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Accepting the Marlins Inevitable Reality (It Was Clear from the Get-go)
Ballparks, CBA, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, History, Management, Media, MLB Trade Deadline, Paul Lebowitz's 2013 Baseball Guide, Players, Playoffs, Politics, Prospects, Stats, Trade Rumors, World Series
In today's New York Times, Tyler Kepner writes about the empty seats in Marlins Park; about the gutting of the franchise; and the possibly bright future the Marlins have because of all the prospects they accumulated in trades of veterans.
We can go into the lack of attendance and perceived wrongdoing of owner Jeffrey Loria, but what he does is in the same ballpark (pardon the dual entendre) of what the Astros are currently doing, but the Astros are receiving widespread praise for putting together a big league club that is a big league club in name only. Weeks ago, I gave Astros owner Jim Crane a written lashing for his arrogant statements that if fans want the team to spend money, they should write him a check among other, "I'm a big shot, you're not" alpha male nonsense, but no one else did. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is a stat guy centerfold and little criticism is heading the way of their front office in spite of their on-field atrocity.
The political machinations that got Marlins Park built, predominately at the expense of Floridians, is still being sorted out with allegations, accusations and SEC investigations. Does anyone really believe that the investigation will amount to much, if any penalties for the likes of Loria or the powerbrokers who facilitated him getting his new park and not paying for it? Loria fits every small bit of chicanery into the flexible rules under which he operates. Similar to the Astros within-the-rules stripping of their payroll to the bare minimum and putting a team on the field that on most days is non-competitive against legitimate Major League teams, there's no rule saying Loria can't sign free agents and trade them a year later; that he can't fire his manager Ozzie Guillen one year into a four year contract; that he can't take the benefits from the new park, pocket the profits and flip a chubby middle finger at anyone who dares question him.
The Marlins were a disappointment in 2012. Loria was right to fire Guillen for the poor job he did on the field and the ridiculous statement he made early in the season praising Fidel Castro. He had options rather than gutting the club (again) by retooling with a different manager and a tweak here and there to give it another shot in 2013. But it wouldn't have made a difference with the fans if the Marlins were contending in 2013 with a manager who didn't alienate a vast portion of the fans they hoped to attract. It wasn't and isn't going to work in Miami because the fans aren't interested.
The Marlins attendance improved dramatically last season in comparison to 2011. During that year, their usual numbers were between 10,000 and 20,000. It was an annual problem. When there were higher attendance figures, it stemmed from ancillary attractions like the Mets and Dodgers fans who've relocated to Florida and wanted to watch their teams. One the one hand, it's not fair to question the reasons the fans are coming—their money is just as green regardless which club they're rooting for—but on the other, the Marlins can look at the increase in attendance and realize that it's fleeting and say, "Yeah, but they didn't come to see us," and act accordingly.
In 2012, the attendance was better than it was when they played in Sun Life Stadium, a football facility. With the new park, they regularly drew crowds of nearly 30,000 and finished twelfth in the National League in attendance. That's counting the second half after they'd conceded the season and traded Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante. Before 2012, they were annually at the bottom in attendance going back 15 years. In 1997, when they spent a ton of money and won the World Series, they were fifth in the National League in attendance, but it's petered out and whether the team was good or not, the fans don't have the passion. Since then, it's gone rapidly downhill and even after they won another World Series in 2003, there wasn't the usual accompanying attendance spike. The Marlins have stayed anchored to the bottom of the ocean of attendance.
And that's the point. The Miami fans are not fickle, hammering home the point that the new park shouldn't have been built in the first place. If someone stood up and told Loria to take his threats and his team and move if that's what he had to do, none of the other stuff—the park, the investigation, the free agents, the trades, the faux anguish—would've happened. If he received a new park in San Antonio, Oregon, North Carolina or anywhere, the overwhelming probability is that he would've moved and done the exact same thing that he does in Miami—bought people's favor, made promises and then utilized flexible statements and semantics to justify the gutting of the team and defend against accusations of ruthless profiteering. He's a combination of a politician and a classically brutal businessman. He may want to have a team that wins, but when he sees that it's not going to happen, all bets are off. It's admirable in its way if you know what you're dealing with going in.
Amid all the head shaking and abuse raining down on Loria, it all goes back to the initial mistake: giving in to his threats to move the club and Florida allowing him to get his park without paying for it. No one should be surprised, chagrined, or angry at the Marlins method of doing business. The system was rife for abuse and Loria abused it. There was no other way this could've ended and if the traded players Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes, et al, didn't see it coming; if the people who could've stopped the park from being built didn't make a greater effort to do so; if MLB is allowing clubs like the Marlins and Astros to do whatever they want in their own best interests, then it's on them for allowing it to happen. Lamenting it after the fact as if the money spent on the park would've been better-used for charitable causes is ludicrous. The Monday morning quarterbacking is done so in the same vein as the original decision to let the Marlins build the park. It was done for expediency and self-interest. The park wasn't for the fans nor was it to "save" baseball in Miami because baseball in Miami can't be saved. They don't care whether it's there or not.
April 18, 2013 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Anibal Sanchez, Astros, Dodgers, Fidel Castro, Hanley Ramirez, Houston Astros, Jeff Luhnow, Jeffrey Loria, Jim Crane, Jim Crane comments Astros, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Marlins, Marlins attendance, Marlins attendance 1997, Marlins attendance 2011, Marlins attendance 2012, Marlins Park bonds, Mets, Miami Marlins, New York Times, NY Times Marlins, Omar Infante, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen Castro, SEC investigation Marlins, Sun Life Stadium, Tyler Kepner	Leave a comment
Did Ozzie Guillen Deserve to be Fired and What's Next for the Marlins?
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After his firing as manager, Ozzie Guillen will receive $7.5 million over the next three years under the terms of the 4-year contract he signed when the Marlins acquired his rights from the White Sox at the conclusion of the 2011 season. Since they waited two weeks from the end of the 2012 season to pull the trigger, I thought that Guillen might get another shot to start the 2013 season, but the Marlins cut the ties and it's understandable.
When a person is known for his shtick and pushing the envelope with, "he did not just say that," level comments, the line between candor and self-immolation becomes blurred. A vast chunk of what Guillen says is simply for the sake of taking the pressure off his players and bringing the spotlight onto him. He doesn't know when to stop and this is how he gets into trouble with statements of "love" for Fidel Castro—a reviled figure in the town in which Guillen had just signed on to manage for four seasons. For a club that was struggling and desperate to bring fans into their new ballpark and whose targeted fanbase includes a large number of Cuban expatriates, escapees, and descendants of people who lived under the oppression that accompanies a communist, dictatorial state, the laudatory comments about their nemesis was a fireable offense when he said it. The Marlins suspended Guillen, gave him another chance and it wasn't his comments that were the impetus of his dismissal, but that the team didn't respond to him on the field.
The Marlins are now examining what went wrong in 2012 and the first two things they did was jettison the two most prominent instigators, Heath Bell—who was traded to the Diamondbacks—and Guillen. After a second half full of rumors and innuendo debating who owner Jeffrey Loria was going to fire among the front office and field staff; which players would be next to follow Hanley Ramirez, Omar Infante, Anibal Sanchez, and others out the door, they got rid of Bell and Guillen and kept Larry Beinfest and his baseball staff.
In defense of the Marlins under Loria, they've had remarkable front office stability and treat the manager as a disposable entity that can be quickly replaced. Because the Marlins have made their managerial changes in a ham-handed fashion and made headlines with the decision, for example, to hire the 81-year-old Jack McKeon in 2011, there's a perception that the firing of the manager is an inherent problem with the team. But if they were winning after doing it, there wouldn't be the negative connotations. Loria had fired his friend Jeff Torborg in 2003, hired McKeon and the team won the World Series. The criticism is always in retrospect and contingent on whether or not the decision worked.
"What did they expect from Guillen?" is an unfair question to ask. Loria knew his new manager was controversial and would say things to generate headlines, but no one in their right mind could have foreseen the immediate uproar from pro-Castro comments for someone who'd just taken a job in Miami no less.
A 69-93 season amid the lavish outlays for star players and the talent on the club was unacceptable even if the team was injured and gutted at mid-season. Before they cleaned out the house, they were in mid-plummet and had widely become an industry-wide laughingstock. So yes, he deserved to be fired.
Guillen is young enough (48) and has a resume to get another managing job, but it won't be in a new age situation where the GM is the boss and the manager is a mid-level functionary there to implement edicts coming from above. It would have to be a situation like that of the Dodgers where the front office is willing to take risks and wants to, as the Marlins did, generate buzz. Guillen is not an empty vessel designed to attract attention like a talentless sing-and-dance act that is created to sell a load of songs, records, and tickets, get the money and get out. He's a good manager. We didn't see that in Miami for a multitude of reasons, but most of those reasons were that the players didn't perform.
The Marlins are rumored to be taking the young and cheap route when it comes to a replacement manager, probably with one of their minor league managers, Mike Redmond. Redmond was a member of the 2003 Marlins' championship team and was also a respected backup to Joe Mauer with the Twins for a long time. He won't take any nonsense, but with Bell gone the only nonsense he'll presumably be dealing with will come from Loria himself and the speculation of when Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle are traded.
Even though they wound up 12th in the National League in attendance, the Marlins still drew over 2 million fans to their new park and experienced an increase of 700,000 in the number of people that came to watch them play. Had they been any good and contending, that number would probably have approached 3 million. If they're retooling or rebuilding will determine what they'll look like in 2013. Eliminating Bell and Guillen from the equation was a necessary first step back toward respect and respectability.
October 26, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 2003 Marlins, Anibal Sanchez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cuba, Diamondbacks, Fidel Castro, Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell, How much do the Marlins owe Ozzie Guillen?, Jack McKeon, Jeff Torborg, Jeffrey Loria, Joe Mauer, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Larry Beinfest, Mark Buehrle, Marlins, Marlins 2011 attendance, Marlins 2012 attendance, Marlins attendance, Marlins increase in attendance, Marlins Park, Miami Marlins, Mike Redmond, Omar Infante, Ozzie Guillen age, Ozzie Guillen Castro, Ozzie Guillen contract, Will Ozzie Guillen get another chance to manage?	Leave a comment
Managers Traded For Players
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To the best of my research, managers have been traded six times in baseball history. It wasn't always player for manager and the criticism the Red Sox are receiving for trading infielder Mike Aviles for righty pitcher David Carpenter and the rights to speak to John Farrell is stereotypical and silly. With it only having happened six times, it's not a large enough sample size to say it's not going to work. Also, history has proven that if a manager doesn't work out in other spots, he might in another. Casey Stengel had one winning season (and that was only 2 games over .500) in nine years as a manager with the Braves and Dodgers before going down to the minor leagues between 1944 and 1948 where he had success he'd never had in the big leagues. The Yankees hired him in 1949 and he won 7 championships and 10 pennants in 12 years.
Here are the manager trades.
Jimmy Dykes for Joe Gordon—August 3, 1960
The genesis of this trade was originally a joke between Tigers' GM Bill DeWitt and Indians' GM Frank Lane, but as their teams faded they basically said, "Why not?"
Gordon was managing the Indians and Dykes the Tigers when they were traded for one another. Dykes was 63 when the trade was made and had never finished higher than third place while managing the White Sox, Athletics, Orioles, Reds, and Tigers. At the time of the trade, the Tigers record was 44-52 and they were in sixth place in the American League. Gordon's Indians were 49-46 and in fourth place.
Interestingly, Dykes was the second Philadelphia Athletics manager in their history after Connie Mack was running things from 1901-1950.
Gordon has been popping up as a background performer in other dramas recently. As the debate regarding the American League MVP between Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout reached a critical mass in the waning days of the regular season, Cabrera's Triple Crown was a point of contention as it was stacked up against Trout's higher WAR, superior defense, and perceived overall larger contribution. The Hall of Famer Gordon won the MVP in 1942 while playing for the Yankees over Ted Williams even though Williams won the Triple Crown. You can read about that and other MVP/Triple Crown controversies here.
Gordon had a contract to manage the Tigers for 1961, but asked for his release and it was granted so he could take over the Kansas City A's where his former GM with the Indians, Lane, was the new GM under the A's new owner Charlie Finley.
Do you need a family tree yet?
Gordon had a contract with the A's through 1962, but was fired with the team at 26-33. He was replaced by Hank Bauer. This was long before anyone knew who or what Finley was. Gordon was only 46 at the time of his firing by the A's, but only managed again in 1969 with the expansion Kansas City Royals. (Finley had moved the A's to Oakland in 1968.) Gordon's 1969 Royals went 69-93 and he stepped down after the season. On that 1969 Royals team was a hotheaded 25-year-old who won Rookie of the Year and was, as a manager, traded for a player—Lou Piniella.
Now you do need a family tree.
Dykes managed the Indians in 1961. They finished in fifth place with a 78-83 record and that was his last season, at age 64, as a big league manager.
Gil Hodges for Bill Denehy and $100,000
The Mets traded the right handed pitcher Denehy to the Senators for the rights to their manager Hodges. Hodges was a New York legend from his days with the Dodgers and, despite his poor record with the Senators (321-444), they had improved incrementally under his watch. The most important quality Hodges had was that the players were afraid of him and he didn't take a load of crap. That they had a bushel of young pitching including Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Nolan Ryan helped as well. That not taking crap facet might help Farrell with the Red Sox if they have the talent to contend—and right now, they don't.
