It was time for Willie to go; I am not attacking the dismissal. But at 3:15 AM after the first game of a series that they won?

This move needed to be made. This year’s poor start and bullpen woes may not be Willie’s fault. For Willie to yell and throw water coolers to fire up players isn’t in his personality and would come off as insincere and even grandstanding. At this stage, he isn’t the right man for the job anymore. Regardless of the cliché riddled quotes from players, “Willie Watch” was a distraction and his removal was necessary.

The way this was handled was completely unnecessary. Why he had to fly to Los Angeles to be canned defies reason. Why it was done at 3 AM is awkward. Why not just have Omar dismiss Willie on the diamond vision during the seventh inning stretch. Greg hit it right on the head; this brings back several old memories of a fractioned front office, multiple agendas, infighting and unstable team direction.

So adios, Willie! Sorry for the crappy send off. We’ve had some good times. You’ll catch on somewhere and I’m sure you’ll be a big league manager again!

Welcome to the hot seat Jerry Manuel! Closers who cant close, middle relief and set up men who cant hold leads, an offense that looks great on paper but goes cold for weeks at a time. Lack of focus, and poor execution run rampant. Have fun managing this mess!