Sports

The 10 MLB managers likely to face the most scrutiny this offseason

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2024

The 10 MLB managers likely to face the most scrutiny this offseason

Three down, how many more to go?

Over the past seven weeks, the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds have all fired their managers. If history is any indication, the turnover is only beginning.

A fourth job will open when Skip Schumaker exercises his “get out of jail free” card with the Miami Marlins. Other changes are almost certain, whether due to retirements, postseason flameouts or internal conflicts.

Sometimes, these things come out of nowhere. The Chicago Cubs’ hiring of Craig Counsell to replace David Ross at the end of last season was one such move. The St. Louis Cardinals’ firing of Mike Shildt after a 17-game winning streak propelled the team to a wild-card berth in 2021 was another.

Other times, the moves are more predictable. The White Sox’s dismissal of Pedro Grifol in early August was all but inevitable. Even the Reds’ dumping of David Bell earlier this week did not exactly qualify as a surprise.

Stuff will happen. Stuff always happens. Here’s a look at 10 managers under scrutiny:

It’s difficult to imagine the Dodgers blaming Roberts for the organization’s inability to keep pitchers healthy, especially when upper management passed on chances to scapegoat him for their Division Series losses in 2019, ‘22 and ‘23.

Since becoming manager in 2015, Roberts has led the Dodgers to eight NL West titles in nine years and a 106-win season the year they finished second. The team entering Wednesday had won 51 more regular-season games than its nearest competitor, as well as the 2020 World Series.

Blowing a four-game lead to the Padres with eight to play would have placed Roberts in jeopardy, but the Dodgers can clinch the NL West with a win on Thursday. A third straight upset defeat in the DS, however, is still possible. And such an outcome might compel president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to make a change.

Roberts, 52, is under contract through next season, which raises another question: If the Dodgers keep him, would they sign him to another extension or allow him to start 2025 as a lame duck? Based on his accomplishments, Roberts could rightly ask for more than the $8 million average annual salary the Cubs gave Counsell.

Boone’s fate, like Roberts’, might hinge on what happens in the postseason. The noise in New York certainly will grow louder if the Yankees make a quick exit in the DS or even if they advance to the American League Championship Series and perform the way they did in 2022, when they were swept by the Houston Astros.

The Yankees have made the playoffs in all but one of Boone’s seven seasons, and are tied with the Atlanta Braves for the third-most victories in the majors during that time. The current team, though, can be hard to watch. The Yankees are the worst base running team in the majors, according to FanGraphs. Their lapses on the bases and in the field are at some level a reflection on their manager.

Still, the Yankees’ overall collection of talent might be their best since 2009, when they last won the World Series. Boone, 51, will need to be quick-witted in the postseason, deploying pinch hitters and pinch runners, and managing a bullpen without a true closer (though Luke Weaver certainly has looked the part). The Yankees hold an option on Boone for 2025.

Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves

The Braves are not about to force out Snitker after he kept the team in contention during a season marred by one injury after another. The better question might be whether Snitker — at age 68, after nine seasons as manager and nearly 50 years in the Atlanta organization — still wants to manage.

Under contract through 2025, Snitker might be reluctant to go out on a sour note. He also might be reluctant, after decades of minor-league pay, to sacrifice a salary believed to be in the $1.5 million to $2 million range. But the job is so taxing, health is a concern for every manager. And Snitker talks occasionally about the difficulty of enduring the strain at his age.

An easy solution, if Snitker wants to move on, would be for the Braves to make him a high-paid advisor and keep him part of the organization. If anyone deserves a golden parachute, after six straight division titles and a World Series triumph in 2021, it’s “Snit.”

Baldelli is not solely responsible for the team’s collapse. The Twins seem unlikely to hold him responsible. But the team’s cohesion has eroded since it was swept in Kansas City in early September, amid a 12-23 freefall. And Baldelli, if he survives, might need to adjust his loose, laid-back style, which seemingly has backfired with his young team.

Injuries are part of the problem for a club that has used three rookie starters down the stretch and played without three top position players — Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis — for chunks of the season. But Correa, in comments after Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Marlins at Target Field, indicated certain players were not showing enough urgency, saying of the Twins’ predicament, “Some guys take it as poison and some guys take it as fuel.”

Baldelli, 43, has appeared more frustrated in the past six weeks than at any point during his six years as manager. His team’s lack of edge, though, would appear partly his own doing. Without the presence of an everyday force such as the Cleveland Guardians’ José Ramírez or the Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., the Twins might need a greater push from its manager in 2025.