Chuck Tanner for Manny Sanguillen, November 5, 1976
Here was Charlie Finley again, still owner of the A's, but with three World Series wins in his pocket and free agency and housecleaning trades decimating his team of Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and in the future Joe Rudi, Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue, and others. Finley wasn't kind to his managers, but he won anyway. When the Yankees tried to hire Dick Williams while Williams was under contract after having resigned from the A's after the 1973 World Series win, Finley demanded the Yankees top prospects Otto Velez and Scott McGregor. The Yankees hired Bill Virdon instead and then Billy Martin. George Steinbrenner always used his friendly relationship with Williams as a weapon to torment Martin.
I find fascinating the way perceptions cloud reality. Finley was thought to be ruthless and borderline cruel with the way he treated his managers, but he was also a brilliant and innovative marketer who's rarely gotten the credit for being the shrewd judge of baseball talent he was. On the other hand, an executive like Lou Lamoriello of the New Jersey Devils hockey club has made (by my count) 19 coaching changes in his 25 years with the team. Several of the changes have been recycle jobs of bringing back men he'd fired or who'd stepped down; twice he changed coaches right before the playoffs started and replaced them with…Lou Lamoriello. Because he's won three Stanley Cups and lost in the Finals two other times, he's gotten away with it.
The Tanner trade came about because the Pirates needed someone to take over for longtime Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh and Tanner had a reputation for being relentlessly positive, well-liked, and solid strategically. He was also said to be strong as an ox so if a player did mess with him, it was a mistake.
Tanner was an inspired hire because that Pirates' team had strong clubhouse personalities Willie Stargell and Dave Parker and the last thing they needed was for a new manager to come storming in and throwing things. Tanner and the Pirates won the World Series in 1979. The team came apart under Tanner's watch, but they got old and had little talent to speak of until the end of his tenure in 1985. He was replaced by Jim Leyland.
Sanguillen still threw well from behind the plate at age 33 and spent one season with the A's, playing serviceably, before being dealt back to the Pirates prior to the 1978 season.
Lou Piniella and Antonio Perez for Randy Winn—October 28, 2002
Like the David Carpenter for Aviles trade by the Red Sox (or the Chris Carpenter for the rights for Theo Epstein—what is it with players named Carpenter and the Red Sox?), the players were secondary to the rights to speak to and hire the still-under-contract managers. Piniella had resigned as the Mariners' manager after ten successful years and want to go to the Mets who had just fired Bobby Valentine. This is more family tree fodder since Valentine was the consolation hire the Red Sox made a year ago after failing to acquiesce to the Blue Jays' demands to speak to Farrell. It didn't work out.
The Mets were in disarray, GM Steve Phillips absolutely did not want Piniella for the same reasons Yankees' GM Brian Cashman didn't want Piniella when it was rumored he was going to replace Joe Torre after 2006—he would be uncontrollable.
It was said by the likes of Peter Gammons that the Piniella to the Mets deal would eventually get done. Of course it was nonsense. The Mariners were annoyed at Piniella and weren't going to reward him with going to his location of choice unless they were heavily compensated. They asked the Mets for Jose Reyes knowing the Mets would say no. The Mets hired Art Howe instead.
Piniella had nowhere to go aside from the Devil Rays and, while in retrospect, he should've sat out a year and waited for his contract to expire, he wanted to manage and the opportunity to be close to his home appealed to him regardless of the state of the Devil Rays. Promises were made that the team would spend money and Piniella—unlike Farrell—had the cachet to squawk publicly about it when the promise was reneged upon. Owner Vince Naimoli hoped the fans would come out to see a manager manage in spite of the players and, of course, they didn't. For Piniella's rights and journeyman infielder Antonio Perez, they traded their best player at the time, Winn. Winn had a solid big league career and the Devil Rays would've been better off trading him for players rather than a manager, but judging by how the team was run at the time, they wouldn't have accrued much more value from the players they would've gotten than they did from Piniella. Maybe they sold a few extra seats because Piniella was there, so what's the difference?
Piniella spent three years there losing over 90 games in each before leaving. He took over the Cubs in 2007.
Ozzie Guillen and Ricardo Andres for Jhan Marinez and Osvaldo Martinez
The Marlins had their eye on Guillen going back years. He was a coach on their 2003 World Series winning team and had won a title of his own with the White Sox in 2005. Looking to bring a Spanish-speaking, "name" manager to buttress their winter 2011-2012 spending spree and fill their beautiful new ballpark, Guillen was still under contract with the White Sox. But the White Sox had had enough of Guillen's antics and wanted him gone. The Marlins traded Martinez and Marinez to the White Sox to get Guillen and signed him to a 4-year contract.
The Marlins were a top-to-bottom disaster due in no small part to Guillen immediately drawing the ire of a large portion of the Marlins' hoped-for fanbase by proclaiming his love for Fidel Castro. Guillen was suspended as manager by the club. That can't be blamed for the Marlins' atrocious season. They played brilliantly in May after the incident, but incrementally came apart amid infighting and poor performance.
It's been rumored that Guillen might be fired, but if the Marlins were going to do it, they would've done it already. Trading Heath Bell—one of Guillen's main agitators in the clubhouse—is a signal that Guillen will at least get a chance to start the 2013 season with a different cast of players. Since it's Guillen, he's absolutely going to say something stupid sooner rather than later and force owner Jeffrey Loria to fire him.
Free from Guillen's lunacy and with a new, laid-back manager Robin Ventura, the White Sox overachieved and were in contention for the AL Central title before a late-season swoon did them in.
I discussed the Farrell deal yesterday here. He's who the Red Sox wanted, he's who the Red Sox got. Surrendering Aviles isn't insignificant, but everyone in Boston appears to be on the same page when it comes to the manager.
Whether it works or not will have no connection to the past deals of this kind and if a team wants a particular person to manage their team, it's their right to make a trade to get it done. Criticizing the Red Sox on anyone else for the hire itself is fine, but for the steps they took to do it? No. Because Farrell is the man they wanted and now he's the man they got. For better or worse.
October 22, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Antonio Perez, Art Howe. Brian Cashman, Athletics, Bill Denehy, Bill DeWitt, Bill Virdon, Billy Martin, Blue Jays, Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox, Casey Stengel, Casey Stengel Yankees record, Catfish Hunter, Charlie Finley, Chris Carpenter, Chuck Tanner, Cleveland Indians, Connie Mack, Danny Murtaugh, Dave Parker, David Carpenter, Detroit Tigers, Devil Rays, Dick Williams, Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Ozzie Guillen, Frank Lane, George Steinbrenner, Gil Hodges, Gil Hodges manager traded, Hank Bauer, Heath Bell, Heath Bell trade, Historical managers traded for players MLB, How many coaching changes has Lou Lamoriello made?, Indians, Jeffrey Loria, Jerry Koosman, Jhan Marinez, Jim Leyland, Jimmy Dykes, Joe Gordon, Joe Rudi, Joe Torre, John Farrell, Jose Reyes, Kansas City A's, Kansas City Athletics, Lou Lamoriello, Lou Piniella, Lou Piniella traded to Devil Rays, Managers trade for each other, Managers traded, Managers traded for players, Manny Sanguillen, mariners, Marlins, Mets, Miami Marlins, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Aviles, Mike Trout, New Jersey Devils, New York Mets, New York Yankees, NHL, Nolan Ryan, Orioles, Osvaldo Martinez, Otto Velez, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen contract, Peter Gammons, Philadelphia A's, Philadelphia Athletics, Pirates, Randy Winn, Red Sox, Reds, Reggie Jackson, Results of managers traded for players MLB, Ricardo Andres, Robin Ventura, Royals, Scott McGregor, seattle mariners, Senators, Steve Phillips, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Theo Epstein, Tigers, Tom Seaver, Toronto Blue Jays, Triple Crown MVP, Vida Blue, Washington Senators, White Sox, Will Ozzie Guillen be fired?, Willie Stargell, Yankees	Leave a comment
National League East—2012 Present and 2013 Future
Click to read about the AL East, Central, and West.
Here's the NL East.
For some it's a validation and for others it's an unsatisfactory and paranoid result, but now that the Stephen Strasburg debate has been concluded once and for all, the Nationals are moving on without their best pitcher. They've taken a tremendous and rapid leap forward to the playoffs and an all-but-certain division title. They look identical to the Braves of 1991 with a young pitching staff; power bats; and an ownership willing to spend to keep the team together and aggressive enough to improve. They also have something those Braves never had: a bullpen. It's that bullpen that will counteract the loss of Strasburg for the playoffs. In fact, it's probably more important to have a deep, versatile bullpen in the playoffs than it is to have a great starting rotation. That's something else the dominant Braves of 1991-2005 proved year-after-year.
The Nats are here to stay and we'd better get used to them being in the playoffs on an annual basis.
The Braves overcame their collapse better than any other team in recent memory that experienced a similar meltdown. Part of that is due to manager Fredi Gonzalez's acquiescence in not overusing the bullpen early in the season; Jason Heyward's comeback season; Michael Bourn's full-season in his walk year; Kris Medlen's second-half brilliance with the club overcoming underachievement from Tommy Hanson, ineffectiveness from Jair Jurrjens, the injury to Brandon Beachy, and the stagnation of Randall Delgado.
Their ownership doesn't spend a lot of money, so it's hard to see them keeping Bourn. Brian McCann is a free agent after 2013, but with Chipper Jones's money coming off the books and McCann's status as a Georgia native, that will get worked out.
With or without spending, the Braves have enough young talent to be contenders for the future.
On a note about the Braves' bullpen, Craig Kimbrel has been all-but unhittable. I get the sense that the NL Cy Young Award voting will split between R.A. Dickey and Gio Gonzalez and Kimbrel's going to win it.
Now that the dreams of a miraculous comeback suffered a deathblow in Houston by losing 3 of 4 against the rancid Astros, then resuscitated briefly by humiliating the Mets, the Braves all but ended the Phillies' hopes over the weekend as Roy Halladay got blasted on Saturday in the game the Phillies absolutely had to win.
They underachieved in 2012 with a payroll of $170 million-plus and are very old. They re-signed Cole Hamels and with he, Halladay, and Cliff Lee, along with Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen, they'll be playoff contenders in 2013. The vault is not going to be as wide open as it was, so any thoughts of Zack Greinke should end now. They'll need starting pitching so it's more likely that they pursue a Dan Haren type—a good starter coming off a bad year and on a short-term deal. They need a center fielder and there's been talk of a reunion with Michael Bourn. I would not overpay for Bourn, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. tends to go after what he wants regardless of cost. I'd also expect Ryan Madson to return to the Phillies as a set-up man following his Tommy John surgery and lost year with the Reds, and he'll be good.
It appears as if all systems are go for Chase Utley to move to third base, but his knees are a chronic problem. If he's unable to start the season again, then the Phillies will be right back where they started from trusting Freddy Galvis at second and having a black hole at third. They desperately need an outfield bat of the Cody Ross variety—affordable and pretty good. If I were Amaro, I'd call the Indians about Asdrubal Cabrera.
Because of their second half nosedive, they're still viewed as something of a laughingstock, but when examining even worse situations such as the Marlins, Astros, Red Sox, Cubs; and teams that spent big and haven't gotten bang for their bucks with the Tigers, Phillies, Angels, and Dodgers, the Mets are in a pretty good position.
The young pitching prospects Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler will join Jonathon Niese and R.A. Dickey in the rotation at some point in 2013, and they also have young arms Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia. Jason Bay and Johan Santana are coming off the books after 2013 (unless they can trade one or both for commensurately expiring deals), so they'll have money to spend after 2013.
This doom and gloom is based on looking for reasons to tear into the organization. The low minor leagues is increasingly well-stocked.
They need a catcher who can hit and desperately have to get a bat for the middle and top of the lineup. Names to pursue are Justin Upton, Shin-Soo Choo, Dexter Fowler, Ian Kinsler, B.J. Upton, and Shane Victorino.
I'd stay away from Bourn.
I wrote about them yesterday, but just when it seemed as if it couldn't get worse, it got worse.
Heath Bell went on a radio show and basically called manager Ozzie Guillen a liar. The host of the show, Dan Sileo, prodded Bell while doling responsibility on everyone but Bell. It's an awful interview by an awful interviewer topped off by ridiculous baseball analysis. You can find it here.
Whether or not Bell is accurate in his criticism is irrelevant. That Bell still can't keep quiet is indicative of one of the main problems the Marlins have had: no veteran leader to stand in the middle of the clubhouse and speak up. It was Bell's dreadful performance that, more than anything else, set the stage for the Marlins' terrible season. But he…won't…shut…UP!!!!
Braves' manager Gonzalez, who was fired by the Marlins, said of Marlins' owner Jeffrey Loria:
"There's not a manager dead or alive that Jeffrey thinks is good enough. Not Connie Mack, not anyone."
Loria called the comments "classless." Does it help that the comments are 100% true?
It's going to get worse from here for the Marlins as they plan to cut payroll from $95 million to $70-80 million. (Bet on the under.) It remains to be seen who's going to get fired and who isn't, but they'll desperately try to unload Bell and if that means attaching him to any deal in which a club wants to acquire Josh Johnson, then that's what they'll do.
I believe Johnson will be traded this winter; Jose Reyes will be traded during the season in 2013, as will Ricky Nolasco.
All of that said, the Marlins do have some young talent with the acquisitions they made of Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob Turner, and Rob Brantly to go along with the monster Giancarlo Stanton, so they're not going to be an atrocity and they certainly won't be as bad as they were in 2012.
Those advocating or actively pursuing a new stadium for the Rays need to take note what's happened with the Marlins. Florida fans are simply not invested enough in baseball to make it a worthwhile expenditure for either private investors of public referendum. The ballpark should not have been built. Either the club should've been contracted, allowed to move to a baseball-friendly venue in the United States, or they should've sat tight and waited out the end of the Castro regime in Cuba, hoped for a new, free country 90 miles away from Miami, and moved the team there.
An MLB team in Cuba would be huge. Instead there's a beautiful new park in Miami with few fans and a top-to-bottom case study in dysfunction and absence of responsibility. It's a train wreck.
