278 replies to this topic

[glenn__davis]

Like I said in the other thread, all I cared about was that Elias targeted someone he wanted and didn't just "fall back" to Manso.  Seems like that happened here, and the fact that he appears to have had interest from other organizations is a good sign as well.  Aside from that, no idea how well he will do.

 

Agree fully with Mackus' point regarding the coaching staff.  Hope this guy gets the chance to turnover as much of the staff as he wants.

[BSLChrisStoner]

If they bounce back because they return to playing sharp like they did until the inexplicable downturn in June of '24, then he'll deserve that credit. As will whatever player leaders help lead that return to quality effort and focus.

 

When they bounce back, that's what's going to be said, sure. 

[jamesdean]

Considering he doesn't have any major league experience as a manager, its obviously a risk. But, I think more than anything, Elias recognized that the culture of this team had to change on the field, and that's a good thing. He could have just stayed with Masolino and stubbornly believed that 2025 was an aberration. So, good for him to realize that wasn't good enough. Albernaz needs to construct his own staff and wipe the slate clean of what precedes him. Bringing back coaches who uniformly failed to deliver would be a mistake.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Considering he doesn't have any major league experience as a manager, its obviously a risk. But, I think more than anything, Elias recognized that the culture of this team had to change on the field, and that's a good thing. He could have just stayed with Masolino and stubbornly believed that 2025 was an aberration. So, good for him to realize that wasn't good enough. Albernaz needs to construct his own staff and wipe the slate clean of what precedes him. Bringing back coaches who uniformly failed to deliver would be a mistake.

They were 60-59 with Mansolino under not good circumstances. 
The team should be better next year. 

A 60-59 record is a .504 winning percentage.
In the American League, a .504 winning percentage for the season would have had the O's 5.5 games outside of the 3rd Wild Card. 

 

Going from .500 ish to Wild Card contention doesn't take much. 

 

Going from .500 ish to 95 wins and a division championship isn't going to be about the Manager.  At-least imo. 

 

Albernaz is a great bet for Manager of the Year. 
I'll be on FanDuel placing that. 

 

Part of me would have liked to have seen the Orioles place a coat rack in the dugout and called that Manager. 

[Mackus]

Baffling opinion. Manager isn't about wins and losses or strategy as much as it is about leadership. When everything is fine, that leadership isn't always needed. But this team desperately lacked leadership under Hyde. The manager is only a part of that, the players carry an equal share. But the manager can help establish the player leadership needed to avoid the types is carelessness that can turn cost you runs over a long stretch.

[BobPhelan]

Chris caping for Manso is weirder than Brandon being Flaherty or nothing.

I was told last night changes are coming before the hire was announced and I got the vibe that referred to the coaches as well as the manager. Guessing all are announced together in the next few days.

[BSLChrisStoner]

What I said in the Mgr candidate thread: 

 

Just hire Manso and move on.

It's borderline irrelevant.

The team is going to rebound and whoever is Mgr is going to get too much credit for that lift.

Manso just spent 100+ games in the chair.
They were right around .500.
There was familiarity there.
They won't have to spend the Winter getting to know the new guy.

If you don't want him, find one guy with experience who has won. So everyone can simultaneously pretend that guy, "Knows how to win."

Just need a guy that communicates effectively to the team, the FO and Ownership, and the media.

That works well in conjunction with the FO.

That holds players accountable but doesn't throw them under the bus in public.

Has attention to detail.

Has a mentality for a 162 games, where you can't be too high or to low any individual night.

Most of the job we will never see.
Its just relationships.

I do think you could make a bad hire (someone with low emotional iq, an inability to communicate effectively, etc), which should get you back to known commodities vs a first time hire.

How Manso was at the above is now known internally. Did he communicate effectively with the team and FO? They know the answer there whatever it is.

In this game of retreads you can't find one guy with the experience of a 'proven winner', that can sit in the seat?

As much as I lampoon the importance and know whoever the next guy is will have numerous articles written about his vast influence and importance to the 2026 rebound... I can get behind the idea of there being something to the collective psyche (players and fans alike), of having a guy that you know can do the job, because he has done it before.

Bringing in a first time Manager outside of Manso just invites more questions. Doesn't mean they can't be successful (and I think they would be).

 

 

 

 

There is some value with the pieces of the job we don't see, I agree with that. 
I don't place much value in that value. 

[BobPhelan]

I’m as pro-Elias as anyone can be and an internal hire would’ve been the biggest mistake of his tenure. You have to be willing to evolve no matter how smart you are and it was clear an outside voice was needed.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Chris caping for Manso is weirder than Brandon being Flaherty or nothing.

I was told last night changes are coming before the hire was announced and I got the vibe that referred to the coaches as well as the manager. Guessing all are announced together in the next few days.

I don't have any opinion on Manso other than he was just there for 119 games, and you were over .500 with him in a bad situation. 

And now you are replacing him with a first time Manager. 

If you were going to hire someone different, I'd have hired someone the players, media, and fans could all point to and say, "That guy knows how to win." 

 

Instead you hired another question mark. 

 

Again, it's fine, they hired a guy they are comfortable with.

 

The team will rebound, he'll get plenty of credit. I think too much credit.

If he adds value in the things we never see, great.

[glenn__davis]

I give Manso a ton of credit, more than most, for righting the ship and making it respectable down the end.

 

That said, despite the .500 record, it still was a team playing very uninspired baseball.  It was still a team that couldn't seem to get the big hit, or make the big play, or do what it needed to do to win.  Too many fundamental mistakes, lazy errors, mental things that weren't good.  And certainly not all of that is on Manso, in fact most probably is not, but sometimes you just need a new voice.

 

I'm appreciative of Manso and truly do hope he gets a shot somewhere else, and he may even do well there.  But a refresh was needed here.

[BobPhelan]

Manso would’ve been worse than a first time manager IMO he proved to be in over his head. Also, Roch reporting that he’s not expected to be back.

[weird-O]

Man, this is a HUGE get for the O's. I've been a big fan of his, since he signed with TB, and other such things that I just learned 3 minutes ago. 

[Slidemaster]

Every great manager is at one point a first-time manager. There are too many examples of a manager or a coach completely changing the culture of a team and the players responding in kind for me to think it doesn't make a difference, regardless of sport.

[weird-O]

Things to remember:

Managers don't matter

Pitching doesn't matter

[BSLSteveBirrer]

In trying to be more positive in my posts I'll just refrain comment on this one...

[You Play to Win the Game]

When they bounce back, that's what's going to be said, sure.

Why shouldn't it be said? Are you suggesting only Elias should get credit if we do win? Why does who or how much credit one gets matter to you?

[BaltBird 24]

Can't imagine why anyone would be crapping on Albernaz when literally 99% of us never even heard of the guy before last night.

[glenn__davis]

In trying to be more positive in my posts I'll just refrain comment on this one...

 

Dont see how anyone, unless you're REALLY in the know in the baseball world, could be either overly-positive or overly-negative.  

 

Seems like a respected guy, with interest from other organizations, and CLE fans don't want to see him go.  All good signs but hardly bellwethers on whether or not he'll be a good manager.  We just have to wait and see. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Haha, too short. Can't make this stuff up.

Listed at 5'8 probably means 5'6 though

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Look, attention to detail and fixing the fundamentals would be huge. As is leadership skills. It does seem Elias targeted this guy with that stuff in mind. Im encouraged for now. Its the same things I wouldve expected Flaherty to address