Skip Schumaker, Miami Marlins

This one is a fait accompli. After the season ends on Sunday, Schumaker will take advantage of the freedom he gained last offseason when the Marlins agreed to void his 2025 option. At that point, the team will be left to replace a manager who, as a free agent, is expected to be coveted by multiple clubs.

Assistant general manager Gabe Kapler, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and ‘19 and the San Francisco Giants from 2020 to ‘23, would figure to be one candidate. But another possibility is that Kapler will remain in the front office and play a significant role in choosing Schumaker’s successor.

Among the potential candidates: Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz, who was a member of Kapler’s staff in San Francisco; Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, whom Kapler hired as Los Angeles’ minor-league field coordinator during his tenure as farm director; and Royals bench coach Paul Hoover, who was a coach with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2019 to ‘22 while Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix was in the Rays’ front office.

Derek Shelton is still looking for his first winning season after five years with the Pirates. (Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington seemed to settle the issue on Sept. 11, saying he fully expects Shelton to return, calling him the “right person to manage this team in 2025.” The only question, particularly in the wake of Bell’s dismissal, is whether owner Bob Nutting is content with the status quo.

Before the season began, Nutting said he expected the team to take a “meaningful step forward,” telling The Athletic, “We collectively believe we can compete for a division and a postseason berth.” A 7-20 collapse starting July 31 ensured neither would occur.

The Pirates are headed for their sixth straight losing season. They need two wins to match last year’s total, and it will hardly be a sign of progress if they somehow surpass that number, considering this is the year they added Paul Skenes.

Cherington is completing his fifth season. Shelton, 54, appears safe unless Nutting decides to completely overhaul the operation.

Last winter, coming off 89 wins in Schneider’s first full season, the Jays chased Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. They ended up with Justin Turner, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kevin Kiermaier, all of whom they traded, and a club that will finish with the fourth- or fifth-worst record in the American League.

General manager Ross Atkins is not above pointing the finger at Schneider, as he did after the controversial removal of José Berríos in Game 2 of the 2023 Wild Card series. But the Jays keep indicating that they view their crash-and-burn as an aberration, and that they intend to roll out Vlad, Bo and Co. once more in 2025.

If Atkins fires Schneider, 44, it will only increase the attention on his own shortcomings. The Jays entered Wednesday with only 12 homers — 12! — from the cleanup spot. That’s not on the manager.

Grady Sizemore, Chicago White Sox

Let’s follow the Sizemore timeline.

Last season, he was a $15-an-hour intern with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This season, the White Sox gave him his first major-league coaching job. On Aug. 8, general manager Chris Getz named him interim manager in place of Pedro Grifol, saying the team would focus on candidates outside their organization for the permanent position. And on Tuesday, Getz reversed himself, saying Sizemore, 42, would be considered for the job.

Now that’s an ascent!

The White Sox still seem likely to make an outside hire, assuming someone wants to take over their record-tying (as of now) 120-loss juggernaut (there are only 30 of these jobs; someone will). Best of luck to that poor soul.

Bud Black is wrapping up his eighth season in Denver as the Rockies manager. (Ron Chenoy / USA Today Sports)

Black, 67, has presided over six straight losing seasons, and the Rockies need to finish 3-1 to avoid their second straight 100-loss campaign. A rebuilding club might benefit from a fresh voice, but virtually everyone likes Black and Rockies owner Dick Monfort operates in an insular bubble, preferring stability over change.

A decision on Black is forthcoming; he is unsigned beyond this season. He had preliminary talks with Monfort about a contract extension during spring training, according to the Denver Post. But no deal was reached, and general manager Bill Schmidt has postponed any talk about Black’s future until the end of the season.

Marmol, 38, appears safe in part because president of baseball operations John Mozeliak plans to return for one more season. Mozeliak is not going to hire a new manager one year before owner Bill DeWitt Jr. installs a new front office. The next head of baseball operations should get to make that choice.

The Cardinals narrowly will avoid losing records in back-to-back full seasons for the first time since 1958-59. Their issues, however, run far deeper than Marmol, who led the team to 93 wins in 2022, his first season. His contract runs through 2026. He will get at least one more shot.