September 25, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged AL Central 2013, AL East 2013, AL West 2013, Angels, Asdrubal Cabrera, Atlanta Braves, Brandon Beachy, Braves, Brian McCann, Brian McCann contract, Chase Utley, Chase Utley third base, Chipper Jones, Cliff Lee, Cody Ross, Cole Hamels, Connie Mack, Craig Kimbrel, Craig Kimbrel Cy Young Award, Cuba, Dan Haren, Dan Sileo, Dexter Fowler, Dodgers, Fidel Castro, Freddy Galvis, Fredi Gonzalez, Fredi Gonzalez comments Jeffrey Loria, Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Gonzalez, Heath Bell, Heath Bell calls Ozzie Guillen a liar, Heath Bell interview, Ian Kinsler, Jacob Turner, Jair Jurrjens, Jason Bay, Jason Heyward, Jeffrey Loria, Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia, Johan Santana, Jonathan Papelbon, Jonathon Niese, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Justin Upton. BJ Upton, Kris Medlen, Marlins, Marlins ballpark, Marlins to cut payroll, Matt Harvey, Mets, Miami Marlins, Michael Bourn, Nathan Eovaldi, Nationals, New York Mets, NL Cy Young Award, NL East 2013, Ozzie Guillen, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, RA Dickey, Randall Delgado, Ricky Nolasco, Rob Brantly, Roy Halladay, Ruben Amaro Jr., Ryan Madson, Shane Victorino, Shin-Soo Choo, Stephen Strasburg, Tigers, Tommy Hanson, Tommy John, Washington Nationals, Zack Greinke, Zack Wheeler	4 Comments
The Marlins Do Realize They Hired Ozzie Guillen, Right?
What went wrong in Miami with the Marlins?
Was it the new, cavernous ballpark?
The odd mix of personalities?
The misjudgment of talent?
Injuries? Apathy? Dysfunction?
A combination?
Speculation centers on whom owner Jeffrey Loria fires. First the target sat squarely on the back of President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest. Now it's turned to manager Ozzie Guillen. Given Loria's history, I'm not going to venture a guess as to what he'll do. He could say, "I've fired managers before, let's try firing some people in suits." Or he could say, "I like my baseball people, the manager and players were the problem. I'll change the on-field personnel." Or he could do nothing with the manager and executives and get rid of more players. He could fire everyone. He could fire no one.
Loria has a habit of firing managers, but the front office has remained largely intact and is signed long-term. To him, it's clear that the manager is fungible and not all that relevant. It's a similar argument in a different context to the new-age stat-based theories that say the manager is an implementer of the strategies laid out by the bosses and can be easily replaced. In his time, Loria's fired every manager he's had. Some were deserved, some weren't, but as the owner it's his right to do what he wants.
For years he wanted Guillen and took the step of trading minor league players to get him at the end of the 2011 season. Had Loria examined Guillen's tenure with the White Sox closely and understood what he was getting before jumping in with a heavy financial commitment (4-years, $10 million) and expectant enthusiasm, he probably would've hired him anyway.
Was it because he thought Guillen was a good game manager with the background of success and the fiery temperament to keep the heat off of the players and drum up attention in the media? Absolutely. Guillen has all of those attributes. But he also says ridiculous things and doesn't think before he speaks. There's no filter and the fine line between being outrageous and offensive is blurred. He casually and without regret crosses into insubordination. Honesty and self-destruction are melded together and Guillen has essentially dared Loria to fire him as related in this blog from The Palm Beach Post.
The Marlins created a carnival complete with colorful uniforms, rampant ballpark diversions, a team of intriguing talent, and negative personalities. The White Sox, under Guillen, won a World Series with a blend of intriguing talent and perceived negative personalities so there was a basis for thinking Guillen could cobble it together again. Instead, the Marlins are a disaster.
But blaming Guillen for being Guillen? It's an easy case to make that his comments praising Fidel Castro were a tipping point, but that was in April and the Marlins went 21-8 in May. The players don't care about that stuff; the only time they're bothered about some off-field controversy is if they're constantly asked about it. It's easy to say a calmer, more patient, and respected clubhouse voice would have handled the chemistry issues in a more diplomatic way than Guillen, but I don't think the results would've been any different.
It was the front office who decided to build a cavernous ballpark tilted toward pitching, but put a horrific defense on the field. It was the front office that signed John Buck and Heath Bell; that traded for Guillen, Carlos Zambrano, and Carlos Lee. They put a toxic mix together in a bowl, expected it to smell good and for people to eat it. No one did.
They can fire Guillen; they can fire Beinfest, Michael Hill, Dan Jennings; they can trade away more players and bring in others; but that's not going to alter the reality that the fans in Miami wouldn't have gone to see this club play if their record was reversed and they'd hired a manager who had the power to free Cuba rather than one who expressed love for its aged dictator. New ballpark or not, the people in that area don't care about the Marlins. There's no reason to go to the park to see this team, but not many people would've gone even if there was.
September 24, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Carlos Lee, Carlos Zambrano, Castro, Cuba, Dan Jennings, Fidel Castro, Heath Bell, Jeffrey Loria, John Buck, Larry Beinfest, Marlins, Marlins Park, Miami Marlins, Michael Hill, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen contract, Ozzie Guillen Fidel Castro, Palm Beach Post, White Sox, Who will the Marlins fire?, Will the Marlins fire Ozzie Guillen	Leave a comment
Dog Days Manager/GM Hotseat Grows Hotter
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Let's look at the managers and GMs whose hot seats have gotten hotter as the season's shaken out.
Bobby Valentine, Boston Red Sox
If I were to place a percentage on how much of what's gone wrong with the Red Sox is the fault of Valentine, I'd say about 30%. The team was overrated and patched together; the front office has interfered with many of the things he wanted to do such as using Daniel Bard as a reliever; and they saddled him with a pitching coach in Bob McClure with whom he's not on the same page.
Valentine has damaged himself with the ill-advised—and mostly innocuous—challenge he issued to Kevin Youkilis and it's becoming abundantly clear that the cauldron of Boston probably wasn't the best spot for him to return after a 10-year hiatus from managing in the big leagues. Valentine's reputation put him on shaky footing as soon as he was hired. If he said "hello" the wrong way, the players and media would've pounced on it. He only received a 2-year contract and with the way this season is going to end, his reputation and that players are going to avoid signing with the Red Sox specifically because of him, they won't have a choice but to make a change.
Barring any spending spree and a major infusion of better luck, the Red Sox will learn in 2013 that it wasn't the manager's fault. The team isn't very good and is entering a new phase that will take time to recover from. Chasing the past with desperation moves that were diametrically opposed to what built the Red Sox powerhouse has done little more than stagnate that inevitable process.
They're a mess and Valentine or not, that won't change anytime soon.
Manny Acta, Cleveland Indians
I'm getting the Rene Lachemann feeling from Acta.
Lachemann was a well-respected baseball man who paid his dues. The players liked him and liked playing for him and, for the most part, he made the correct strategic decisions. But year-after-year, he was stuck with teams that had very little talent with records that reflected it. He managed the woebegone Mariners of the early-1980s; the Brewers for one season; and was the first manager of the Marlins. His managerial career ended with a .433 winning percentage.
Acta is much the same. He has a contract for 2013, but that won't matter. The Indians had some expectations this season and, after hovering around contention, have come undone. It's not his fault, but the Indians might bring in someone else. Sandy Alomar Jr. is on the coaching staff and has been on several managerial short-lists, plus is still revered in Cleveland. He'd take the pressure off the front office's reluctance to spend money…for a time, anyway.
Acta's young and competent enough to get another chance to manage somewhere.
Ron Gardenhire/Terry Ryan, Minnesota Twins
Ryan still hasn't had the "interim" label removed from his job title and with the Twins' struggles over the past two seasons, it's not hard to think they're going to bring in a younger, more stat-savvy GM and start a full-bore rebuild. If Ryan is out and the structure of the team is dramatically altered, the respected Gardenhire might choose to move on as well. He'd get another managerial job.
Ned Yost/Dayton Moore, Kansas City Royals
This team was expected to, at the very least, be around .500 or show progress with their young players. Injuries have decimated them and the trade of Melky Cabrera for Jonathan Sanchez—completely sensible and understandable—was a disaster. Jeff Francoeur has reverted to being Jeff Francoeur after a very good 2011 season resulted in a contract extension. Moore has a contract through 2014 and ownership won't fire him now. Yost's contract option for 2013 was exercised and he'll get the start of 2013 to see how things go.
Jack Zduriencik, Seattle Mariners
I discussed Zduriencik when talking about the Ichiro Suzuki trade.
I think he's safe for now.
Ozzie Guillen, Miami Marlins
With any other team employing a "name" manager with a 4-year contract, a change would be absurd. But this is the Marlins and the Marlins are not a bastion of logic and sanity. Guillen invited the ire of the Cuban community in Miami with his statement in support of Fidel Castro and was suspended; the team is a nightmare on and off the field and is ready and willing to do anything.
He'll survive 2012, but if this continues into mid-season 2013, he's going to get fired.
Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds
He's not on the hotseat, but why has Baker's contract status not been addressed? Unless there have been quiet assurances made to him that the public doesn't know about, his deal expires at the end of this season. Say what you want about him, but if he's got the talent on his roster, he wins. The Reds are in first place and rolling. He deserves a bit more security than he has.
Brad Mills, Houston Asros
Mills has done as good a job as he possibly could with a team that doesn't have much talent, is in a major rebuild and is moving to the American League next season. GM Jeff Luhnow inherited Mills and it made little sense to fire the manager and pay someone else to run a team that would lose 95-100 games if John McGraw was managing it. Luhnow is going to hire his own man to manage the team and Mills will get another shot somewhere else eventually.
Bud Black, San Diego Padres
Black has never been a particularly strong strategic manager and his contract is only guaranteed through 2013 with club options for 2014-2015. There's a new regime in place with GM Josh Byrnes and a new ownership coming in and they might want to make a change. I doubt it, but it's possible.
Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies
Dan O'Dowd was recently demoted from running to the team to overseeing the minor league system. Assistant GM Bill Geivett will run the big league club.
This is an odd set-up for an oddly run organization. O'Dowd's contract status is unknown, but manager Jim Tracy has a "handshake agreement" to manage the team for an "indefinite" amount of time, whatever that means. One would assume that O'Dowd has a similarly bizarre deal.
I get the impression that O'Dowd is relieved to not have to run the team anymore. Perhaps he himself suggested this new arrangement. It's hard to see Tracy surviving this season even though he's a good manager and man and this isn't his fault. Things went downhill for the Rockies when Troy Tulowitzki got hurt, but that won't stop them from making a managerial change.
August 5, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Bill Geivett, Bob McClure, Bob McClure Bobby Valentine, Bobby Valentine, Bobby Valentine contract, Bobby Valentine Red Sox hotseat, Boston Red Sox, Brad Mills, Brad Mills Astros, Brad Mills contract, Bud Black, Bud Black contract, Castro, Cleveland Indians, Dan O'Dowd, Dan O'Dowd demoted, Daniel Bard, Daniel Bard starter or reliever, Dayton Moore, Dusty Baker, Dusty Baker contract, Fidel Castro, GMs on the hotseat, Ichiro, Ichiro Suzuki, Indians, Jack Zduriencik, Jeff Francoeur, Jeff Luhnow, Jim Tracy, John McGraw, Jonathan Sanchez, Josh Byrnes, Kansas City Royals, Kevin Youkilis, Managers on the hotseat, Managers/GMs on the hotseat, Manny Acta, Manny Acta contract, Melky Cabrera, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Ned Yost, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen contract, Ozzie Guillen Fidel Castro, Padres, Red Sox, Rene Lachemann, Rene Lachemann managerial record, Rockies, Ron Gardenhire, Royals, Royals manager GM security, San Diego Padres, Sandy Alomar Jr, Terry Ryan, Troy Tulowitzki, Twins, Will Bobby Valentine be fired?	Leave a comment
Where Do the Marlins Go From Here?
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This Marlins group is not a "team". It's a glued together collection of individuals whose mutual interests—of the front office and players—mixed together to create a toxic mess that's being dismantled as hastily as it was built. A plan that changes when it doesn't reap immediate dividends is not a plan at all and with the decision to start clearing the decks and apparently listen to offers for anyone and everyone on the roster, where they go from here is unclear.
It began yesterday with the Marlins trading righty starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez and infielder Omar Infante to the Tigers for three youngsters including top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, catcher Rob Brantly and lefty pitcher Brian Flynn.
Turner, the 9th overall pick in the 2009 draft, appeared to have fallen out of favor with the Tigers and his status moved from untouchable to gone, but he's only 21, has a great curve and a prototypical pitcher's body. The Marlins have gotten torched in dealing for Tigers' prospects before as Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin didn't pan out after they were acquired in the Miguel Cabrera trade, but Turner is more polished than Miller was.
Sanchez is a free agent at the end of the season and, when he's on, is very difficult to hit. He's had a history of arm problems that he's overcome in recent years and is going to be more of an immediate help to the Tigers than Turner. Infante is a reliable veteran who plays good defense at second base and has some pop.
Getting Turner is a positive for the Marlins, but does this signal a housecleaning? The construction of the 2012 Marlins wasn't about putting the best possible pieces in place, but about buying stuff to stick in their gaudy new home. Like the impulse purchases of an instant millionaire, aesthetic and functionality were placed on the backburner in the interest of generating headlines. They needed a manager who was going to spark buzz and had a history of winning? Trade for Ozzie Guillen. They needed a closer? Heath Bell's out there and he's a closer. Let's sign him. They needed a third baseman? Sign Jose Reyes and move Hanley Ramirez to third base. They needed starting pitching? Sign Mark Buehrle and trade for Carlos Zambrano.
It's simple in the George Steinbrenner sense and actually sometimes works. It did for the 1970s Yankees and the 1997 Marlins, among others. But it's also failed as it did with the 1980s Yankees and the 1992 Mets.
Who knows what would've happened this season had Guillen not caused an immediate uproar by fulfilling his mandate by ranting (mostly incoherently) to draw attention and idiotically said that he admired a loathsome figure in the Miami area, Fidel Castro? If they'd made sure Ramirez was onboard with the move to third base and was committed to being a Marlin, playing hard every day and behaving himself? If Logan Morrison spent as much time concentrating on playing and not expressing his freedom of speech rights on Twitter? If Zambrano was, as Guillen apparently expected, reachable to a countryman and friend who knew him well?
