Just posted:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/wires/07/01/2010.ap.bba.mariners.hargrove.resigns.1st.ld.writethru.0890/

It was a strange way for Mike Hargrove to go, with his team doing so well.  I wonder whether there is something more to this story.

In the bottom of the 7th in today's game, Royce Clayton came up with one out and the bases loaded. Troy Glaus was on the bench as well Thigpen.  I know that Gibby had given John Macdonald the day off, but still . . . why did  he not pinch hit for Clayton using Glaus or Thigpen against Weaver?  Did he not want to win this game?  With the team playing so inconsistently this season and the hitting so hot and cold, I wonder whether it is time for our manager to go.  His decision-making often puzzles me.

I was at the game today along with a whole ton of other Canadians.  It was a fairly tame crowd until the Big Hurt hit one out and then things started to get exciting.  I was sitting there talking with my brother about the weird management decisions.  It made almost no sense to leave Clayton in there with Glaus (and Thigpen) on the bench.  Especially when Gibbons then brought in Glaus for defensive purposes!  It was far from a surprise to see a ground out leading to a double play.

I also found it strange that he had no-one up in the bullpen in the 9th, knowing that Accardo had already pitched in the eighth and wouldn't be available in the 10th.

Gibbons should be fired for mismanagement. That game was the straw that broke the camel's back, for me. The ego behind his wooden John Wayne act is impenetrable and brings down the whole team. I have nothing against Texans; Ron Paul would be a great Jeffersonian President, but let's face it, Bay Street is the capital of the Blue States. Toronto needs a Manager with a Blue state of mind.

Not sure I get where you're going with the red/blue thing, but I too have had about enough of Gibbons. I am willing to concede that the guy knows infinitely more about baseball than I do, hell, he played it and he manages and coaches it... I'm just a fan (and former little leaguer but hey). And yeah, I don't think I personally could do better. But he seems to make a lot of really boneheaded decisions that I can't seem to find good reasoning for. This would be fine if we were getting results, but we're not.

According to the Jays web site, Glaus said he was feeling good and was very unhappy about not playing; he even confronted Gibbons about it. And the reason they gave him was that he had poor stats against Weaver. Fine, but in a close game when you have a chance to score runs against a tough team, and you don't use your best tools, you're not going to come out on top. There's a reason Glaus gets paid what he does--he's a Big Scary Bat, and under no circumstances is Clayton a better choice than Glaus.

I really hope JP has got his finger on the pulse and doesn't have complete blind faith in him.