The firing of manager Charlie Montoyo was the result of a disconnect between the front office and Toronto’s skipper, and a disconnect between Montoyo and his players. But as Steve Phillips writes, it doesn’t mean that Montoyo lost the clubhouse, it just means his words lost their impact.
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That said, here is what I have been able to find out from people in and around the Blue Jays’ organization about why they made the move they did.
It seems that there was a disconnect between the Jays’ front office and Montoyo, and a disconnect between the manager and his players. It doesn’t mean that Montoyo lost the clubhouse, it just means his words lost their impact.
I have never met anyone who doesn’t like Montoyo. He is a kind, sensitive gentleman. He is eternally optimistic. In fact, he is one of the nicest people I have met in baseball.
The problem is that being universally liked when you are the boss is actually the damning evidence of the disconnect that seemed to exist. Managers need to strive to be respected, not necessarily liked. It was okay for Montoyo to be upbeat and optimistic when the team was growing together and overachieving. But in a season like this, a season that held great promise where many individual players have been underachieving, there needed to be a different level of communication.
In my experience, the best managers are able to be a different manager for every player. When players are struggling, some may need a kick in the pants while others may need a pat on the back. Some may need to be yelled at, while others need a hug. A good manager has to not only know what his players need, but he needs to be able to give it to them.
This is where Montoyo came up a bit short in the opinion of those in the know.
He isn’t a scapegoat for the team’s struggles, nor was he the cause of it. But in the minds of the decision makers, he wasn’t the one who could help the team overcome it either. The Jays (47-43) have won just three of their last 13 games.
Atkins didn’t want to wait any longer and have the club fall out of the American League playoff race before making the change.
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Schneider is known to be a fiery competitor. He has been a favourite of this front office for a while. He was a successful minor-league manager and is an excellent communicator. He is a good baseball man.
The native of Princeton, N.J., will get plenty of guidance from the Jays’ front office on what the analytics say and where adjustments need to be made. It will be his job as interim skipper to have the hard conversation with players.
I heard from several sources that “Charlie didn’t like confrontation.” Who does? But as a manager, you must be able to confront lack of effort or commitment. You must address poor preparation and execution. Sometimes players need to be challenged to earn their playing time or position in the batting order. There has to be clear expectations and then accountability to fulfill them. If someone comes up short in an area, they need to be called out for it.