(Top photo of Aaron Boone: Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

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Sports

Why the NFL is so obsessed with the Wing T offense

Published

26 mins ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Why the NFL is so obsessed with the Wing T offense

No run, no fun. In 2024, the best offenses in the league run the ball. This statement might sound like it’s coming from the ’90s, but with how defenses are prioritizing stopping explosive pass plays, living through the air is a hard way to live. However, the best offenses aren’t just lining up in an I-formation and calling iso and power over and over again. To be a good running team, you have to be creative and deceptive. Offensive coaches are looking for ideas anywhere, and multiple teams have turned to one of the original offensive systems: the Wing T.

The Wing T is a three-back offense. The original formation has two backs in the backfield and a wing lined up outside and behind the tight end. The wing serves as a third back who goes in motion to receive handoffs or fake like he’s getting a handoff. Though the formation and plays can vary from iteration to iteration, the core principles are deception, sleight of hand and speed. The goal is to displace linebackers with motions and fakes and quickly hit the defense with runs away from the fake.

The Arizona Cardinals are bludgeoning defenses with an offense that resembles a single-wing offense, which is the original offense the Wing T evolved from. Mike McDaniels’ Miami Dolphins offense ranked first in yards per carry (5.1) last season by integrating Wing T principles, ideas and plays. Matt LaFleur won games with his starting quarterback hurt by transforming the Green Bay Packers offense into a modern Wing T offense. Some of the league’s top play callers — Andy Reid, Sean McVay, Ben Johnson, and Kyle Shanahan — have sprinkled Wing T concepts into their play sheets for years. Today, we’re seeing Wing T plays all over the league.

Why is the Wing T making its way into the NFL?

The prominence of the jet sweep — in which a receiver goes into a motion and gets a direct handoff running to the perimeter — comes directly from the Wing T. During Jim Harbaugh’s first stint as the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, he started running wide receivers fly sweeps for Ted Ginn Jr. Harbaugh credited Sacred Heart Prep’s Pete Lavorato with teaching him the fly sweep after Harbaugh attended a clinic on Lavorato’s offense, a version of the Wing T.

A Jet(tas) sweep for the lead!@JJettas2 | @Vikings
📺: #MINvsNO on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/rvQRHI7Cq9 pic.twitter.com/kf2HLyMupQ
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— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2022

Now, every team has the jet sweep in its offense. The play keeps defensive ends honest. Faking the jet sweep to receivers, then handing off the ball or tossing it to running backs displaces linebackers. The misdirection gets them looking and leaning the wrong way, which is one of the core features of every Wing T offense.

16th TD on the season for Raheem Mostert!
📺: #MIAvsWAS on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/xvCjbLUIcN pic.twitter.com/YYOK0FZFNt
— NFL (@NFL) December 3, 2023

Wide receivers as runners and run game diversity

Dan Casey built his reputation by posting interesting plays on social media. He now consults for NFL teams, helping them add new ideas to their playbooks.

“There’s just a greater need for run game diversity and being able to get multiple guys touches,” Casey explained. “I think the days of being able to just line up in single back and run wide zone are over. Defenses just gobble that up.”

Casey talked about what Liam Coen is doing with their two-back sets, using Rachaad White and Bucky Irving at the same time. Neither back specializes in lead blocking, so you can’t just have one of them block for the other one. You have to find ways to stress defenses to create an advantage for whoever the ball carrier is. Wing T plays help you do that.

Shanahan started using Deebo Samuel as a runner years ago in the 49ers’ Deadpool package. That has stressed defenses because they have to treat him as a wide receiver and trot out their nickel (five defensive backs) personnel when Samuel is part of a three-receiver set, but San Francisco can still run two-back plays when he’s on the field.

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“You just switch some guys up, and whatever runs look good versus fronts you are going against,” Shanahan explained.

“In just the conversations I’ve had with a lot of NFL guys … obviously, you have your running back, and then every team wants a receiver that they can hand the ball off to. Not just on sweeps, but on inside handoffs as well,” Casey said.

In the above clip, the Detroit Lions are running a direct rip-off out of the Wing T playbook: a staple concept called a “Sally” variant. On the play, there needs to be an outside-run-fake element with a handoff to a player in front of the quarterback, typically with pulling linemen either trap blocking or lead blocking. The Lions ran it with Jared Goff faking a pitch to the running back before handing it off to receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in front of him, with the center and tackle lead blocking for him. Sally is the most prominent Wing T play you’ll see across the NFL on Sundays.