There's no room for wouldas, shouldas and couldas with the Marlins. Owner Jeffrey Loria and the baseball people act quickly when they're building and demolishing so this concept of being ready and willing to talk about the entire roster is not foreign to them. The attendance at their new ballpark is 12th in the National League. They're not cohesive nor do they appear to like each other very much. It's understandable to give up on the season and try something else, but what is there to try? Who stays and who goes? And what's going on in the heads of the free agent signees Reyes and Buehrle? They presumably had it in mind that the Marlins couldn't care less about promises they may or may not have made at contract time and that the organization will dispatch them at a moment's notice, sending them to live out the remaining time on their deals in a locale that they wouldn't have chosen on their own. They signed with the Marlins knowing their history and they have to deal with the fallout.
As rapidly as this was tossed together, it's being taken apart with the only question being where they go from here. Since it changes so rapidly and without remorse or introspection, I don't think anyone can provide an answer because not even the Marlins know.
July 24, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 1970s Yankees, 1980s Yankees, 1992 Mets, 1997 Marlins, Andrew Miller, Anibal Sanchez, Brian Flynn, Cameron Maybin, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Tigers trade, Fidel Castro, George Steinbrenner, Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell, Jacob Turner, Jacob Turner analysis, Jeffrey Loria, Jose Reyes, Logan Morrison, LoMo, Mark Buehrle, Marlins, Marlins disaster, Marlins housecleaning, Marlins Park attendance, Marlins sellers, Marlins trade, Marlins trade analysis, Miami Marlins, Miguel Cabrera, MLB Rumors, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Trade Talk, Omar Infante, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen Fidel Castro, Rob Brantly, Tigers, Twitter, Who else will the Marlins trade?	Leave a comment
Believe It Or Don't—The Bad (National League)
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In recent days, I've looked at teams that were either underachieving or overachieving based on expectations. Let's check the National League underachievers (or achievers as the case may be).
What they're doing.
The Marlins are 23-19 and in 3rd place in the NL East, 2 1/2 games behind the Braves.
How they're doing it.
Their starting pitching has helped them overcome Heath Bell's rancid first two months, a shaky overall bullpen and struggling lineup.
Bell's been better in his last several outings, but no one, nowhere in Miami is going to feel comfortable with him closing an important late season game against any contender.
The lineup, which was supposed to be a strength, is 13th in the NL in runs scored. Jose Reyes hasn't been the sparkplug they thought they were getting and his defense is drastically declining. Emilio Bonifacio is on the disabled list; John Buck and Gaby Sanchez are both hitting under .200 with Sanchez just having been sent to the minors; Logan Morrison has 2 homers; most glaringly and concerning (not counting last night's game), Hanley Ramirez has played in a combined 133 games in 2011-2012 and hit 17 homers with a slash line of .259/.323/.412.
Then there's the Ozzie Guillen-Fidel Castro controversy that, luckily for the Marlins, died down.
In addition to all of that, there's the new ballpark and newly remodeled club and a still-underwhelming attendance that's 8th in the National League.
Believe it or don't?
I'd be very worried about Ramirez. With their starting pitching and Josh Johnson finding his form, they'll have enough to loiter around contention, but their hitting and bullpen are so problematic that being barely over .500 is pretty much it for the Marlins.
The Phillies are 21-22, in last place in the NL East and 5 games behind the Braves.
They're without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard; Jimmy Rollins is hitting around .230; they're carrying hitters like Freddy Galvis who's not ready for the big leagues; and playing role players Ty Wigginton and John Mayberry Jr. regularly.
Roy Halladay hasn't been his normal, machine-like self. Cliff Lee was on the disabled list and Vance Worley is on the disabled list. Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton have picked up the slack and helped the Phillies stay competitive through their injuries and offensive malaise.
Don't believe it and don't listen to Jim Bowden/schlocky websites/trolling columnists when they suggest that the Phillies are going to be sellers at the trading deadline. They're not selling anything unless they're 20 games under .500, and that's not going to happen.
The Phillies will be back at or near the top of the NL East by the time the season is over.
The Brewers are 17-25 and 6 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central.
Losing Prince Fielder was bad enough, but his designated kindasorta replacement in the lineup, Aramis Ramirez, is hitting .218 with 3 homers; his actual replacement at first base, Mat Gamel, blew out his knee; and for good (or bad) measure, shortstop Alex Gonzalez blew his knee out as well.
The starting pitching has been good and the bullpen hasn't.
Ryan Braun has picked up where he left off from his MVP season in 2011 and—presumably—he's not going to be stupid enough to do anything that might cause a failed PED test.
This team is flawed and short-handed offensively. They have the pitching to get back within striking distance of a playoff spot, but unless they hit, they're a .500 team at best.
The Giants are 22-20, 7 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
They've lost closer Brian Wilson for the season, but their bullpen is still deep enough even without their horse. Starting pitching is carrying them and that's with Tim Lincecum carting around an ERA over six.
Their hitting has been better than the popgun it was in the past, but pitching is what carries the Giants.
Don't believe it. The Giants are better than a .500 team and once Lincecum gets straightened out and Pablo Sandoval is back healthy, they'll be in the thick of the playoff race.
The Diamondbacks are 19-24 and 10 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
A lot went right for the Diamondbacks in 2011, especially in the bullpen. The lineup has black spots. Chris Young is just off the disabled list and they're waiting for Stephen Drew.
Paul Goldschmidt and Ryan Roberts have a combined 4 homers. You can't win with Willie Bloomquist playing every day and your first and third basemen not hitting the ball out of the park.
Trevor Cahill is 2-4 and that's with a .262 BAbip. Imagine if he wasn't as lucky as he's been. Ian Kennedy has an ERA of nearly 4.5 and is leading the National League in hits allowed.
J.J. Putz has been a calamity as the closer.
Believe it. Their luck from 2011 has abandoned them and they're plainly and simply not that good.
May 22, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Alex Gonzalez, Aramis Ramirez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Brian Wilson, Chase Utley, Chris Young, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Diamondbacks, Emilio Bonifacio, Fidel Castro, Freddy Galvis, Gaby Sanchez, Guillen-Castro, Hanley Ramirez, Hanley Ramirez slash line 2011-2012, Heath Bell, Ian Kennedy, Jim Bowden, Jimmy Rollins, JJ Putz, Joe Blanton, John Buck, John Mayberry Jr, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Logan Morrison, LoMo, Mat Gamel, Mat Gamel Alex Gonzalez knees, Miami Marlins, Ozzie Guillen, Pablo Sandoval, Paul Goldschmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Prince Fielder, Roy Halladay, Ryan Braun, Ryan Braun PEDs, Ryan Howard, Ryan Roberts, Stephen Drew, Tim Lincecum, Trevor Cahill, Ty Wigginton, Vance Worley, Willie Bloomquist	6 Comments
Ozzie Guillen's Comments Don't Warrant A Firing
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One would assume that there's fine print in Ozzie Guillen's contract with the Marlins that states he can't make any statements or engage in activities that compromise his club's ability to do business. Such would be true with anyone. Making a comment in support of Fidel Castro—intentional or not—comes under the auspices of negatively affecting the Marlins' ticket sales to a large faction of their supposed fan base and is a fireable offense with them not having to pay him if they so chose.
This talk about Guillen's rights to free speech being violated are more out of bounds than the comments he made in the first place. He's an employee of a business with a constituency that reviles Castro. Guillen can say whatever he wants, but if he wants to keep his job, he can't say whatever he wants.
A 5-game suspension is nothing in comparison to the nullification of his 4-year, $10 million contract—something that the Marlins could have explored if they wanted to get away from Guillen and end the issue permanently.
Guillen is a figurehead of what the Marlins are trying to do. They want to win with personality and flair and went in the opposite direction from managers they've hired in the past.
Jeffrey Loria, coming from the art world and aware of the value of style combined with substance; of pumping up buzz by any means necessary, knew what he wanted in a manager and paid for it. Guillen complements the ballpark, uniforms and Miami-style he sought to cultivate.
And he's a good manager.
His managerial career would be severely damaged by a firing over this and would probably doom the Marlins 2012 season before it got fully underway. While this whole episode is an overreaction to a man who's made a career of saying stupid things saying something stupid to the tenth power, he should not be fired nor should he be continually reminded of this for the rest of this season, let alone his career.
The Marlins knew who they were hiring when they hired Guillen. I'm sure they didn't expect him to do something like this, but they should be angry and not surprised. When someone talks and talks without a filter and is essentially rewarded for that behavior, eventually that person is going to cross the line.
Language barriers; intent; how the question was framed; what the entire purpose of Guillen talking about Castro to begin with was—none of that really matters. What matters is that he said something that could conceivably have cost him his job a week into the season. The politically motivated are taking this gaffe as a tool to get their cause some attention and hardliners implied that Guillen was going to get fired.
He's not getting fired.
Guillen's job should not be jeopardized by saying something foolish. He made a mistake.
The Marlins are a Scotch-taped tapestery of personalities. From the front office to the manager to the players, there are questions everywhere.
Ownership is being investigated by the SEC for their tactics in getting the new Marlins Park built; the reputations of owner Loria and team president David Samson weren't sterling before any of the alleged chicanery took place; there are players with checkered pasts (Carlos Zambrano), attitudes (Hanley Ramirez and Heath Bell) and injury problems (Jose Reyes) that they need to perform to validate the money they spent this past winter.
Now their manager is in the front of the newspaper rather than the back.
For all their dysfunction, the Marlins are savvy and expected a Guillen meltdown at some point. Presumably, they were counting on it. That said, no one could've imagined that it would be a Time Magazine piece and laudatory comments about Castro that would be the first Guillen controversy as Marlins' manager.
In a strange way, this removes the wait-and-see aspect of the first thing Guillen's going to do to make himself look like an unhinged lunatic. The explosion went off very early in his tenure; the Marlins suspended him as a good faith gesture; and he apologized.
Guillen's not going to censor himself and he's going to say or do something else idiotic, probably within a month.
That's what the Marlins hired.
Amid all this talk and expectations for Guillen, it's forgotten that he's lived off of his World Series win for a very long time and been far more trouble than he's worth on or off the field. He's a good manager whose teams have consistently underachieved since 2005. He got credit for the World Series win; he gets the blame for teams that were better on paper than their end results.
The World Series win was seven years ago and it's time to judge him on what he is now; what he does now.
This mess is not a good start.
I doubt that the people who were going to go to the games are going to be influenced one way or the other by what Guillen said. Miami is not a baseball town and if the new ballpark and spending spree doesn't attract fans or vault the Marlins into playoff contention, it won't be because of Guillen and Castro; it will because the team is strangely constructed, may not be as good as advertised and that the fans aren't interested in baseball one way or the other.
Suspending, firing or doing nothing to Guillen isn't going to change that.
April 11, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Carlos Zambrano, Chicago White Sox, Could Guillen be fired and not paid?, Cuba, David Samson, Fidel Castro, Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell, Jeffrey Loria, Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen contract, Ozzie Guillen Fidel Castro, Time Magazine, White Sox	2 Comments
In Miami, Castro is a Dirty Word
Ozzie Guillen isn't the random, out of control raving maniac he portrays himself to be. Most of his outrageous statements are designed to take the pressure off his team and put the focus on himself. He's done it before and will undoubtedly do it again. But the last thing he wanted to do when taking over as manager of the Marlins was to say positive things about Fidel Castro.
The Marlins' hopes to draw fans to their new ballpark hinge heavily on the Cuban population in Miami. That population is only so prevalent in Miami because of Castro's autocratic regime taking over Cuba and their desire to escape to freedom.
According to this USA Today piece, in a Time Magazine profile Guillen said the following:
"I love Fidel Castro."
Then he said:
"I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that (SOB) is still here."
The "why" Guillen said this is irrelevant. Whether Guillen was kidding around; making a blanket statement about someone who he clearly was, in some way, comparing to himself as a survivor; or said something to intentionally put the focus on himself rather than his team has no bearing on the end result and his failure to think before speaking.
There's a big difference between off-field idiocy and on-field psychological tricks. Guillen has his hands full with keeping Carlos Zambrano in line; convincing Hanley Ramirez that moving to third base is good for his career; maintaining the health of Jose Reyes; and navigating the glued together clubhouse and roster while attracting fans to watch the team play.
The one thing you do not want to do is alienate your targeted base; to make it easier for a potential customer to say they don't want to consume your product.
The Marlins need the Cuban-American communtity to come to the new ballpark and watch their team. With a revamped roster that's off to a slow start, they're clearly going to take time to gel.
The team gelling is largely up to Guillen.
Already owner Jeffrey Loria is under investigation by the SEC for the financing of that new ballpark; the amenities and gaudiness of the stadium itself are being ridiculed; and Loria was under attack for trotting Muhammad Ali out to take part in the first pitch ceremony.
They didn't need the highly paid new manager to make off-field controversies worse.
Guillen's act is to be front and center and the Marlins knew that when they hired him. It's part of the reason they hired him in the first place. That said, there's a line between ripping players publicly; chastising umpires on Twitter; challenging and questioning your GM; bickering with coaches and opposing managers—all of which Guillen has done in the past and will do in the future—and saying something geopolitically ignorant and inciteful as declaring one's love for Castro while smack in the middle of a city that reviles Castro as the epitome of evil.
Guillen crossed that line and has apologized.
That apology should be accepted and everyone should move on.
But everyone moving on doesn't include continuing to line Loria's pockets by purchasing tickets; validating the hiring of Guillen by going to the games, spending money and partaking in the carnival.
The complaints and protests will die down; the team will play better than they have so far; the damage done to Marlins' already sketchy ticket sales won't be so easy to fix.
April 9, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Carlos Zambrano, Cuba, Fidel Castro, Hanley Ramirez, Jeffrey Loria, Jeffrey Loria Muhammad Ali, Jose Reyes, Marlins, Miami, Miami Marlins, Muhammad Ali, Ozzie Guillen, Ozzie Guillen comments Fidel Castro, SEC investigation Marlins, Time Magazine, Time Magazine Ozzie Guillen, USA Today	4 Comments

