Predictions on Daniels' GM talk

by Brett Perryman on Oct 4, 2006 3:24 PM CDT

at the PC?

You know he'll claim to take a lot of the blame, and act disappointed, but this is a great day for him. He'll probably also make a point that it's management making the decision and not the players.

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he'll pull a NY KNICKS...

and Hicks will make JD manager.

"he created this mess, and i'm gonna give him the chance to make it work"

just kidding...they'll announce RA Dickey as manager.

by neatfreakgeek on Oct 4, 2006 3:24 PM CDT reply actions

I hope someone asks specific questions like what are the important qualities of the next manager, how do you hope to have the next manager treat the young pitchers. If the Rangers don't make the playoffs next year, who gets the blame?

by rooster on Oct 4, 2006 3:36 PM CDT reply actions

I tell you one thing...

while listening to this conference...

This kid is GOOD.

Trey Hillman for Rangers Manager 2007! Yes...I do have a man-crush and I'm not afraid to admit it.

by ortonius on Oct 4, 2006 3:44 PM CDT reply actions

where are you listening to it

is it on the internet?

by ab03 on Oct 4, 2006 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Please...

...provide a recap when you get a chance for those of us who can't listen.

by tlt29 on Oct 4, 2006 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep

He is very articulate and well spoken and very straight forward with his answers.

by brian mac on Oct 4, 2006 3:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Will there be an audio archive somewhere?

And can I download it and listen whenever I'm feeling a little blue?

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Oct 4, 2006 3:49 PM CDT reply actions

Here's a small recap

Mostly generic stuff.

Stated that this was his recommendation, his call. He recommended this move to Hicks, and Hicks agreed with him

Said he didn't speak to the players on this decision.

He said the only sit down meeting he's had with the players recently was a talk with Mike Young about a radio interview (damage control over what Hicks said, I assume)

He said that he felt like discussing this decision with the players would be innapropriate. Said they needed to be somewhat comfortable, but at the end of the day they need to play hard for whatever person is in that manager position.

Said the decision was simply that they needed a different leader to move the club forward from here.

Jim Reeves, clearly pushing an agenda, kept bringing up payrol and what Buck had to work with, trying to get JD to explain what exatley he expected from this year. JD finally stated that he felt like this team, while not on the level of the A's, was better than an 80 win team.

JD stated that payroll is is not an excuse for losing, pointed out teams with lower payroll are in the playoffs. On a followup for Reeves, JD stated that he looked at payroll as a way to make up for mistakes on player development.

Stated that the marketing of the team was a secondary factor in this decision.

Said he's working on a list of candidates, doesn't want to discuss them just yet.

If I think of anything I missed I'll post it.

by jthig32 on Oct 4, 2006 4:00 PM CDT reply actions

Yep...

that's pretty much it. I liked that he took full responsibility for the decision. He was asked why Hicks wasn't there...and said that they had decided that JD, and JD alone needed to handle this press conference since it was his recommendation.

Trey Hillman for Rangers Manager 2007! Yes...I do have a man-crush and I'm not afraid to admit it.

by ortonius on Oct 4, 2006 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions

Huh.

It's going to disappoint some people how little the players mattered in the final decision.

by hightowersmith on Oct 4, 2006 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm sure they mattered

He knew what was going on.

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Oct 4, 2006 4:50 PM CDT up reply actions

So...

"Said the decision was simply that they needed a different leader to move the club forward from here."

And he was lead to conclude this from what information? Kind of a critical question, since JD stated in the middle of Sept. that he had no plans to change manager.

Was it the way the Rangers played the final two weeks? They did win a smaller percentage of games against their opponents during the final two weeks than they did against the same opponents earlier.

by rooster on Oct 4, 2006 4:18 PM CDT reply actions

nothing JD said two weeks ago

made anyone think Buck was staying, it seemed like a non-statement, or avoiding a real statement at the time.

by t ball on Oct 4, 2006 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Well..

JD all but admitted that he answered the only way he could when asked that question during the season.

I mean, what did you want him to say?

by jthig32 on Oct 4, 2006 4:29 PM CDT up reply actions

JD

Said there was no plans to change managers at that time. He wasn't going to say 'yup, Buck is working his notice and as soon as this sorry excuse of a season comes to an end I'm packing his bags and booting him out of the organisation' because that wouldn't have been respectful.

