Hangin' with the manager
Here are some leftovers quotes from an interview last week with Wild Things manager Greg Jelks:
On team chemistry: "In my six years in the league, this was probably the most trying season I've had getting kids to understand our system, what we expect out of them and having them follow that road."
On missing the playoffs: We should have had a better chance at making the playoffs at the end because of the number of games we blew up until August. If you take some of those away, we're probably in. I guess you can say that with everything that happened along the way – the way we started, the way the bullpen was inconsistent until August, that we had something like only seven players who were with us in spring training through the end – we probably shouldn't have been in the race. The kids did the best they could do under the circumstances we had. When you look at it, some players played up to their potential, but we had nothing special in the lineup outside of Jacob Dempsey."
What needs to be done for next year: "We have to address our pitching - our starting pitching and our bullpen. We have to get a closer. That's the major priority. I also want to bring in some athletes into spring training, guys who can play multiple positions and have some speed. This ballpark makes you build your team on speed.
"We'll come back next year with a returning nucleus of players. A couple we won't bring back, some we'll wipe our hands of, some have to be put in different roles for us to be successful. I've always believed you have to be solid up the middle defensively, and with what we have coming back in center field, shortstop and second base, that's a good starting point."
posted by Chris Dugan at
5:16 PM
19 Comments:
Greg Jelks acts like he will be comming back. I feel he deserves another season. Reading between the lines, he did assemble the 2008 team. Hopefully he will be given that authority in 2009.
He did not mention anything about his coaches returning.
Some people on this blog have blamed every thing on Jelks.
On thing you can say is those Jelks haters are not color blind.
I am.
lliB,
You and I have exchanged views before and it has always been respectful. I VERY strongly object to the mention of race. I feel it has NO place on this blog.
Why do you feel seem there is something racial in this discussion?
I suppose you think Jelks was really inspiring this season. NOOOOOOT!!!!
The Jelks system seems to be to ignore anything that happens during a game until the team is about 7 runs behind. Then Jelks crawls out of the dugout at the rate of 1 inch per hour and changes pitchers.
Then he slowly returns to the dugout for another snooze. (Please spare me the “buying time” stuff”).
If that's racial to you then YOU are the racist because that's exactly what he does. I don't see other black managers acting that way. All of them seem to act the same way white managers do.
You are the real bigot – nobody else has mentioned race at all! I think your imagination is just running wild.
Did the Wild Things make the play-offs, or not? Did the Wild Things players embarrass themselves, their families, and the organization with their on field behavior? Was Mr. Jelks in charge of this team? Did he put a stop to this nonsense? Have we experienced this sort of stuff with other Wild Things teams? The answer to these questions is of course, NO! Should we expect more? Yes. We are talking baseball here, not your bigoted speculation that has NO factual basis. If you know something that you are not sharing with us I suggest you tell us. You seem to feel that criticism racial – why? I think I’m safe in assuming that you are not a gifted mind reader.
Llib, I am really shocked that you have tried to turn this discussion into something that it isn’t.
Ron Wilson
BTW : I will be very disappointed if Jelks returns next season. He does NOTHING to impress me with his slow motion BS. He HAS however, proven to me what I felt from the day the Wild Things signed him. I felt then, and still do, that they made a major mistake. That does NOT make me a racist.
Ron,
I am not referring to you on the racial comments. I am referring to the anonymous comments made about him that were surely racial.
I look back at his performance in Evansville where many of his players were picked up by major league affiliates. I believe Greg many have difficulty during the season, but he knows how to manage in the playoffs which was missing from our first two managers.
Yes I favor giving Greg Jelks another chance. If the Wild Things don't win the whole thing in 2009 with Greg at the helm, then fire him. By the way, I am voting for the Palin, McCain team, with the VP babe and the old dude.
PS-Ron click on the Name/url and type in your name. It is simplier.
I received straight 'A's' in English in college and have never heard the pronunciation of swing with the accent on the 'g'. Would you say 'hanga'? or any other word that ends in a g? Try looking up the word in this url and click on the word swing to hear the proper pronunciation. http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/swing.html I think this will answer everyones question.
As far as Jelks goes, he has not done a very good job because this was the first season that we did not make the playoffs. If you all think he deserves a second chance, so be it - but if he can't hack it he is out the door.
Leo must have been the one that taught Randy how to speak. I’m sure Randy is a great guy but he still pronounces swing wrong!
Harry Carry mispronounced a lot of words and he was a pretty good broadcaster.
Harry was nothing but a drunk bafoon!
Cookie is right, one should not promounce the "g' in swing. Anybody that thinks you should must me a grad of the Unisersity of Moron! Schoolmaster - Leo Trich.
Give it a rest, guys. You're obsessed!
By the way, I wrote the above "anonymous" post. Clicked too fast and couldn't get back.
Lets compromise and bring back both the manager and the radio broadcaster. I think most would agree the broadcaster did a better job.
Chris, if you did an article on Randy Gore, you could title it swinging with Randy and I don't care if they pronounce the g or not.
LliB said
“I am referring to the anonymous comments made about him that were surely racial.”
That is the very reason I don’t think there is any racial component to the debate on whether Mr. Jelks is the subject of any racial bias.
Speaking only for myself, I regard ALL comments posted with the “anonymous” signature as nothing but a crank that has no b***s. Most of these people have nothing to say other than to try to start a conflict between black and white fans. These type folks are really nothing better than scum.