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Mariel can host up to 2 dogs per night.
Mariel can host up to 2 dogs per day for day care.
Mariel was so kind and loving towards my dog. Sent pictures and updates along the way which was great to see. My dogs collar broke during her stay and Mariel even bought her a new collar. I could tell my dog felt at home during her stay!
Halby had the best time with Mariel and her two dogs, couldn't ask for more. He pretty much passed out for a day on the couch when he got home. Will be using Mariel again, very flexible with my pickup drop off times, awesome service.
My dog puka has the best time when staying with Mariel. She is great and I totally trust her with my dog and know that my dog is very well taken care. There is so much play and fun time!
Mariel has had our dogs Chuck (big 2 year old goof) and Stella (little old lady) in her care at her home many times. She not only takes great care of them, but she showers them with love and affection as well. When we return to town, Mariel always has lots of stories about their adventures. She loves animals and truly gets a kick out of spending time with them. I cannot imagine a better person to care for my critters.
We had an unfortunate experience with another sitter and were super cautious using it again but Mariel absolutely exceeded our expectations. My dog is shy and takes awhile to warm up to people, however, my dog felt right at home with Mariel. She sent me pictures throughout the day (cause I'm needy and asked haha) And even brushed my dog for hours shedding a wig of hair off. I'm so glad we continued to use rover to find Mariel, I absolutely recommend her !
Mariel is amazing! She loves every dog she meets and you couldn't find a more trustworthy and reliable person to care for your four legged children. I highly recommend her for any pet sitting / walking needs!
Mariel has been my best friend for about 17 years and has spent most of her adult life teaching young kids and nannying. She has two dogs of her own and is one of the only two people I feel comfortable leaving my dog (and my cat) with when I need someone to look after her. Needless to say, my dog absolutely LOVES her. She gives her the exercise she needs, pays attention to her if something is wrong and loves on her like she's her own dog. Mariel understands that different dogs have different temperaments and adjusts well to whatever animal she is around (she's lived on a farm for some time as well, and understands animals extremely well). I'd recommend her to absolutely anybody looking for the perfect dog sitter!
Your dog will be loved and spoiled!
I have had my own dogs for 5 years, but have had all sorts of pets throughout my life! I've done many house sitting jobs where I've taken care of all kinds of pets (horses, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, fish, chickens, ducks, etc.). I absolutely love all animals and have a passion for their welfare and health! I'm comfortable with any animal, administering medication, special needs, training, etc. What sets me aside from other sitters and walkers is that I have a very open schedule, thus I am able to do multiple check-ins, walks, or potty breaks daily. If they are staying at my house, they get loved on and spoiled all day! They'll also quickly become best buddies with my two dogs! If you're looking for someone who will give your pet unconditional care, love, and attention, look no further! I can't wait to meet your furry friend!! Thanks for considering me!
If they are good with cats, other dogs, and kids. No breed preferences!
7 years, 1 mo. old, 55 lbs.
2 years, 8 mo. old, 70 lbs.
4 years old, 10 lbs.
I love to go to the dog park, hiking, or anywhere outdoors! We also like to just hang out and relax on the couch and watch movies sometimes too!


