Well, after demanding a price that Oakland GM Billy Beane wasn't willing to pay, Ken Macha won't be returning as manager of the Oakland A's in 2006. But before we shuffle Ken off to the Marlins in Florida or to points elsewhere, we ought to remember how he got the job in the first place.
Because it was three years ago that Beane found himself in the same position with then-A's skipper Art Howe. After a few good seasons in Oakland where the team enjoyed a surprising measure of regular season success, it was only natural that Howe would expect a hefty raise with his next contract. A hefty raise, as it turns out, that Beane wasn't willing to give him.
Enter Beane's favorite GM/patsy, Steve Phillips. He, as it turned out, was looking for a new manager after the very public implosion of Bobby Valentine, and was willing to pay the big money that Beane would never part with, and didn't have anyway.
One phone call later, and Phillips is thinking he's stealing Howe from Oakland for a song. Howe got his big payday (the Mets were still paying him this season as I recall), and Beane got to economize for a few seasons with Macha running the club the way Beane wanted.
Too bad Phillips isn't a GM anymore. Then again, maybe Beane could call him up and get Macha a job at ESPN.
The team did well, but how much of it was the players, and how much of it was the coach? Beane was responsible for bringing them in, and Macha only did an above average job with the pitching staff. Other roster moves were questionable, especially with his injury replacements.
And he wanted 4 million a year? Right. If he won the World Series, maybe. He couldn’t get the team past the first round.