I have spoken with many white fans at the former Falconi Field and, as an honest to God fact, not even one of them has mentioned race in ANY context. So, I don’t think it should enter any discussion on this blog about the future of Mr. Jelks with the Wild Things.
I don’t agree with you about his managerial skills. I suppose that is just a matter of opinion and I don’t think we will change each other’s minds. I am resigned to Mr. Jelks being back next year because I don’t think the Wild Things have the intestinal fortitude to do what needs to be done. First, they are probably scared crapless to fire him because of the PC involved. The second reason is that I think there is some ego thing involved that will not allow them to admit the hiring Mr. Jelks was a mistake. However, the ‘proof is in the pudding.’ The play-offs are going on without them. So much for Mr. Jelks pre-season remarks about the Wild Things being “the New York Yankees of the Frontier League”. Talk about an over-statement!
Ron Wilson
Illegitimati non carborundum!
Ron,
I'm not sure the "Yankees of the Frontier League" is all that far off the mark, particularly as it relates to playoff qualifying.
The Yankees have been there every year since like 1995. And, now, barring a Mets-type collapse by the Rays, the Yanks are going to miss the party.
The Wild Things were there, in the show, six straight years, 2002-2007. Now, for myriad reasons, they aren't, this year.
Like the Yankees' struggles with injuries, the Wild Things were hit hard, particularly at catcher and the bullpen.
Like NYY, the Wild Things have a new manager this year, one who has not had a full deck to play the game with, almost from day one.
The New York Yankees of the Frontier League? Not all that far off the mark at all.
Not all that much of an understatement. S
Bob,
I sure can't dispute the "not had a full deck" part about Mr. Jelks. (I know that's out of context but I just couldn't resist).
ALL teams have injuries but NONE of them can, or should, use it as a cop out!
This team had an 'attitude' problem from the git-go this year and the fans could clearly see it. Many, many fans have talked about it during the games. There was, without any doubt, a 'different' feel at the former Falconi Field this season and most of us sensed it from the very start.
Perhaps a carry-over from last year but that isn't likely because of the large number of different players this year.
Ron Wilson
Jelks spent too much time playing Hosington with Tim Alberts on the bench.
Jelks spent too much time playing Phil Butch with Chris Carrera on the bench.
Jelks (and his staff) did not spend enough time with the pitching staff.
Jelks feels it is the best method to give away outs by sacrifice bunting with every available opportunity, ignoring the speed of our baserunners, even though Frontier League cathers throw out about 30 percent of stealing baserunners.
Jelks walks slower than my great grandmother, and his enthusiasm seemed to be copied by many of his players.
Jelks didn't know how to handle the personalities of his players, leading to the loss of Sutton and Knapp, two of the best four position players we had this year.
Jelks did not have time to talk with fans before home games, unless you were sitting with the owners of his favorite watering hole. Small town baseball managers should understand that communicating with the fans is a big part of being excepted, especially when you barely break .500.
Guess I didn't spend enough time at Ernie's to get to know him. Now it might be too late.
Shucks.
Agree with Anonymous above on the Hoisington comment, though Alberts is terrible defensively (takes bad angles, has bad hands, no range).
Butch was hitting .300 or better for what seemed like a long time at the start of the season, so Jelks probably did a good job of riding the hot hitter (Butch early, Carrera late). Neither is much of a hitter or has any range at second base. Probably got more out of these guys than they should have.
Does anyone know anything about the pitching coach? Who is he? What's his qualifications? Why hasn't he been criticized? It seemed like he'd never make a trip to the mound until the pitcher gave up six runs in an inning. What did he do, sleep all night?
Seems like Jelks quit bunting behind Sidick in the second half of the year and let him run. The team finished fourth in stolen bases, so this was a good move to change strategy.
Who cares how fast a manager walks to the mound? That comment was ridiculous. Joe Torre walks slow and he's won a few games as I recall. That has no effect on a team or game.
Sutton had to go. He has problems. Big issues there. And don't kid yourself. Knapp wasn't a position player. He was a designated hitter and that's it. Had all the range of a brick at third base. Either he had to go or Dempsey had to go. They chose the right guy to trade, just didn't get anything of value in return.
So Jelks didn't communicate with the fans. So what? I don't think the great John Massarelli talked to the fans either. Seem to recall him hiding in the dugout all night - even during the national anthem.
"Who cares how fast a manager walks to the mound? That comment was ridiculous."
No it was not! Jelks is just a lazy Adam Henry! You Jelks defenders are a stupid lot. Anyway the Wild Things are FINALLY helping the local economy - they are giving Earnie's Bar a lot of their money. Seems that's where Jelks goes the keep his mind numd!
If any of you you think I'm a racist - so what?
Don't think you're a racist, at least not based on what you've written in this post. I think you're stupid, ill-informed, off-base and clueless. But, no, not racist.
re comment two above:
Jeff Isom used to pump money into the economy at Pickle's and the players used to get pickled at Hungry Jose's under Isom and Massarelli. No difference except Isom and Massarelli walked every so slightly faster to the mound, which is what made their teams win games, right?
What a sobbering fact-The Wild Things managers and players were drunks.
That sounds like the reason they have not brought a championship to Washington.
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