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Chris is challenging staff to activities on campus over the coming weeks, in a bid to get staff more active.
Sport Development Assistant Chris Berrevoets has already gone head-to-head with staff and students in Volleyball and Frisbee – and will be back out on campus challenging those that dare to table tennis and badminton.
And with one victory and one defeat behind him, he's determined to take home the win!


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Q: Longest Shortest Path (not quite) For my bachelor thesis, I have encountered the following problem (solving which could be useful for the actual problem of the thesis). I have a weighted directed graph G with vertices V and two vertices from V, start s and destination t. I can remove at most k vertices. I need to find vertices, the removal of which, would maximize the cost (length) of the shortest path from s to t in the adjusted graph.
I suppose, this problem should have been addressed before in the literature, however, I did not manage to find relevant articles. I would be grateful for any links to the relevant literature.

A: You can apply Yen's Algorithm to find the shortest K paths. Now how do you apply that in your code? You apply not for the first K paths but for all the paths that have the same length as the shortest. Once you find all of those (K1 as a count) you now take each path and remove (simulate that you remove) one vertex (if you already considered you can skip it) but if not, now you have a problem of Shortest paths in a graph with a skip-able vertex. At each step you try to maximize the 'shortest path' and chose that vertex. I'm thinking of a more optimal way but this is the best I can from the top of my head.
You do K time:

