Perlozzo Out; MacPhail new COO; Girardi/Johnson?

[ThomasTomasz]

Rumors of manager Sam Perlozzo on the hot seat have come to a head today, with the Baltimore Sun reporting that Perlozzo has been fired following an 0-6 week and two and a half years as field general of the Orioles.

Dave Trembley, the current bullpen coach, will take over duties as interim manager while the team looks for a replacement. Trembley has 20 years of minor league managing experience, including the past four in the Orioles farm system.

On ESPN, Buster Olney is reporting from various sources that Andy MacPhail, the former Chicago Cubs president, will be hired as Chief Operating Officer for the club, replacing Joe Foss, who left earlier in the season. Presumably, he will be hirer on the food chain than Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette.

The club is trying to set up a meeting with former Marlins manager Joe Girardi, who won NL Manager of the Year last season in his first and only season with Florida. He also spent time as an assistant coach in Chicago during MacPhail's tenure with the Cubs and would come from the Yankees.

The other potential candidate atop the Orioles list is former manager Davey Johnson, who led the club to the playoffs in both 1996 and 1997. He left after the 97 season, citing differences with owner Peter Angelos. However, he has been quoted recently as saying that he would be willing to put all of that behind him to return to the helm.

Currently, no timetable is established to interview or to hire either Girardi, Johnson, or another candidate.

The firing of Perlozzo could also mean the departure of pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Mazzone came to Baltimore when Perlozzo was officially named managr last season to coach with his childhood friend. Now that Perlozzo is gone, it could mean Mazzone could resign now, or at the end of the season. While the bullpen is struggling, Mazzone has done very well with the young starters, especially Erik Bedard and Daniel Cabrera. He also has done his usual reclamation projects with Brian Burres and Jeremy Guthrie.

The new manager would be the seventh for the club since 1997 (Trembley will be the sixth.) This change is not going to change much. The club is still not run by baseball minds, but by an owner who is concerned more for profit and the bottom line. Angelos wants to win, but prefers to cut corners in doing so. Flanagan and Duquette know what they are doing, as does the new COO MacPhail, but they will continue to be hamstrung as long as Angelos requires the final say in all matters.

I will be here reporting on any new rumors on the O's job as soon as I hear them.

[OsBros&NattyBos]

Of course the coach of the bullpen, the weakest part of our team will be the interim head coach, be has been a manager in the minor league so it isn't an idiotic move.

I use to hate Flanagan for his poor decisions, but lately it seems like he has been making better moves with getting young prospects, but with the O's heading towards their 10th strait losing season, he has had high enough draft picks that you shouldn't mess up picking good prospects. I would love to see Andy MacPhail come in and seal the trade deal for Mark Teixeira (without losing Markakis, I hope).

I personally would like to see Davey Johnson come back, however Girardi is apparently talking with the Orioles now, Johnson was talking with them a few days ago, so I am sure we will find out shortly. Girardi now that I think about it wouldnt be a bad manager to have at all.

I don't necessarily believe that Leo Mazzone will leave even though Sam was fired. This is a business and Mazzone under stands that. With the plethora of young talented pitchers Mazzone has to work with in Baltimore, I don't know why he would want to leave. He is already known as a pitching genius he has 3 or 4 pitchers that he could make all star and be known as a God of all Ptching Coaches. If Mazzone does leave it will be upsetting just seeing how well the Starting Pitchers have been playing this season now that Mazzone has gotten settled in Baltimore. Mazzone most likely saw this firing coming, just like all of Baltimore did.

Whoever is hired as the new manager will certainly sit down with Mazzone and do their best to keep him in Baltimore.

I hope this billionth managerial change will actually work out, expecially if we can land Teixeira.

[ThomasTomasz]

Of course the coach of the bullpen, the weakest part of our team will be the interim head coach, be has been a manager in the minor league so it isn't an idiotic move.

I use to hate Flanagan for his poor decisions, but lately it seems like he has been making better moves with getting young prospects, but with the O's heading towards their 10th strait losing season, he has had high enough draft picks that you shouldn't mess up picking good prospects. I would love to see Andy MacPhail come in and seal the trade deal for Mark Teixeira (without losing Markakis, I hope).

I personally would like to see Davey Johnson come back, however Girardi is apparently talking with the Orioles now, Johnson was talking with them a few days ago, so I am sure we will find out shortly. Girardi now that I think about it wouldnt be a bad manager to have at all.

I don't necessarily believe that Leo Mazzone will leave even though Sam was fired. This is a business and Mazzone under stands that. With the plethora of young talented pitchers Mazzone has to work with in Baltimore, I don't know why he would want to leave. He is already known as a pitching genius he has 3 or 4 pitchers that he could make all star and be known as a God of all Ptching Coaches. If Mazzone does leave it will be upsetting just seeing how well the Starting Pitchers have been playing this season now that Mazzone has gotten settled in Baltimore. Mazzone most likely saw this firing coming, just like all of Baltimore did.

Whoever is hired as the new manager will certainly sit down with Mazzone and do their best to keep him in Baltimore.

I hope this billionth managerial change will actually work out, expecially if we can land Teixeira.

Trembley is a good guy. He is respected and can keep this team together though the interim period. He'll also be a good guy for the new manager to keep around, as he knows many of the younger players from his time in the system.

Flanagan and Duquette are turning the minor leagues around, but it first falls with Joe Jordan, who is a drafting wizard and who is director of our minor league operations. He has made things more uniform, hired great coaches and mentors and really, making excellent draft choices. It falls on Jordan most of all to build the minors. His job is safest of all.

I'm a Davey Johnson guy. Girardi is great too, but he is a better manager for younger players. Johnson is more for a veteran team looking to compete. Although, Girardi should help out the young pitchers because he knows how to relate with them. Plus, Girardi could be brought in to help out with Wieters once he reaches the majors. I wouldn't mind either, but my preference lays with Johnson.

I hope Mazzone stays. I really do, he has helped out the young starters a ton. But, I can see where he would consider leaving the team. Hope he doesn't, but the possibility is there.

[OsBros&NattyBos]

They are saying that they are possibly going to be offering Perlozzo another coaching spot with the O's. That would lock Mazzone here for sure. Johnson or Girardi will add the fire this teem needs, I am with you and because of the past I like Johnson more, but it looks like the carpet is basically laid out for Girardi.

we will see