and effingham you UT for making it sound like Boch JUST wanted more $$$$.

Well, my all-time favorite manager is currently managing the Tigers, so he's out. I would love to look in the Padres dugout seeing the skip crankin' butts, drinking Jim Beam, and chewing out the namby-pamby players who don't want to get their unis dirty.

All I can say is this...please, Sandy, do not hire Dusty. Please. Or Lou. I'm sure he's already talked to Art Howe. I'll thrown one name out there and then everyone can either pile on or throw a rotten tomato at me: Joe Girardi.

with everything jbox said - making it seem like Bochy wanted to go is an insult to both Bochy and the fans.  Bochy had to protect himself rather than sit here as a lame duck with no extension.  Pains me to think of him in the vomit colors of SF, but I understand why he left and I don't blame him a bit.

It seems like Girardi has committed to his family for the short term and agreed to do some TV work - I hope they attempt to talk to him, but I'm betting he's not interested.

If Alderson is gonna do this, I hope he at least he has the guts to try something new, rather than bring in some retread (Howe, Macha, Baker, et al).  Bud Black would seem to be a good risk - a risk because he hasn't managed, but a good one because he's had success with young pitching staffs and he knows the city.

And we have to assume Towers resigns any minute, right?  With his guy gone, he's essentially been neutered as GM.

than Boyz II Men

http://xs46.xs.to/pics/05370/saygoodbyebanner.png

I know I am ambivilent about this since I do think we needed a change, but of course it is also sad and yes, Sandy is spinning it nauseatingly. It was a passive-agressive firing basically.

Come on guys, Sandy Alderson really IS a baseball genious.  Make no mistake about it.  With him in charge I am certain we will be in the playoffs for years to come.  Yes, I'll bet we even play in a World Series in as soon as next year (and as late as 2009).  He wants to win.  He wants to put San Diego on the map.  

Bruce Bochy never put San Diego on the map.  He never managed the bullpen properly at all this year.  When Trevor slipped up in July did he really put Linebrink in as the closer?  WTF?  Linebrink, I love you man, but you are no closer at all.  You just don't have "it" to be a closer.  Cla Meredith, there's the next Padres closer after Hoffy retires with 570 saves.  Why not give Cla 5-10 shots at a Save this year?  I'll bet he comes through on 85% of them (or more).

But I digress.

I am a new Padres fan.  Those of you that know me know that I saw my first game at PETCO last March in the WBC.  2006 was my first year as a Padres fan and I went to 55 games.  I saw it all this season and I can honestly say that I rarely had anything positive to say about Bochmeister.  No, it was more like "why in the hell is he pinch hitting with this guy?" and "why are they pitching to Pujols with first base open?"

I don't have 12 years of built-up love for Bochy.  I don't want him to be Mayor, well, actually maybe that would be pretty good for the towne of San Diego.  Again with the digression.

I saw Bochy for the first time this year and I put him under the microscope.  He made bad decisions frequently.  I think if we'd had another manager we would've won a few more games in the regular season.  I think we would've gone deeper into the playoffs.  Maybe we'd have an off day today before game 6 in Detroit tomorrow.

Maybe not.  But Maybe.

I like Bochy, I like his personality.  But I, for one, am very excited about a new manager in San Diego and I am not looking back in anger.

Bruce Bochy, fair wind and following seas my friend.  I will really enjoy watching your team get pounded by the Padres at PETCO next year.  I will stand up and applaud the first time they call your name on the PA.  Good luck you seem like a great guy.

KT, good luck my man...

Bochy had a contract here with the Padres.  He chose to pursue a different opportunity.  Maybe he and Alderson don't get along, but this was still not Alderson forcing Bochy out.  If Bochy had wanted to stay, he would have.

I am actually glad Bochy left this way.  He goes out on top here in San Diego and will always be remembered for back to back division championships, instead of inevitably being fired after an underachieving year.

It looks like a win-win to me.  The Padres are likely to save $1 million (hopefully to spend in free agency) this year by hiring a less expensive manager (Manny Acta from the Mets sounds good; Black works for me too), and Bochy gets some job and financial security.

I couldn't disagree more.  Bochy won't be missed.  Alderson is the best thing to happen to this franchise since Gwynn.  Also, I think Bochy would have been welcomed back if he was willing to accept that the Manager doesn't get to set policy.

I'm not entirely sure why so many folks are saying that Alderson is some sort of godsend.  In 14 yrs in Oakland, he presided over exactly 4 division titles - they did win a WS, so I get that.  But when he left, he did so following six consecutive losing seasons.  He then sat in the MLB exec offices for 7 yrs.  (My numbers might be off, but I think they're close - damn Google is misfiring.)  So the majority of his success came awhile back.  And 4 division titles in 14 yrs is close to what we've seen in SD.

Not trying to be argumentative here - I want the guy to turn SD into a perennial power - but I'm confused as to why he's considered different than any other long-term baseball front office guy.  

What am I missing?