Hunsicker

[BudGirl]

Heard on the radio this morning he is taking the job in Tampa Bay.

[Fredia]

dont know wether to say the mighty have fallen or to say now wait a min. he might actually make the rays into a team

[S.P. Rodriguez]

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dont know wether to say the mighty have fallen or to say now wait a min. he might actually make the rays into a team

Doesn't tampa have new ownership coming into the picture?  If they do, and this new group is smarter than the last group, this might be the best choice for Hunsicker.  They have talent in their system.  They need pitching but I think they are perhaps the most potential for a significant turn around. Looking at the number of injuries and general "underachieving" they could improve drastically next season.  

It will be interesting to see what Hunsicker, assuming he lands the job, does with the OF talent in the majors along with Huff and young'uns coming up such as Upton and Delmont Young.

[Jacksonian]

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dont know wether to say the mighty have fallen or to say now wait a min. he might actually make the rays into a team

Doesn't tampa have new ownership coming into the picture?  If they do, and this new group is smarter than the last group, this might be the best choice for Hunsicker.  They have talent in their system.  They need pitching but I think they are perhaps the most potential for a significant turn around. Looking at the number of injuries and general "underachieving" they could improve drastically next season.  

It will be interesting to see what Hunsicker, assuming he lands the job, does with the OF talent in the majors along with Huff and young'uns coming up such as Upton and Delmont Young.

Hun has demonstrated time and again that he has no qualms dealing young and inexperienced talent for major league players.  That farm system could see a quick depletion in order to make the Rays successful now.

[JGrave]

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dont know wether to say the mighty have fallen or to say now wait a min. he might actually make the rays into a team

Doesn't tampa have new ownership coming into the picture?  If they do, and this new group is smarter than the last group, this might be the best choice for Hunsicker.  They have talent in their system.  They need pitching but I think they are perhaps the most potential for a significant turn around. Looking at the number of injuries and general "underachieving" they could improve drastically next season.  

It will be interesting to see what Hunsicker, assuming he lands the job, does with the OF talent in the majors along with Huff and young'uns coming up such as Upton and Delmont Young.

Hun has demonstrated time and again that he has no qualms dealing young and inexperienced talent for major league players.  That farm system could see a quick depletion in order to make the Rays successful now.

I think they could be pretty successful now.  Stros-ray can probably comment better on this than I can but didn't they have a really good second half of the season?  Wasn't it Guillen who said that the team he wanted to face least down the stretch was the D-Rays?

[S.P. Rodriguez]

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dont know wether to say the mighty have fallen or to say now wait a min. he might actually make the rays into a team

Doesn't tampa have new ownership coming into the picture?  If they do, and this new group is smarter than the last group, this might be the best choice for Hunsicker.  They have talent in their system.  They need pitching but I think they are perhaps the most potential for a significant turn around. Looking at the number of injuries and general "underachieving" they could improve drastically next season.  

It will be interesting to see what Hunsicker, assuming he lands the job, does with the OF talent in the majors along with Huff and young'uns coming up such as Upton and Delmont Young.

Hun has demonstrated time and again that he has no qualms dealing young and inexperienced talent for major league players.  That farm system could see a quick depletion in order to make the Rays successful now.

From the standpoint of someone who knows next to nothing about how MLB truly operates, I'd be shocked if he did that with that team.  They have no pitching to speak of.  Most of their players are early in their careers and have yet to mature.  If he came in firing on all cylinders trying to trade minor league talent to get players now, I can't see them doing anything more than what they've done.  

I guess I see a roster which includes Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, Joey Gathright, Johnny Gomes, and Delmont Young (waiting in the wings) combined with a DH/OF of Aubrey Huff, the mix of veteran infield players (such as Julio Lugo, Alex S. Gonzalez, and Travis Lee), and young infield talent up the middle.  They have too many questions about young players and too many holes to be a trade or two away from being competitive immediately.  Do they have enough minor league talent and/or cash to essentially rebuild their pitching staff via trade/FA signings?  Like you said, Hunsicker has done it before and it just might draw my interest to the AL, to see what he does.

[Jacksonian]

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dont know wether to say the mighty have fallen or to say now wait a min. he might actually make the rays into a team

Doesn't tampa have new ownership coming into the picture?  If they do, and this new group is smarter than the last group, this might be the best choice for Hunsicker.  They have talent in their system.  They need pitching but I think they are perhaps the most potential for a significant turn around. Looking at the number of injuries and general "underachieving" they could improve drastically next season.  

It will be interesting to see what Hunsicker, assuming he lands the job, does with the OF talent in the majors along with Huff and young'uns coming up such as Upton and Delmont Young.

Hun has demonstrated time and again that he has no qualms dealing young and inexperienced talent for major league players.  That farm system could see a quick depletion in order to make the Rays successful now.

From the standpoint of someone who knows next to nothing about how MLB truly operates, I'd be shocked if he did that with that team.  They have no pitching to speak of.  Most of their players are early in their careers and have yet to mature.  If he came in firing on all cylinders trying to trade minor league talent to get players now, I can't see them doing anything more than what they've done.  

