Would we likely see LaRussa or Girardi managing any differently than they did in the NL? Is there a such thing as an NL manager vs. AL Manager? It seems a good manager would manage with what he’s given. It seems the M’s as a 4-cylindar, powerless machine should have played more station to station/motion baseball. The M’s have given it lipservice but not done it. Would a LaRussa or Girardi bring a style or change their style to meet the roster.

I may not be phrasing this clearly, so let me know if this makes no sense.

Of the above five teams, I’m least surprised at Tampa Bay and Toronto, simply because the alternative would be to try to beat the Yankees and Red Sox at their own game. Texas was so bad at doing things the “traditional way” that it made it easy to sell a new approach. I’m not as familiar with the NL teams, so I don’t know the story there.

While I may be oversimplifying things with the benefit of hindsight, the three AL teams were in a situation that encouraged a paradigm shift in terms of organizational development. The old way clearly wasn’t working, and any good businessman uses that situation to go back to the drawing board and see if there’s a better approach to try.

Do you think that Seattle’s management is in the same place right now where it realizes it needs a systematic change? Or do you think they are more likely to think that they just need to keep on doing what they’re doing, only better?

You can argue that you don’t think it will happen. You can’t argue that it has no chance of happening.

If Howard Lincoln et al haven’t heard of “statistical analysis” at this point (and let’s not forget, he’s the head of a corporation that could measure it’s revenue in relationship to billions of dollars) then we’re clearly sunk and even the most conservative owner would have fired him years ago.

Lincoln and the board are clearly aware of the different ‘types’ of GM available – a hire of LaRussa/Jocketty would indicate that they are eschewing a statistics-based approach. It’s not as if Billy Bean’s twin brother is the alternative to Jocketty – the alternative is a guy who (also) fits into the M’s culture.

As long as Lincoln and the Mariner’s board maintain this viewpoint, there is no ‘opportunity cost’ to hiring a scouting-based managerial staff, because they’re simply not going to hire someone who’s views are not in line with the board.

That’s a fun read, by the way, for any of you guys who are into roto stuff.

On a side note, the guy expressed bemusement at the fact that “Someone wrote a book detailing exactly how to win more games and run a team more efficiently, but only a few teams seem to care.” The Mariners, obviously, are NOT one of those teams.

“If Dave Duncan gets a better deal to become pitching coach somewhere else, I’m happy for him.”

“If Walt’s got something better out there, I would say, ‘You do whatever’s best for you.’ I’ve told the coaches that. If you’ve got something better, the loyalty card is really a bad card to play if you have respect for somebody and are friends with them.”

Duncan is under contract through 2008 and said Saturday that he has given little thought to his or La Russa’s status.

“If things change, then I’ll have something to think about,” Duncan said Saturday. “But I really don’t see any reason to think about that now.”"

Old School read stats too, just not as many.

I don’t think he’s a bad idea to replace McLaren, as long as he’s happy to do so under Antonetti.

I don’t know much about Duncan beyond some of those things (well, I guess all now)