He never gave any hint that Buck's job was safe in the long-term.

Roll on Tuesday! Say buh-bye, Buck.

by shrinking violet on Oct 4, 2006 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions

he said

that he had "no plan to change managers at this time..." -- as he explained it, during the season, the focus needs to stay on the field..and at THAT time, he was not going to change managers (ie time left in the season)

it was a play on words.

by neatfreakgeek on Oct 4, 2006 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Hillman

i don't think the players, nor myself, would like some bible beating god controls the game curt schilling bs in the clubhouse. gay. no thanks. i know it's the south, but please, give me a break.

by jTj on Oct 4, 2006 4:33 PM CDT reply actions

wrong diary dude

"Despite being post Revolution, do you have any idea of the writings of Tocqueville? Read the bible and get back to me with tacit consent." Booyahcaveman

by Brian Thomas on Oct 4, 2006 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions

How does this happen?

I've noticed it before. Do people move onto different articles, think of what they want to say about the last one they read, and post in the wrong place by mistake? Or is it technical?

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Oct 4, 2006 4:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Eh...

Still didn't really make sense to me.

by hightowersmith on Oct 4, 2006 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions

No...

I won't give you a break. And no one cares what your opinion is.

Trey Hillman for Rangers Manager 2007! Yes...I do have a man-crush and I'm not afraid to admit it.

by ortonius on Oct 4, 2006 5:30 PM CDT up reply actions

oooo....big man ortonius....

my post appeared where i wanted it to....in response to ortonius' hillman-weenie going crazy in his siganture line. i wanted you, ortonius, to read it. didn't feel like going back to the hillman article thread. so what. suck it.

just voicing my opposition to an overt presence of bible-beating in the clubhouse, i don't see that going over real well. what about that do you not get, hightowersmith?

slayer,
jones

by jTj on Oct 4, 2006 6:29 PM CDT up reply actions

w/out joing the insult parade

I also would have a problem with an "overt bible beater" running my team.

I think things like that can be very exclusionary if the man in charge allows it to permeate into everything he does and says in the clubhouse.

But I've never heard of this being a problem with Hillman. Perhaps he handles the seperation of church and state well enough to make it a non-issue among those who do not share his belief in God.

"Buck wants to do the best for this team, he bleeds blue" -Tom Hicks "So if I bleed a color, can I be a coach?" -Miles

by thedirkatron on Oct 4, 2006 6:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah

I've never heard of it being a problem before. Johnny Oates was also pretty religious and I can't remember anyone having a problem with him.

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Oct 4, 2006 6:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Religious

So was Jerry Narron.

by RCCook on Oct 4, 2006 7:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Thank you

for making my point. You can't judge someone by something that was written in an article overseas. You and I have no idea how Hillman would act if he were here. I am a religious person and have very strong beliefs, but I don't try and convince people to believe what I believe. I think that's the wrong approach...and one most Christians make too often.

My point is...to say that you don't want someone as the manager of your baseball team, because of what his religious beliefs are, is asinine. I could care less if he's republican, democrat, gay, baptist, mormon or jewish, I want to win...and it's my opinion that he would win here. I don't believe that would have any impact on one's capability to be a baseball manager.

I assume you would or wouldn't hire someone based on any of those criteria. I sure wouldn't.

If you knew for a fact that Hillman would manage this team to a World Series, would you still not hire him because he has strong beliefs that are different than yours?

Trey Hillman for Rangers Manager 2007! Yes...I do have a man-crush and I'm not afraid to admit it.

by ortonius on Oct 4, 2006 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions

To whooooom

...are you talking?

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Oct 4, 2006 7:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Dustin...

I was thanking you and RCCook for your examples. The rest of the rant is directed towards jTj and his post about not wanting a bible-beater as the Rangers manager

Trey Hillman for Rangers Manager 2007! Yes...I do have a man-crush and I'm not afraid to admit it.

by ortonius on Oct 4, 2006 8:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree and disagree

The article was written based on a talk he gave in Texas. In that, he said he was designing a witness card to give to his players at spring training. He didn't say he was giving it to everyone. But, without researching it, but I'm guessing most Japanese players are not Christian. So if he was going to give it players that were not Christian, then that would seem to be an attempt at conversion.

But I agree - you can't rule out a manager because of religious beliefs. That's not only stupid, that's illegal. But I also don't think the Rangers should hire a manager that's going to try and convert players into Christians or try to make them better Christians. That crosses a line.

