The Miami Marlins fired manager Mike Redmond months after giving him a contract extension through 2017. While rumors circulated yesterday that former Marlins player Jeff Conine would be the team's new manager, those rumors proved to be false. Marlins general manager Dan Jennings named a new manager today: himself.
Jennings' managing and coaching resume includes:
- Major league managing experience: none
- Major league coaching experience: none
- Minor league managing experience: none
- Minor league coaching experience: none
- Major league playing experience: none
- Minor league playing experience: none
- High school coaching experience 30 years ago: check
So, the Marlins will be managed by someone who last coached a team – a high school team – 30 years ago.
Jennings said in his press conference (via USA Today) he is breaking ground in a "new path" for the future:
"There are a lot of managers who have arrived in that chair from different paths," Jennings said at a Monday morning Marlins Park press conference. "We now have a new path for someone arriving in that seat.
"I have tremendous respect and a very good relationship with quite a few of our players. I believe in the mindset that you give respect to get respect. The one thing I'm certain of: Managers do not win games in this league. They can lose them. But you do have to have the respect of the players. This game is about the players. I was fortunate enough to learn that at an early age."
The Marlins path for managers is usually that they let them go and they have success in other organizations.
Joe Girardi and Fredi Gonzalez in particular have gone on to have success with other organizations. There is no reason to believe that Mike Redmond will not have another opportunity in the future. Redmond is just 44 years old and was given the task of dealing with a complete team tear down seemingly moments after he was hired.
The Phillies have no manager signed beyond 2015. With a new Phillies president not far ahead, and with contracts ending for GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., and manager Ryne Sandberg, maybe the Phillies would consider Redmond down the line.
Like Giradi and Gonzalez, Redmond's firing will probably make the Marlins look bad. That is, if they do not look so bad already. If (when?) Jennings fails, will he fire himself?