*

*Do Yen's algorithm modified as I said.

*Find the best local solution of remove one vertex to increase the minim distance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If your child is absent for any reason, the school must by law, be informed of the reason for that absence. A telephone call in the morning to Mrs Delo the School Secretary on 01303 260212 to let her know that your child is ill.
A brief note is also an acceptable way of letting us know about an absence.
By law the school can no longer sanction any term time holiday requests.
If your child needs to be out of school for part of the day for a visit to the doctor, dentist, then please inform us beforehand. Again a brief note or telephone message is all we need. If your child is going to be collected at a particular time, then please let us know that time, so that we can make certain your child is ready when you arrive.


Aman was a quiet nature boy. He lived with his wife Aarti in a small rented house. For the last three years, he was working in a multinational company and his salary has not increased even once. He used to think again and again to tell me about the salary increase from the boss, but every time he hesitated, he could not say anything.
But one day he decided that today I will definitely talk to the boss about this. Aarti also raised Aman's courage and gave lunch in hand and said "all the best".
After reaching the office, Aman took the right opportunity to tell the boss about his heart.
Aman did not believe that his speech was so easily accepted. There was no limit to his happiness. As soon as the office was finished, to announce this good news, he bought the favorite sweets of the aarti and came out to the house.
Aarti was also sitting in the waiting room for Aman. Seeing from a distance, she understood that Aman has got the salary hike. She stood at the door to welcome Aman.
Aman, got inside the gate. Aarti was ready to wear a beautiful sari. The whole house was bathing in a scent…. A new set of crockery was installed on the dinner table and a candle was burning in the middle. Everything was eaten in the food which was very much like Aman … .and there was a beautiful card kept in between them.
After reading this, he smiled and hugged his wife.
"I just want to sweeten your mouth." It says or goes from Aman kitchen to take plate.
But what about this … the kitchen shelf had the same card as it was just read.
Aman had tears in his eyes, he had come to know that the love for Aarti does not depend on his success or failure … he is unconditional … Today Aman's self-confidence had increased…! Now he was more than happy to increase his salary, because he had someone who completely accepted him under any circumstances.
Friends, people need our love, trust, and support most when they are going through a bad phase…but often we are involved in their success but leave them alone to deal with failures. Let us not do that… If we have one such person who accepts us in every situation, then we can face this world effortlessly and find hard-to-hard success. And you know, what is the easiest way to get that person …. That is to become such a person for someone else himself, so make certain such relationships in life that you are ready to accept completely and unconditionally and you will find that you also have some people who are just and only with you or not from your success-failure! And this is the secret of a strong relationship!


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Q: How do I convert a date in an html table cell to iso 8601 format? I have this td:
Jul 18 2019 12:00AM

and I need to convert it to ISO 8601 format using JavaScript. Vanilla or using jQuery would be fine, it's just that I keep getting an 'undefined' when I attempt to parse it, but I think it is having trouble because of the html tags. Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
 $(function () {
  $("#_ctl0_phMainContent_dgrdClasses3 tbody tr td:nth-child(7)").each(function (index, dateElem) {
    var $dateElem = $(dateElem);
    var formatted = moment($dateElem.text(), 'MMM DD YYYY h:mm:a').format('MMM DD YYYY h:mm:a').toISOString();
    $dateElem.text(formatted);   })
 })

A: You need to add moment to parse it to the custom date string format and then convert it to iso format
For more details regarding isoString
moment('Jul 18 2019 12:00AM','MMM DD YYYY h:mm:a').toISOString()


Home Wedding Reception Venues Archive by category "Peel Manor"
Wedding Flowers, a flower crown hen party and Peel Manor House Expo.
Sweet Floral. A very busy weekend…Part 3.
Wedding Flowers,Peel Manor House & Compose Photography.
Peel Manor House, Wedding Reception.