Giving defenses new looks and adding layers to plays

“Defenses have gotten really good at fitting this, the basic version of run plays,” Casey said. “So you do have to change the math or change the fit somehow. The nice thing about these Wing T concepts is there’s not a paradigm for defenses fitting it. It’s not like they’re seeing it every day in practice. So when I talk to NFL guys, a lot of times they’re like, ‘I just kind of need something that people haven’t really seen much of because once they see it and rep it, they can kind of squash it.’”

Of course, running a basic inside zone play will still work if you block it right, but defenses have seen it so many times that they can instinctually play it and get to the right places. Whether they can hold their ground, shed blocks and make tackles is a different story, but just getting defenses to second-guess where they need to be or where their run fit is gives the offense an advantage. That’s where these Wing T backfield actions come into play.

In this clip, the Kansas City Chiefs are simply running an inside zone play. Still, before Patrick Mahomes handed off the ball to the running back, he turned his back to the defense to fake a reverse to a wide receiver before completing his spin and getting back in position to hand off the ball to the running back. The Chiefs also added another layer of deception because typically teams run inside zone away from the side that the back is offset to. So if the back is lined up to the quarterback’s left, they’d run zone right. In the clip, the running back was lined up to Mahomes’ left but ran inside zone left.

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Another core tenant of the Wing T is the quarterback turning his back to the defense to execute fakes. Many Wing T playbooks have a whole series of plays called “spinner,” which involve the quarterback spinning to hide the ball from the defense. With the increase in shotgun formations across the league, quarterbacks will usually hand off the ball with the ball carrier coming in front of them. By integrating spinner concepts into the shotgun, they get the element of deception back even from the gun.

Taking it to the next level

The greatest lesson to take from Wing T offense isn’t the play but the sequencing. With every play, there’s a counter and another counter. If a defense overplays the outside, it can fake an outside play and hit you inside, or vice versa. McVay took the league by storm when he was first hired by the Los Angeles Rams, building his playbook with this philosophy in mind. With the Dolphins, McDaniel has taken the deception and layering element to another level. The footwork and sleight-of-hand ball fakes Tua Tagovailoa is executing are an elevation of the techniques the Wing T has established.

Week 10, 12:09 remaining in the first quarter, first-and-10

On this play, Tagovailoa first faked an inside handoff to the running back to his left before tossing the ball to receiver Malik Washington on a reverse. The ingenious part of this play is having the center and guard fake like they are down-blocking before leaking out to the perimeter to block for Washington.

Tagovailoa reversed out to fake counter to the left. The right guard and tight end also false-pulled to the left to get the linebackers to step in that direction. Tagovailoa hid the ball after his pivot before tossing the ball to Washington. He did a good job of barely moving his body while facing the sideline so the defense wouldn’t suspect he had the ball and made as little movement toward Washington as possible.

Rookie Malik Washington takes the ball 18 yards to the house! @MiamiDolphins get the scoring started.
📺: #MIAvsLAR on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/zv7bB0aGDx
— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2024

This play is directly from a Wing T playbook but with some tweaks.

The quarterback turning his back to the defense and all the fake possibilities adds more layers of deception when teams want to pass the ball, leading to better play action.

Here, the Packers’ Malik Willis turned his back to the defense to fake an outside handoff before throwing a screen.

In today’s age of easy access to information, offenses are looking everywhere for inspiration and ways to throw defenses off. Naturally, they’ve returned to football’s origins for inspiration because the principles of the offense never go out of vogue. Deception and sequencing with speed are a lethal combination. Wing T offenses weaponized those elements near perfection decades ago. Modern offenses are taking notes and adding their own spin to them.

(Top photo of Tua Tagovailoa: Bryan Bennett / Getty Images)

Sports

Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson by unanimous decision

Published

54 mins ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson by unanimous decision

ARLINGTON, Texas – Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson by unanimous decision on Friday night in Texas.

The anti-Paul, and very pro-Tyson, crowd had been buzzing after Amanda Serrano was arguably robbed against Katie Taylor in the fight prior.

Paul walked out to Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight,” trolling Tyson’s appearance in “The Hangover.” Meanwhile, Tyson’s head-bobbing music got the entire crowd fired up.

Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Paul immediately leaned onto Tyson, prompting plenty boos – it was a good idea, as Tyson was getting his shots early. But Paul clearly held his own in round one.

Paul connected on a couple of lefts in the third, and Tyson began to show his age. From then on, the rest of the bout was rather anticlimactic, and even the crowd couldn’t help but growl, with many headed for the exits before the results were even announced.

