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Is there anyone out there who wants Guidry back? Who's impressed by the job he did? When Hughes had a few bad starts in a row, they had Dave Eiland come up to work with him while his AAA team was in the playoffs. I doubt anyone has faith in Guidry to work with a rotation that might include three young guys next year.

Guidry was a mistake. It just shows that because you're a great pitcher and an ex-Yankee doesn't mean you're going to be able to teach anyone anything. It's also dangerous to give Torre a non-assertive pitching coach. Guidry often times didn't even seem to be involved -- he'd shake his head and eat his seeds and have no input into who was pitching when and for what reasons.

And every problem's solution seemed to be a slider.

He was like some old uncle who tells the same story for every issue you have in life.

I would take Mazzone, but I'd rather Eiland. As childish as it sounds, the one downside to hiring Mazzone is that he would forever get credit for Hughes, Joba, Kennedy and any other young pitcher who came up.

Good question, Steve. It is a tough call, but I think that with his history of developing Glavine, Smoltz, and all the other Brave pitchers that it would be hard not to make Mazzone an offer. (I don't hold Baltimore against him; that's a terrible organization from top to bottom.) Smoltz and Glavine, of course, were very different pitchers and I like the fact that Mazzone adapted to them rather than have them adapt to him (a la Stottlemyre -- boy, I certainly don't miss him!)

Eiland has been great in the minor leagues, but I think that I would prefer a coach now who has had major league experience.

I worry less about the power pitchers, Hughes and Chamberlain, than I do about Kennedy, Clippard, and Horne. I think that anyone could "develop" Hughes and Chamberlain. It's the soft tossers who need careful coaching.

Agreed. Guidry was an unmitigated disaster--a pathetic nostalgia hire that was totally disconnected from the needs of the team. Sad to say, the Yankees appear to be on the verge of making the same kind of move with their next manager. Mattingly would be Guidry redux--a fan favorite inexplicably entrusted with a vitally important job for which he has no experience or proven aptitude. Get ready to finish behind the Blue Jays for a few years, folks.

I would welcome Mazzone. I think it's time that "former Yankee star pitcher" be taken off the list of requirements for pitching coach.

I love Eiland, but I think I'd like him to stay exactly where he is, and continue to help more of the kiddie corps develop.

Here’s my take on the Guidry hire – it was all Torre.

Joe was tired of having Mel ripped by the front office – and having to deal with that. So, when Stots left, Joe made sure that they hired someone that the F.O. would never rip in the press - - a beloved legend like Gator…a guy with a retired number, etc.

Torre wanted Gator to ensure he had one less headache with the front office to deal with….so, if you’re upset about having Guidry here, I believe that you have to hold Joe accountable for that one.

Do you welcome someone with the resume of Mazzone - especially given all the Yankees pitching prospects? Or, does your love for a Yankees legend not allow you to consider letting Ron Guidry go?
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I'd welcome Mazzone... Ron who?

:)

Guidry had been doing Spring Training work, so he wasn't completely clueless about coaching. But yeah, I'd rather have Mazzone. And this is why I'd prefer not to have Mattingly -- do you want a tarnished legend, or having to call for Mattingly to be fired if it doesn't work? Saying "Fire Davey Johnson" doesn't hurt.

Joe was tired of having Mel ripped by the front office – and having to deal with that. So, when Stots left, Joe made sure that they hired someone that the F.O. would never rip in the press - - a beloved legend like Gator…a guy with a retired number, etc.
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Pretty ingenious for someone who, by some accounts, can't manage a bullpen.

That line of thought doesn't really make sense, not in the light of the "ARod saga" last year. And even more so with the way the FO will go after anyone, anytime, anyplace.

And this is why I'd prefer not to have Mattingly -- do you want a tarnished legend, or having to call for Mattingly to be fired if it doesn't work?
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Sure. Mattingly wouldn't be the first legend to be fired.

Yeah, when they fired the Legend Yogi, that really was no big deal for the team...not.

So much hand wringing here. Neither Guidry nor Stots did horrible jobs. The pitching coach has to: 1) make sure guys are ready to go either on schedule or when needed (i.e., design between-starts programs for each pitcher), 2) help construct game plans for the pitchers based on scouting, 3) drill defensive assignments in the spring and maintain vigilance during the season, 4) look for mechanical flaws in deliveries and work on corrections, and 5) objectively advise the manager on in game match-ups and situations as they relate to his pitchers. The simple fact is the pitching staff has been in flux for several years. Two recent shaky post-season starts aside, Guidry helped Wang reach his potential as a Cy Young candidate. Tell me what Guidry could have done differently with Moose (whispers I hear from inside the organization say Moose got off the reservation and refused to adjust, Torre and Guidry finally benched him). Is it Guidry's or Kerrigan's or Torre's fault that Farnsworth flopped? Torre et al bear responsibility for Sturtze, Proctor and some other burn-ups in the bullpen, but the root cause has been the hole in the starters for the last several years.

Here's a way to crystallize it....If Andy and Roger don't leave NY for 3 years, and they perform like they did in Houston (even including Andy's operation and down time), the Yankees probably have 1 or more rings irrespective of the pitching coach.

Now, all that being said, it's time for Joe to go and I'd welcome Mazzone. He might be good for 3-4 important pitching moves over the course of the season that might amount to wins, and he's got a broader experience base to draw from when developing the young pitchers the Yankees have in the stable. In short Gator isn't the problem, but we do have a chance for somewhat of an upgrade. Dave Eiland is a capable guy, but he’s helping the organization a lot right where he is.

On a somewhat similar string, why hasn't Bowa's name come into the discussion for the top spot? I'd like Girardi, but then again, I've got a thing for catchers as managers.

Yeah, when they fired the Legend Yogi, that really was no big deal for the team...not.
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The first or the second time?

If you're referring to the second time, you know just as well as I that the reason Yogi stayed away was because George was a weasel.

Is your "take on the Guidry hire" something you came up with on your own?

RICH, yes, it's my theory.

Has anyone read Smoltz's comments on Mazzone? He kind of threw Leo under a bus.

http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/sha...ch_do_bra.html

While I take some of Smoltz's comments to heart, I still think Mazzone is a guy that would be great for the Yankees. He's a mechanics fixer and his dual philosophies of location over velocity and disrupting timing are great things for all pitchers to hear, not just established stars but also young arms in development.

FWIW, one study suggests that "working with Leo shaves off between .55 and .85 points of a pitcher's ERA."

http://danagonistes.blogspot.com/2005/09/leo-mazzone-rocks.html