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Xbox Music Coming to Xbox 360 Tomorrow
By Bogdan Bele
Microsoft has officially announced Xbox Music, a music service that plans to compete with iTunes and other steaming services like Spotify and Pandora.
Microsoft has officially announced the imminent release of Xbox Music, a music service that plans to compete with Apple's iTunes and other streaming services like Spotify and Pandora.
Tomorrow it rolls out to Xbox 360 users who have a Gold subscription. The service will offer ad free streaming to users for the first 60 days.In its press release on Sunday evening, Microsoft announced the service will offer millions of tracks that will be available on every Windows 8 device — PCs, Windows RT tablets and Windows 8 phone.
Xbox Music will be pre-installed on all versions Windows 8 which is available to everyone on October 26. You'll be able to stream songs, create playlists, download tracks and includes a Pandora like radio option. Free ad supported streaming is free but only on Windows 8.
There is a catch though. Free streaming will be limited to only 10 hours after 6 months. And if you're using Windows 7, the service will remain Zune Music and you won't have access to the Xbox Music service's new features.
The grooviest feature is the Xbox Music Pass. This allows you unlimited and ad-free access to music streaming and syncing across your Windows 8 Phone, tablet, PC and Xbox 360 console for $ 9.99 a month. It also includes offline access approximately 70,000 music videos too.
Here's a look at the new features from the Press Release:
Free streaming1 music on Windows 8 and Windows RT. Enjoy on-demand access to tens of millions of songs for free on all Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets and PCs. Discovering and enjoying free music on Windows 8 and Windows RT is as easy as typing an artist or song name and hitting "play" — songs are instantly available to stream and for you to create an unlimited amount of playlists.
Xbox Music Pass. Want unlimited access to the songs and artists you care about, including offline access? Get an Xbox Music Pass for ad-free, unlimited playback of any track in our subscription catalog across your tablet, PC, phone and Xbox 3601 for US$9.99 per month.2 Xbox Music Pass also unlocks unlimited access to tens of thousands of music videos on your Xbox 360.
Xbox Music Store. Want to own the music you love? The Xbox Music Store is a comprehensive MP3 marketplace giving you the opportunity to purchase a single track or entire album on your Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet or PC and Windows Phone 8.
Smart DJ. Creating a new form of artist-based radio, the Smart DJ feature is a quick and dynamic way to personalize your collection, discover new favorites and create ultimate playlists by launching instant mixes based on your favorite artists. With unlimited skips and a view of the full recommended music stream, Smart DJ puts you in control of your Internet radio experience.
Cloud Storage. Available in the coming year, a scan-and-match feature will take you beyond the 30 million tracks globally offered through Xbox Music. It will add all the music you own to your Xbox Music cloud catalog, including music acquired through other services. This means you can add almost any content you have to your personal Xbox Music collection, even if it's not available in the Xbox Music catalog.
Social Music. Xbox Music will add unique social features in the coming year that let you share your music experiences with friends and family.
Platform Expansion. Xbox Music will become available on other platforms in the coming year.
Related Items:Microsoft, Xbox
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I can read clutter the way some people read tea leaves. My book Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You'll Ever Need will be available in June 2019. It will help you identify the emotional blocks we all have with regard to our "stuff" - and how to conquer them for good. Let's create permanent change so you can have a happier, healthier, and clutter-free life.
Let's be honest, clutter is exhausting. What you purchased in the pursuit of happiness, may actually be having the opposite effect.
There's hope! Clearing away clutter isn't just about organizational strategies, it's about helping you figure out why it felt comforting to surround yourself with clutter in the first place.
Just like you my nearly 1,500 clients have bought all the popular books on cleaning up. Soon after they call me because they cannot possibly parse out joy in a crowded office, a home of their late mother's possessions, or a closet filled with items that represent a past they long for, or a future that only gets more illusory.
These are not hoarders. These are everyday, successful people like you whose lives have become unmanageable because of their stuff.
"Tracy comes into her client's private homes with delicacy and sensitivity. Her personality connects with people."
"Tracy is one of those rare people who surpasses your expectations rather than just meeting them."
"Tracy is the perfect mix of a psychologist and an organizer."
Okay, it's your turn. Let's get to it.
I'm going to teach you systems and techniques so the clutter never, ever comes back. Because if you don't address the emotional need the clutter is filling, you may be able to get rid of what you have, but the clutter will return. In the end, your home is a tool that needs to work for you.
Tracy has been featured on Hallmark's Home & Family, has a column on MindBodyGreen, and also has regular declutter segments on Fox 5 and ABC Eyewitness News. That's just the tip of the iceberg...her new book Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book On Decluttering You'll Ever Need is coming June 2019!
- Find a homeless shelter to donate your gently worn work clothes for men and women who are prepping for interviews.
- Pet shelters are often thrilled to get a donation of stained-but-fluffy towels and sheets for their cats and dogs.
- See if there's a toy loan program (it's like a library for toys) in your community that's looking for donations.


I have downloaded the SPICE model file for the OP177 but found that it actually contains the model for the OP1177.
Where can I get the proper SPICE model file for the OP177 ?
thank you for the reaction on my posting.
The background of my question is: I was trying to figure out differences between the OP77(E) and the OP177, but could not make out anything significant in the datasheets, so I wanted to compare the SPICE models by inspection of the files and simulation of a high voltage (350V) current monitor circuit (in a vacuum tube curve tracer, DIY project).
Inspection of the OP1177 model contained in the present OP177.cir showed at first glance very different pole and zero frequencies. So my first thought was "that's something totally different". In the meantime I have found an OP177A model in the internet of 12/90 Rev.B which has 4 of 5 pole/zero frequencies equal to those of the OP77E model. Only the common mode gain zero ist at 200 Hz as opposed to 63Hz for the OP77E. I have not yet compared other detail although my main interest is to acchieve better than 74 dB common mode suppression at an internal gain of 34 dB, overall gain of 0 dB (because of an initial attenuation of 34 dB to get the 350V downto 7 V) with a bandwidth >100kHz. So the primary question was : can I get more precision with an OP177 than with the OP77 (of which I have still a few amples). I plan to keep almost the zero gain bandwith of the OP77 or 177 by incorporating a less precise but faster JFET OP as an amplifying buffer in the overall differential amplifier setup.


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text:
City Elected Offices
Boards, Committees and Commissions
Washington County Regional Ambulance Authority
The Washington County Regional Ambulance Authority is an Arkansas governmental interlocal authority formed pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14-910, 14-266-102 and 25-20-101 to authorize cities and counties to enter into inter-local contracts to provide services such as emergency and non-emergency ambulance services.
An inter-local agreement is for ambulance service by and with the City of Fayetteville, Washington County, Elkins, Farmington, Goshen, Greenland, Lincoln, Prairie Grove, West Fork, Winslow and Johnson. It also establishes the Ambulance Authority and Central Emergency Medical Services as the exclusive emergency and non-emergency ambulance service within the cities. The interlocal agreement was adopted by City of Fayetteville Resolution 68-08 on March 18, 2008.
In order to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness of the operations, an Executive Committee shall be appointed, charged with the oversight of the day-to-day operation of the ambulance system, and delegated such authority as is necessary to carry out the day-to-day operation of the ambulance system.
Meeting Videos
To view meeting recordings, visit our past meeting video archives.
The appointees of the Executive Committee do not have an appointed term and shall serve at the pleasure of the appointment authority appointing them.
Membership Structure
The seven members of said Executive Committee shall be as follows:
One County appointee who shall reside in the unincorporated service area<
Two City of Fayetteville appointees, one of whom must be a Fayetteville City Council member (both City Council appointees shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council and can be removed and replaced by different representatives by City Council resolution)
One small city appointee to be chosen by the member cities, excluding the City of Fayetteville
One appointee employed by a nursing home or in a medical profession who shall reside in the City of Fayetteville appointed by a majority vote or written consent of the County appointee; the Fayetteville appointees, and the small city appointee
One appointee employed by a hospital who shall reside in the City of Fayetteville appointed by a majority vote or written consent of the County appointee; the Fayetteville appointees, and the small city appointee
One representative of the financial community residing in the authority service area appointed by a majority vote or written consent of the County appointee, the Fayetteville appointees and the small city appointee
City of Fayetteville appointee vacancies are filled by appointment from the governing body of the City.
A weekly meetings list is prepared by the Office of the City Clerk Treasurer; it is distributed to the press and posted online via the City of Fayetteville's calendar.
Date: 3rd Wednesday, Monthly
Location: EMS Station 1
645 S. School Avenue
Chief Brad Hardin
bhardin@fayetteville-ar.gov
Holly Hertzberg
City Council Member
holly.hertzberg@fayetteville-ar.gov
Regional Ambulance Authority Contact
Brad Hardin
Council of Neighborhoods
Woolsey Farmstead Visionary Committee
Active Transportation Advisory Committee
Advertising and Promotion Commission
Black Heritage Preservation Commission
Botanical Garden Society of the Ozarks Board
City Board of Health
Community Development and Assistance Programs Advisory Board
Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals
Energy Improvement District No. 1
Environmental Action Committee
Fayetteville Arts Council
Fayetteville Public Library Board of Trustees
Firemen's Pension and Relief Fund Board of Trustees
Keep Fayetteville Beautiful Committee
Keep America Beautiful
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority
Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission
Policemen's Pension and Relief Fund Board of Trustees
Public Facilities Board
Town and Gown Advisory Committee
Urban Forestry Advisory Board
Walton Arts Center Council, Inc.