I guess I see a roster which includes Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, Joey Gathright, Johnny Gomes, and Delmont Young (waiting in the wings) combined with a DH/OF of Aubrey Huff, the mix of veteran infield players (such as Julio Lugo, Alex S. Gonzalez, and Travis Lee), and young infield talent up the middle.  They have too many questions about young players and too many holes to be a trade or two away from being competitive immediately.  Do they have enough minor league talent and/or cash to essentially rebuild their pitching staff via trade/FA signings?  Like you said, Hunsicker has done it before and it just might draw my interest to the AL, to see what he does.

I would not be surprised if he made a deal or two for pitching talent.  Also, if the owners give him the money I'd look for him to go after solid FA starters.  Millwood comes time immediately.

[Ty in Tampa]

I would not be surprised if he made a deal or two for pitching talent. Also, if the owners give him the money I'd look for him to go after solid FA starters. Millwood comes time immediately.

I think you're right on this. I would think the new ownership prefers Hunsicker because of his track record of blending homegrown talent with wise FA/trade moves for a not-so-free-spending franchise. I expect a bit more in the budget for the Rays since all this team has done is make money in the past and winning seems to be what the new ownership wants and believes will cure the attendance and reputation ills the team has.

[JJxvi]

Is he the GM in Tampa? 610 is saying that he's just been hired as a consultant by the D-Rays.

[CJM]

If  this  has any truth to it, Tampa could have been the only team that offered him a job.

I don't know either way but with the many open GM positions right now, the Devil Rays seem like one of the least desirable.

[Ty in Tampa]

From our 'sports animal:'

Meanwhile the team is reportedly set to hire former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, but not to be the General Manager in title. Hunsicker will work closely with chief of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Hunsicker was also a finalists for the Phillies GM role but Pat Gillick will get that job.

The Link

[Jacksonian]

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Is he the GM in Tampa? 610 is saying that he's just been hired as a consultant by the D-Rays.

I have no idea.  I would have thought Hun would want to be a GM.

[Jacksonian]

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From our 'sports animal:'

Meanwhile the team is reportedly set to hire former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, but not to be the General Manager in title. Hunsicker will work closely with chief of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Hunsicker was also a finalists for the Phillies GM role but Pat Gillick will get that job.

The Link

I see.  The Rays hired one of those pre-30's GM's.  In other words, Hun would be hired to hold the man-child GM's hand.

[JJxvi]

The mighty have fallen much further than the second post speculated then...

[Moz]

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If  this  has any truth to it, Tampa could have been the only team that offered him a job.

Ortiz rips him pretty hard. Interesting insight about the Tony Pena situation

[homer]

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Millwood comes time immediately.

I have a suspicion that Millwood goes to Baltimore.

[CJM]

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If  this  has any truth to it, Tampa could have been the only team that offered him a job.

Ortiz rips him pretty hard. Interesting insight about the Tony Pena situation

I will say I don't put much weight into the things Ortiz says.  He is a very poor baseball writer IMO.  He allows his personal feelings to control his columns more than a "professional" writer should.  I suspect today's article is fueled some by personal feelings. Ortiz makes a good case, but his own past makes me skeptical anytime his name is in the byline.

I'll give Hunsicker the benefit of the doubt unless/until Ortiz's claims can be backed up by others with a better track record (than Ortiz).  I do find it odd that Hunsicker would take a job with Tampa while there are still some very nice GM openings left.  I don't know Hunsicker, so this might be exactly the position he was looking for.

[NeilT]

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From our 'sports animal:'

Meanwhile the team is reportedly set to hire former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker, but not to be the General Manager in title. Hunsicker will work closely with chief of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Hunsicker was also a finalists for the Phillies GM role but Pat Gillick will get that job.

The Link

XM's baseball channel at noon was still talking about Hunsicker as a general manager candidate in Tampa, for what it's worth.

[JimR]

i do not know what Ortiz is claiming, but my best source inside baseball says that Pena is/was an absolutely "horrible" manager.

[Andyzipp]

Oritz is claiming that Hunsicker threw a big fit because he wanted to hire Pena instead of Jimy Williams.

Instead, Ortiz claims that Purpura was the one pushing for Pena.

He uses this as an example of Hunsicker taking credit for things that he had nothing to do with.

[NeilT]

Announcement at noon.

The Link

[homer]

XM Home Plate channel reported this morning that he is going to be the GM.

[Ty in Tampa]

I see. The Rays hired one of those pre-30's GM's. In other words, Hun would be hired to hold the man-child GM's hand.

Nailed it.

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With Tampa Bay, he'll be responsible for helping 28-year-old Andrew Friedman turn around a franchise that's never won more than 70 games in a season and finished last in seven of its eight seasons.

"I'm here to support what Andrew wants to do," Hunsicker said, emphasizing that he has no problem with settling into a No. 2 role after running the show from 1996 to 2004 in Houston, which went 701-595 and made the playoffs five times while he was GM.
 

The Link

[astrox]

 ``I'm rejuvenated and re-energized,'' Hunsicker said, adding that he been looking for the right opportunity to return to baseball almost since the day he stepped down as Houston's GM.

link  

So much for the "wife is sick" excuse.

[Taras Bulba]

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``I'm rejuvenated and re-energized,'' Hunsicker said, adding that he been looking for the right opportunity to return to baseball almost since the day he stepped down as Houston's GM.

link  

So much for the "wife is sick" excuse.

Somebody had already used "dead mother."