth and ninth.

Ponson and Rasner has kept the team in the game for 5-6 innings which is all the Yankees could ask for at this point. With some players returning to health (Kennedy, Hughes, Bruney, maybe Wang), I hope the Yankees don't trade a Kennedy or Hughes for a reliever like Fuentes or a starter like Burnett. Stick to the transition plan and see where this group can end the season.

I am glad the Yankees have been able to gain more ground on the Rays as well as the Red Sox but they really need to improve on the hitting if they are going to be a serious threat. They left a ridiculous amount of runners on base during the A's series. Maybe getting Damon in the lineup will provide a spark but something needs to change.

As for other news, I was glad to read that Bruney has been pitching well and without pain down in the minors. It looks like Bruney, Kennedy and maybe even Hughes could be back sometime in August. I hope the Yankees keep David Robertson around and dump Hawkins when the time comes for one of them to be recalled. I like Robertson and while he isn't the second coming of Joba, he does display good poise and there is no doubt that this guy is going to stay in the bullpen since the Yankees have been playing him there since his arrival.

I was so glad that Molina was behind the plate in the 9th instead of Posada. That was a heck of a throw to end the game.