US retired pro-boxer Mike Tyson (R) and US YouTuber/boxer Jake Paul (L) hug after Paul defeated Tyson in their heavyweight boxing bout at The Pavilion at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, November 15, 2024. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

NETFLIX UNDER FIRE AS FIGHT FANS TUNING IN FOR JAKE PAUL-MIKE TYSON BOUT FACE MYRIAD OF ISSUES

AT&T Stadium tried desperately to rally behind Tyson every time he landed anything, but nothing worked. Paul bowed down to Tyson before the final bell, and the two shared a very long embrace.

Tyson said he wasn’t sure if this would be his last fight, but he did crack a joke about fighting Paul’s brother, Logan.

Neither said they were surprised it went the distance, and Tyson said he was happy with what he did in the ring – he said he wasn’t in the ring to please the world, just to show himself what he can do.

The former heavyweight champ added that Paul “absolutely” deserves to be respected as a boxer.

US YouTuber/boxer Jake Paul celebrates winning the heavyweight boxing bout against US retired pro-boxer Mike Tyson (R) at The Pavilion at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, November 15, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

Paul is now 11-1 in his career, while Tyson dropped to 50-7.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates…

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Sports

Centennial's defense comes through to beat Mission Viejo in Division 1 quarterfinal

Published

1 hour ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Centennial's defense comes through to beat Mission Viejo in Division 1 quarterfinal

On a frigid Friday night for high school playoff football in Southern California, defensive end Elijah Riley of Corona Centennial made a play to assert how much he and his teammates wanted to defeat unbeaten Mission Viejo. Using all-out pursuit and with no concern for his body, he went airborne at the 30-yard line like he was Superman and landed on the ballcarrier from behind.

“I just took off,” he said.

It was Centennial’s defense delivering at decisive moments in a 25-20 victory, sending the Huskies (9-2) into a Southern Section Division 1 semifinal rematch at home against unbeaten Mater Dei. Mission Viejo ended its season at 10-1.

The most important stop for Centennial came when Mission Viejo had fourth and goal from the two-yard line with 4:51 left. Quarterback Drai Trudeau tried to escape the pocket, but Centennial’s Jonathan McKinley applied the pressure. The ball ended up in the hands of Fifita Moore for an interception. Soon Malachi Roby broke loose for a 47-yard run on third down to clinch the victory.

“They came through all night,” Centennial coach Matt Logan said of his defense while wearing his customary shorts despite temperatures in the 50s. “It feels great.”

Roby rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Husan Longstreet, who was held out of the regular-season finale to make sure he was healthy, looked the part of an All-American. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown and also made big plays running the ball. He’s committed to Texas A&M, but USC still is pursuing him. For now, he’s focused on Mater Dei. He didn’t get to play against the Monarchs in a season-opening 42-25 loss. He knows many of the Mater Dei players from passing competitions.

Malachi Roby (3) celebrates for Corona Centennial. He had 187 yards rushing and two touchdowns in win over Mission Viejo.

(Craig Weston)

“We’re coming back for revenge,” he said.

Centennial’s offense received strong blocking from its line and effective performances from Longstreet and Roby to open a 19-10 halftime lead. Roby had touchdown runs of one yard and 25 yards. Longstreet completed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Cory Butler after Mission Viejo failed on an onside kick late in the half.

The Diablos’ two-quarterback rotation of Luke Fahey and Trudeau was not clicking. There was no rushing attack and a couple of snaps from center put the quarterbacks in awkward positions. Receivers Vance Spafford and Dijon Lee made a couple of big catches. Mission Viejo was fortunate it didn’t trail by a wider margin because Lee recovered a Centennial fumble at the Diablos’ 14.

Mission Viejo took the lead in the third quarter with a 47-yard touchdown catch by Cash Semonza from Fahey, then a 22-yard field goal by Caleb Sylvia, his second of the game. But Longstreet came back with a 10-yard touchdown run for a 25-20 lead near the end of the third quarter.

Butler was a big spark on offense for Centennial, catching nine passes for 157 yards. Spafford had nine catches for 121 yards for Misison Viejo. The Diablos’ two quarterbacks combined for 362 yards passing.

Now Logan has to figure out how to beat a Mater Dei team that just doesn’t look beatable.

“We’ll be ready,” he said. “That’s all we can do. They’ll show up, we’ll show up.”