The firing of manager Davey Lopes Thursday was justified, but Brewers' GM Dean Taylor can't stop here.
First, Taylor needs to go after an experienced manager to replace Lopes. Then, he needs to make some moves to improve the player personnel of the club.
A good coach doesn't automatically make a great manager. The Brewers should have learned that after Phil Garner and Lopes, two very respected coaches, failed as managers of the club.
Jerry Royster, the interim manager, has managed in the minors for San Diego and Los Angeles. He was the Manager of the Year in the Padres' organization in 1996 after he guided the AAA Las Vegas Stars to the Pacific Coast League second half pennant.
If the Brewers can turn it around under him, Royster deserves a shot at the fulltime position.
Felipe Alou recently became the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers. He is 66, and might not want the Milwaukee situation. But, the Brewers certainly should make a run at him.
You might scoff at this one, but how about former manager Tom Trebelhorn, now a coach with the Orioles? Trebelhorn had a winning record during his five seasons as Milwaukee manager and probably never would have been fired if it had not been for Gary Sheffield, who has repeated his role as a bane on managers in several other cities since Milwaukee.
Trebelhorn also is married to Summerfest director Bo Black, and probably would not mind living in Milwaukee year around.
Buck Showalter was mentioned Thursday, but talk to the Arizona D-Backs about him. There are reasons they didn't win a World Series until he was gone.
Paul Molitor's name immediately was bantied about Thursday. Molitor does have a good baseball mind, and would get fans excited. But, he has never managed. Remember Bart Starr and Forrest Gregg in Green Bay. A great hometown hero as a player is no guarantee to remain so as a head coach or manager.
{INSERT_RELATED}Ditto for Cecil Cooper, who has joined the coaching staff, and Robin Yount, who more or less said recently he's not ready to be a manager.
Whoever becomes manager will need more to work with. When asked if he is still pursuing deals to unload one of his third basemen, Taylor said, "We are talking to people all the time and would be willing to make any deal that improves the club."
That's become a standard line for Taylor, who does not talk specifics about deals. He will have to make some specific deals though if the Brewers are going to improve.
BCR asked Taylor if he was feeling some heat himself. In baseball, firing the manager often is seen as a way for the GM to take some heat off himself.
"Sure, I feel some," Taylor said. "This is a very difficult day. Nobody wanted to see Davey win more than I did. You always feel heat in this job. It comes with the territory."
Awkward Circumstances
"Davey Lopes raised me professionally." That's how Jerry Royster described his relationship with the man he succeeded as manager.
"We talked for a long time about working together," Royster said. "Tears were shed today, but he also is happy for me. He told me that this morning. He said, ‘you're the best guy for this job now that I'm gone'."
Royster said pitching coach Dave Stewart also was in Milwaukee because of Lopes. "I don't know what Stew will do now," Royster said. "I hope he stays here because I need him."
The Brewers are bound to play better baseball, according to Royster. "We can't keep playing like we have all season. It's impossible," he said. "These guys will start hitting, and when they do we will be better. It won't have anything to do with me becoming the manager. It cost Davey his job. But, they will get better."
Gregg Hoffmann writes the regular Brew Crew Review on Thursdays and The Milwaukee Sports Buzz on Mondays for OMC. He covered the Lopes on the BCR news and message board and elsewhere on this site.
