The October 3rd, 2011 edition of daily news for the LA Angels including all kinds of reaction to the firing of Tony Reagins, speculation on candidates to be the new GM, Callaspo involved in paternity dispute and much more…
The Story: Did Tony Reagins gets fired or did he resign?
The Monkey Says: The big quote that keeps getting putting out there was the quote from team president John Carpino that “this wasn’t a plan.” I don’t know how much I really buy that, though it certainly was curious that Reagins just the day before was making the rounds in the media talking about plans for the off-season. I have a hard time believing he wasn’t fired or, at a minimum, given several ultimatums that he had to operate under if he wanted to keep the job that he might’ve ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it.
The Story: Reagins last words about his supposed plans before he got fired.
The Monkey Says: This is the talk in the media I was talking about. The obvious quotes that catch attention are the ones about getting more creative and aggressive. That those adjectives were the focal point of the discussion that precipitated Reagins getting let go should tell you all you need to know about what the organization thought about his ability to lead the front office in such a manner.
The Story: The Angels send a message with the removal of Tony Reagins.
The Monkey Says: It sends a message to the public that they found a scapegoat for missing the post-season in two straight seasons, but I don’t think we will know what the message being sent within the organization really is until we see they hire to replace Reagins. If they hire a prominent figure, then we can expect real change, but if they hire another figurehead type, then it may end up feeling like Reagins never left.
The Story: Could the Angels end up with Billy Beane as their new GM?
The Monkey Says: This is the first big name linked to the Angels, and it won’t be the last. Beane would certainly be creative and bring a new perspective, but he represents such a massive shift in thinking that I don’t see the Angels seriously pursuing him.
The Story: Bud Black could be a fit as the Angels general manager.
The Monkey Says: Some forget that Black has front office experience, but he does, just not recently. I hate this idea. No offense to Bud, but the last thing they need to do is bring in another “inside man” who will always be looked upon as a subordinate to Scioscia.
The Story: A suggestion for Detroit’s assistant general manager Al Avila to take over the Angels.
The Monkey Says: This is a more interesting idea. Avila has been Dave Dombrowski’s righ-hand man for a long time, so he definitely knows a thing or two. He also isn’t a big enough name to come in and start an immediate power struggle with Scioscia, which could be an issue with some of the big names being mentioned.
The Monkey Says: I’m glad they won’t promote from within or turn back to Stoneman, but the idea of comparing the Angels job to the Orioles job is pretty damning. Orioles owner Peter Angelos is infamous for his meddling and undermining and I hate to think that Arte Moreno and Mike Scioscia have developed that poor of a reputation. However, if that really is the perception, Moreno is going to have to make a lot of promises if he wants to bring in anyone competent.
The Story: Former MLB exec Jim Bowden suggests a recipe for the next Angels GM to follow.
The Monkey Says: If this is Bowden’s way of auditioning for the job, he probably doesn’t need to stay to close to his phone since it involves spending about three times the amount of money the Angels will actually have available this off-season.
The Story: Alberto Callaspo is disputing the paternity of a four-year old boy.
The Monkey Says: He seems to have supported the child before, but now he is contesting because the request for child support has increased substantially. Way to not make it worse, Beto. But at least he had the child with the woman after he lied to her about not still being married. Awesome.
The Story: The ten best moves by Tony Reagins.
The Monkey Says: Notice how few of those moves involved the signing of a free agent. Reagins wasn’t awful at GM, but he really seemed overmatched when it came to navigating the free agency waters which ultimately forced him into making some bad decisions via trade.
The Story: The ten worst moves by Tony Reagins.
The Monkey Says: Insert your own version of an “only 10?” joke here.
The Story: Reggie Willits and Matt Palmer have elected to become free agents.
The Monkey Says: Both could be brought back as minor league depth, Palmer in particular, but neither were in the Angels plans anymore so they are smart to see if they can’t find new life in a different organization.
The Story: The Angels get Big League Stew’s detention lecture treatment.
The Monkey Says: Who knew that while the team was getting detention, Tony Reagins would be expelled.