Dwork On Sports: Another Poor Effort By Jeffrey Loria
Welcome to the Dwork On Sports blog. This is a place where I'll cover all things related to South Florida sports, with a steady combination of facts and opinions while ultimately keeping a close eye on anything and everything related to our local teams.
The Miami Marlins entered the 2015 season as a team that many thought would make the postseason, which isn't exactly a normal occurrence for this franchise. Those high expectations made the Marlins rough 3-11 start all the more difficult to swallow.
Despite being just two weeks into a season that will take 26 weeks to complete, the knee-jerk reactions had many people worried that this year would go the same way that the 2012 season did.
Reports began to pop up that Marlins manager Mike Redmond's job was already in question, with a potential replacement (Mets' Triple-A manager Wally Backman) having been apparently chosen.
Inside sources were consulted and it was said that neither GM Dan Jennings nor president of baseball operations Michael Hill wanted Redmond fired.
One person who wouldn't come out and back his manager was Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
When asked about the possibility of Redmond being replaced, Loria didn't deny anything but more deflected the question which is something that owners tend to do in these situations, especially when they are actually considering making a change and just don't want to come out and say it.
That only added fuel to the fire and the speculation grew that if Miami didn't start winning, a change would be made.
Well, they did start winning.
One week has passed since those initial reports came out and now, after the Marlins have won five in a row, Loria seems to have no problem publicly backing his manager.
Speaking with CBS Sports following Miami's 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Loria said that there were never any serious discussions about firing Redmond.
"He's the manager. Period," Loria said. "All teams go through bad moments. Ours came early."
Loria denied that the Marlins ever considered bringing in Backman as a replacement, instead choosing to praise Redmond's work ethic.
"He did a very nice job last year, and he works hard."
It was clear that Loria thought highly of Redmond's managerial skills last season, giving the skipper a 3-year contract extension that runs through the 2017 season on the final day of the 2014 campaign.
The bottom line is that we all know about Loria's history with this franchise and the way he's gone about situations like this.
That's why I don't think anyone will be surprised if Redmond's seat heats up again should the Marlins have another rough week.
I honestly believe that Redmond is a great fit to manage this ball club. Miami has a great mixture of youth and experience, and considering the way that everyone in that clubhouse is getting along and supporting one another, it's crazy to think that the manager doesn't play a crucial role in that.
Redmond is a players' manager. If you watch him interact with his players, whether it be during a game, batting practice or on the field following a win, you can see how special of a bond there is.
Prematurely firing him would be a huge mistake and hopefully Loria listens to the people he's placed in the Marlins' front office who have surely reminded him of that very fact.
The MLB season is a marathon, not a sprint.
Miami is about to begin their final series of the month of April. The season doesn't end until the first week of October.
That means there are still 143 games left to be played. Everyone needs to just sit back, relax, and let the Marlins do what they've been brought together to do, which is win some ballgames.
I have a feeling that in a couple of months this whole topic will be looked back on as absurd, but is it too much to ask that the owner of the franchise have the foresight to realize that?
In Miami, it seems, the answer is yes.
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