Hot Stove Thread 2014-15

. With Colin Cowherd on TV. With Marcellus Wiley on TV. With Dan LeBatard on TV. Seriously, that is a bold statement

 

So the Yankees activated A-Rod and apparently the NY tabloids have activated their PED writers:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/alex-rodriguez-paid-cousin-yuri-sucar-1-million-quiet-ped-article-1.1997828?cid=bitly&utm_content=buffer2124f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDailyNewsTw

 

Little late to the party:

Thoughts on the hire.

 

Hall of Fame players as managers don't generally seem to work.

Ted Williams was famously bad at it. Pete Rose was just OK. Ryne Sandberg has been "meh" so far with the Phillies.

Same goes for Frank Robinson. As well respected a "baseball man" as he was/is, he never managed a team to the postseason in 16 years as a manager.

Not counting player/managers back in the old days (like Lou Boudreau, Rogers Hornsby, etc.), I think the only Hall of Fame players to manage a World Series champion are Red Schoendienst with the 1967 Cardinals and Bob Lemon with the 1978 Yankees (and Lemon inherited a championship team when Billy Martin resigned in late July).

So history is against Molitor.

 

Actually, Williams did a pretty good job his first year in 1969. But he had a meddling owner, Bob Short, and getting overruled was not something Ted could tolerate.

 

The Twins are as forward-thinking as the old Russian boyars.
If Molitor decides platooning might be worth a look in 2015 then it's a good hire for them.

 

If a manager can go on the disabled list, Molitor will find a way.

 

I think it's fascinating to contrast the public perception of the steroid players with the cocaine players of the 80s.

 

If Ron Washington joins Molitor as the bench coach, DEA won't be far behind.

 

I've been fascinated by the cocaine era of the 1980's, largely as I watched two teams that had this element in the clubhouse. Cardinals with Keith Hernandez, Lonnie Smith and Joaquin Andujar and then the Royals were the target of a federal investigation in the 1983 season.

To this day, I'm amazed how Keith Hernandez could be traded to NEW YORK IN 1983 - given his cocaine use - and not be dead after playing on the 1986 Mets.

 

Let's not forget the guy who portrayed the Pirate Parrot mascot dealing in the Pittsburgh clubhouse.

 

Who do you think got Mr. Met hooked?