OK, this post IS about Dan Wilson’s performance as a manager.
More specifically, it’s my entirely subjective appraisal of that performance.
I don’t like the way he handles his bullpen.
I think that he begins each game with a plan for how things will go in an ideal situation, and then, when reality intrudes, he paints himself into corners.
He burns a good reliever to get one out in the sixth inning, and that leaves him with a bad reliever to pitch the eighth.
Or he holds off on using his closer when the most important, most difficult outs remaining in the game will come in the eighth.
I also have reservations about how he communicates with his team. The whole piggyback debacle, Randy Arozarena’s insistence on flippantly challenging pitches, the fact he insisted on using Rob Refsnyder for so long after it was very clear he was an expired carton of milk.
I am not as passionate in my opposition as Jacson Bevens (whom I like a great deal) or Mariner Muse, whose account I follow and enjoy. I don’t feel that Wilson needs to be fired yesterday.
The reason is because the Mariners biggest shortcomings so far this year don’t really relate to Wilson.
The bullpen hasn’t been great, but it’s not awful, either. Seattle relievers rank 13th in WHIP (1.29) and fourth in ERA (3.53), though opponents are batting .245, which ranks in the bottom third of the league.
It’s not Wilson’s fault that Cal Raleigh’s production has declined so steeply.
It’s not his fault the team didn’t acquire a better right-handed bat as soon as it became apparent that Refsnyder was performing like a corpse.
It’s not his fault Brendan Donovan has been limited to 25 games.
I can understand why some people feel the team’s final road trip before the All-Star break was a clear sign to make a change at the top.
I can also see the argument that Wilson is worth sticking with given how well the team closed each of the past two seasons under his watch.
If you asked me to give Wilson a grade on this season, I’d say C- and hope that provides the kick in the pants necessary to get things moving in the right direction.
I can understand why some are giving him an ‘F’ though, and while I’m not going to say he should be fired, I’m not going to lay down on the train tracks to prevent that from happening, either.
