Miami Slips Out of the News

March 17, 2012; Jupiter, FL, USA; A detail view of Miami Marlins third baseman Hanley Ramirez new decals on his batting helmet before a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The various playoffs have mostly settled themselves out, and the Cinderella seasons for Baltimore, Washington, and Oakland have come to a close as the Giants and Cardinals duke out the NLCS and the Tigers and Yankees are settling the American League pennant. Personally, I’m ambivalent, as long as the National League wins the World Series.

Back here at home, everything has gone quiet.  We don’t expect any news on the first round of post-season restructuring until Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen gets home from his trip to Spain.  Just before the break, rumors were leaning heavily towards Ozzie’s ouster, but the source of most of those rumors is a Miami front office whose long-term employment prospects are also unclear. It is a situation reminiscent of the old saw about the two woodsmen evading a charging bear; no one has to run faster than the bear,  you just have to run faster than the other guy.

The bear, of course, is Jeffrey Loria.  The fate of the front office staff rests on his shoulders.  In a perfect world, he would make his decision on the top two or three front office guys, and whichever way he decides, it should be up to them to make all of the remaining on-field personnel decisions, including the decision on whether or not to keep Ozzie as the manager. We all know the world ain’t perfect.

Let me reiterate for those of you who haven’t had the privilege of following the Redskins since Dan Snyder bought the team: the owner of a team should focus only on the business side of the franchise.  He should set the payroll for the year, and then turn his focus to ancillary aspects of the business, such as TV rights, merchandising, and ticket sales. It should be up to the general manager to hire the coach, and to work with that coach to sign those players that fit within the budget and offer the best chance for a championship.