Ned Yost and the Brew Crew Part Ways

It came as no surprise to me that the Milwaukee Brewers finally did the right thing and fired Ned Yost yesterday. After an up-and-down season, sweeps by rivals Cubs and Phillies, and a fight in the clubhouse, this was a no brainer.

With 12 games left in the season, with a top rotation and a deadly offense, there is still a chance for the Brew Crew to earn a wild-card berth; however, Yost won't be around to screw it up.

It will be interesting to see how the players handle this firing, and if they respond. If they do screw it up and miss the playoffs, it will be interesting to see who gets the blame for that.

This speaks to a much larger issue of managerial screw ups. I am an avid fantasy baseballer, and I also gamble on sports everyday...Call me a degenerate, but let me say this: I am closer to the game than the average Joe Schmoe.

I pour over my fantasy rosters, and I keep up with just about every game, regardless if I have money on it or not, and let me tell you, managers screw up all the time and are not held accountable.

This firing hopefully will send a message that, if a manager makes decisions that people who follow the game closely know at the time your making them are wrong, AND you lose the game as a result...You should get canned.

I remember a one-run game that Sheets was pitching in, and in the seventh inning, he gave up back-to back doubles resulting in a run scored. Instead of pulling him, Yost kept him in and he gave up the tying run...The Brewers eventually lost the game.

Putting Gagne out there anytime the game is on the line is a boneheaded move, and not disciplining Prince Fielder for fighting is another example of Yost losing touch and losing his team.

You cannot allow the inmates run the asylum. As a manager, you MUST put the team first, not Sheets, Gagne's contract, or Fielder's home runs.

Let's look at some other managers and their horrible decisions that have cost their teams a few games.

My favorite is the move by the Twins' manager. In a tie game in the ninth, he puts Nathan out there, and of course they can't win it in the ninth...Well guess what, buddy. You just wasted your closer, and the Twins lost in the 10th. Why not put someone else out there and wait until you actually have a lead to protect before wasting your closer?

The other one I like is the D'backs' manager's blind faith in Lyon, who obviously was done as the closer months ago. The one game in particular I remember is when Lyon was sent out to pitch the eighth when the D'backs were down by two.

He pitched great, but in the ninth, the D'backs took a one-run lead. So what does the manager do...He sends Lyon out again. He gets two outs but then puts the next two batters on.

Then, instead of walking the next batter, who was having a good day at the plate and was the hero the night before by knocking in the wining run, the D'backs manager leaves Lyon in to pitch to the batter. What happens...Yup, you guessed it. A triple...Game over.

Let's look at the manager for the Giants. One on, two outs, up by two in the bottom of the ninth at Wrigley. Lee is up and the Giants decide to walk him and pitch to A-Ram.

WHAT!!!!

Who in their right minds would walk Lee to pitch to A-Ram, who makes a hobby of knocking in game-wining RBI? Walk A-ram as well and pitch to the guy who already had three strikeouts in the game! Guess what A-Ram did...Smack! Game-winning home run.

My point is this: As a manager, if people that follow the game are seeing that your decisions are bad ones before the outcome of the game, and you lose games because of it, you should be held accountable.

This is what happened to Yost, and I suspect the managers of the D'backs, Twins, and Giants will hear about it as well and hopefully be on a short leash.