Personally, from the article you linked, I think Hillman is going beyond standing up for his beliefs to pushing his beliefs on others, and I think that would make for a bad atmosphere. I don't know everything about the guy, but that's my opinion based on your article.

Fire Buck, DFA everyone, burn down the stadium.

by WyoRanger on Oct 4, 2006 9:25 PM CDT up reply actions

ha

The article in Crazy Fundementalist Magazine or whatever? They're going to play up those angles.

Nobody cares about your fantasy or video game teams.

by Dustin on Oct 4, 2006 9:45 PM CDT up reply actions

jTj

Your post is over the top with attitude. And why is it so much to ask that you actually reply to ortonius in the right place? If you want anyone to take your posts seriously, reply in the right place with something better than 'suck it'.

by t ball on Oct 4, 2006 7:59 PM CDT up reply actions

over the top....

is subjective. 'suck it' is just plain funny. does anyone have a sense of humor?

by jTj on Oct 5, 2006 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions

raise the bar for funny

suck it is just a defensive, cheap stab, not real wit.

by t ball on Oct 5, 2006 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions

i disagree....

did you just call me a mexican?

also, i agree with WyoRanger...i have no problem with religious managers or people, just those who ortonious pointed out that try and force feed it to people. i never said that i was opposed to religious managers. religion should be a personal thing, and in my opinion, shouldn't be on prominent display in a major league clubhouse by its manager. those guys are adults. they don't need their manager trying to get them baptized. that's all.

double suck it!! [insert darrell hammond impersonating sean connery on snl's celebrity jeopardy skit accent]

by jTj on Oct 5, 2006 2:18 PM CDT up reply actions

double suck it

now that's funny!

Mexican, huh? I don't understand.

by t ball on Oct 5, 2006 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions

You know what's funny

When you channeled Goodfellas to tell off longhorn: "Now go home and get your fucking shine box."

That, bro, was funny. Too bad you caved in afterward. You had me smiling big on that one...

"Despite being post Revolution, do you have any idea of the writings of Tocqueville? Read the bible and get back to me with tacit consent." Booyahcaveman

by Brian Thomas on Oct 5, 2006 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Is JD implying...

"JD finally stated that he felt like this team, while not on the level of the A's, was better than an 80 win team."

Does he imply the failure to win more than 80 games is primarily due to the disconnect between Showalter and the players?

by rooster on Oct 4, 2006 4:49 PM CDT reply actions

Was it Burnt

that said that JD was Buck's puppet and that Buck really ran the show?

by Longhorn on Oct 4, 2006 5:55 PM CDT reply actions

Link to news conference

I just saw this on the Seamheads blog.

Link

by Scott S on Oct 4, 2006 6:39 PM CDT reply actions

JD is one smart, well-prepared man

I just watch some of the press conference and I am impressed with how this 29-yr. old handles himself. None of the questions caught him by surprise or addled him, and his words are as well chosen as any politician's. This is the kind of person you need running a team in this media-saturated time.

We might not agree with everything he does, but we will know that he worked hard and thought out his choices very carefully.

by t ball on Oct 4, 2006 8:06 PM CDT reply actions

I agree...

I was very impressed today.

Trey Hillman for Rangers Manager 2007! Yes...I do have a man-crush and I'm not afraid to admit it.

by ortonius on Oct 4, 2006 8:10 PM CDT up reply actions

T you are a damn smart guy

You must be, I agree with you so much.

The thing that strikes me about Daniels when I hear him in an interview or press conference is the honesty. He's one of the few people in his line of work that's realized everything is so much easier if you just shoot straight.

The guy's honest. He's accountable (a fairly elusive trait in 21st century DFW). He's decisive. He's proactive. He's bright, but he isn't afraid to lean on the advice of others. No ego. And he's got some balls.

What the hell more could we ask for?

"Despite being post Revolution, do you have any idea of the writings of Tocqueville? Read the bible and get back to me with tacit consent." Booyahcaveman

by Brian Thomas on Oct 5, 2006 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions

not just honest

but well spoken. If you're honest and too blunt you just create a media firestorm like Hicks. JD is honest but says it in the right way so that no feelings get hurt inadvertantly, he says things with respect and thoughtfulness. The kind of guy that would make a good consigliere.

by t ball on Oct 5, 2006 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions