Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria said that he was "part of the organizational decision-making process" to move GM Dan Jennings to manager after the firing of Mike Redmond, but added that he "did not make the call on his own," according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. Loria "can't understand the uproar" over the hire, and "believes this hiring makes perfect sense." He said, "People like to say this is controversial, different, outside the box. I can't think of anyone better suited for this job than him." Nightengale writes in the 139-year history of MLB, "few, if any managerial hirings have been more shocking." The move drew an "immediate outpouring of anger and resentment among the baseball hierarchy." And yet, there were "also a great deal of knowing nods and reservations of judgment." Jennings is "well-liked in this game," and a "gentleman who's widely been considered one of the game's finest talent evaluators." But the "danger with this hire" is that it is "a huge right-cross across the chops to every single major league manager, and minor league field personnel." It is "safe to say the Marlins made few friends in the managerial fraternity with this stunt" (USA TODAY, 5/19). Loria said, "This has nothing to do with Loria; this was an organizational decision." He defended the hire, saying, “It’s not revolutionary. Bobby Cox went from GM to manager. What you want are good baseball minds" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 5/18).
KNOW YOUR ROLE: MLB.com's Joe Frisaro noted the Marlins have "no plans to immediately fill Jennings' previous position" as GM. Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill and President David Samson, "with input from the entire front-office staff, will handle day-to-day front-office duties." Jennings, "who has 31 years of experience in player development, is under contract" through '18, and he will be "given the opportunity to slide back into the general manager position at the end of the season, should this unorthodox hire not work." The Marlins "didn't consider any other candidates" (MLB.com, 5/17). Loria said Jennings will "not wear two hats." But he acknowledged that Jennings "will be more involved in 'trades, personnel' and other front office business than the typical manager." In N.Y., Andy Martino wrote the "perceived boldness" of naming Jennings manager "derives from its acknowledgment that front offices are exhibiting increased influence over the field staff in the modern game" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 5/18). However, ESPN's Chris Singleton said the move is "disrespectful to the office or seat of a manager to put a GM without any experience into uniform on the field" (“Baseball Tonight, ESPN2, 5/19).
JEFF'S NEXT VICTIM? In Miami, Greg Cote writes Loria, "major-league leader in impatience, continues to regard stability like something you take penicillin to try to get rid of." Yesterday "was business as usual for a Marlins franchise always ready to panic and mash the reset button" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/19). ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez said, “This is classic Marlins. It’s impatient.” The Dallas Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw said if the team was going to fire Redmond, they "ought to have a real managerial candidate in mind” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 5/18). ESPN's Bomani Jones said, "Very often in situations like this where the general manager takes over as the coach or manager, it’s the owner saying, ‘You’re the one that made this mess, you’re the one that’s supposed to fix it.’ People had expectations of this team” (“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 5/18). CBSSPORTS.com's Jon Heyman noted some Marlins execs yesterday "suggested Jennings may be a better long-term fit for the team he helped put together as its GM over the last year and a half." But others will "simply view him as the next victim in a lengthening line of them." Jennings, "characteristically, didn't run from such a theory." He said, "Even my own mother, who I love, asked, 'Are you crazy?'" (CBSSPORTS.com, 5/18). Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton said, "The first thought of it in anyone's eyes is, what's going on here? So, it's only natural for the players to have that too. ... You just got to look to the positives of it and know he's a baseball guy and going to be here to turn us around" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 5/19).
HEY, MUST BE THE MONEY: Samson yesterday said the fact that Redmond and former manager Ozzie Guillen are still on the team's payroll "was not a factor at all" in the decision to name Jennings manager (PALM BEACH POST, 5/19). But in Ft. Lauderdale, Dave Hyde writes because it is the Marlins, "you can't rule out the money factor." Since they are still paying Guillen and Redmond, Hyde asks, "Why not get someone already on staff? It's an easy job, right?" If the Marlins "start winning, this move will be hailed as inspired as when Loria brought back Jack McKeon out of formaldehyde" in '03 and won the World Series. But that "might have been the last time Loria looked smart," as he "looks crazy here" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 5/19). ESPN's J.A. Adande said it begs the question if the Marlins "are just getting cheap all of a sudden after spending” $325M on Stanton. ESPN’s Tony Reali: “Those Marlins didn’t get cheap. Those Marlins went Marlins” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 5/18).
