I fired people and they fired me. I have real experience in this field.
When I was the general manager of the New York Mets, I fired coaches, coaches, physiotherapists, scouts, and a manager. Having to fire someone is a very painful process. You know that you are not only affecting the employee, but also their family. The dismissal process creates sadness, fear, anxiety, stress, anger, and resentment for an entire group of people you often care about.
But make no mistake, being fired is much worse than being the person firing someone.
When I was fired as Mets general manager in June 2003, I immediately left the owner’s office and went to a travel agency to book a vacation for my family. I needed to get rid of all the noise that followed my dismissal. Also, I wanted my family to have the feeling that it was a good thing, not a bad thing, that it would go more around them.
Charlie Montoyo can probably relate.
Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins made a somewhat surprising move Wednesday when he fired coach Montoyo and replaced him with bench coach John Schneider on an interim basis. Schneider had been Montoyo’s confidant and bench coach.
From the outside looking inward, it was obvious that the team was underperforming, but it didn’t look like the Jays had a managerial problem. The people closest to the team, however, saw it differently.
What I learned during my 13 years at the Mets reception is that fans and the media have no idea what’s really going on behind closed doors. I remember when former Mets coach Art Howe was fired in September 2004, he said to me, “If people only knew what was really going on here, they wouldn’t believe it. We could write a pretty amazing book.” .
I had hired Howe before the 2003 season, but it didn’t last a year before I was fired. But I understood what he was talking about. If people knew.
When a CEO fires a manager, there is no benefit in detailing the reasons to the public. It just causes pain and keeps the story alive for days, focusing on the past rather than what lies ahead.
That said, here’s what I was able to find out about the people in the Blue Jays organization and about why they made the move they did.
It looks like there was a disconnect between the Jays management and Montoyo, and a disconnect between the coach and his players. It doesn’t mean Montoyo lost the club, it just means that his words lost their impact.
I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like Montoyo. He is a kind and sensitive gentleman. He is eternally optimistic. In fact, she’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in baseball.
The problem is that universally liking when you’re the boss is actually compelling evidence of the disconnect that seemed to exist. Managers have to strive to be respected, they don’t necessarily like it. It was good that Montoyo was upbeat and upbeat when the team grew together and outdid. But in a season like this, a very promising season where many individual players have not achieved results, there needed to be a different level of communication.
In my experience, the best coaches are able to be a different coach for each player. When players are fighting, some may need a kick in the pants, while others may need a pat on the back. Some may need to be called, while others need a hug. A good coach not only needs to know what his players need, but he also needs to be able to give it to them.
This is where Montoyo fell a little short in the opinion of connoisseurs.
He is not a scapegoat for the team’s struggles, nor has he been the cause. But in the minds of decision makers, it wasn’t him who could help the team overcome it either. The Jays (47-43) have only won three of their last 13 games.
Atkins did not want to wait any longer and for the club to stay out of the American League playoff race before making the switch.
This team has high expectations and considering the payroll of over $ 170 million, time is of the essence. If the season ended today, the Jays would be the third team with a wild card. So things can always get worse. But the odds gave this club the second best chance of winning the World Series before the start of the season. So there’s a lot of room for improvement and it’s still time to get back on track.
Toronto’s goal is to win the World Series and the Jays hope Schneider, 42, is the person who can help bring about a change in culture, the environment and energy at the clubhouse, the dugout and in the field. Ultimately, it will depend on the players and their ability to make the necessary adjustments to play at their expected levels.
Schneider is known to be a fierce competitor. It has been a favorite of this reception for a while. He was a successful minor league coach and is an excellent communicator. He is a good baseball man.
The Princeton, NJ native will receive a lot of guidance from the Jays reception on what the analytics say and where adjustments need to be made. It will be his job as interim boss to maintain the tough conversation with the players.
I heard from various sources that “Charlie didn’t like the confrontation.” Who does? But as a manager, you have to be able to deal with the lack of effort or commitment. You have to deal with poor preparation and execution. Sometimes players need to be challenged to gain their playing time or their position in the batting order. There must be clear expectations and then responsibility to meet them. If someone falls short in an area, they should be called for it.
This may be the only chance Schneider will need to be a major league coach. If he takes the Jays to the playoffs, then he will have a good chance of keeping his job for next season and beyond.
If not, it may end up being an answer to a trivial question. Only time will tell.