Macha's sudden dismissal after the ALCS sweep surprised a lot of people, but here at the ANtics, we should have seen the warning signs along the way - as he played favorites with players, feuded with the front office, kissed up to umpires and generally tried to go his own way on a club when that wasn't the plan for a manager - an interchangeable cog.Below - 10 different examples, all brought to you by the ANtics, that display the disconnect as it happened.
- He offered Adam Melhuse to be ejected instead of Bradley. (ANtics 2.32)
- He said it was "Us against the world." (ANtics 2.27)
- He threatened players with the "Vulcan Death Grip." (ANtics 2.23)
- Rather than arguing with umps, he offered them jobs. (ANtics 2.21)
- He openly called for "Kenny-ball" and threatened to subvert Billy Beane's plans (Antics 2.20)
- He feuded with Melhuse over alleged gum theft. (ANtics 2.12)
- He threatened to cut Saarloos if the pitcher didn't get a haircut. (ANtics 2.11)
- Saying things were "nebulous", he offered no strategy to break the team's inconsistency. (ANtics 2.10)
- In a Dusty Baker-esque move, he once challenged Zito to pitch from both sides of the mound. (ANtics 2.6)
- And always... the lineups. As the season dawned, he promised to bat Kendall cleanup. (ANtics 2.1)
That's just ten examples of how we knew there were "Disconnects" with Macha this season - and we didn't even break into the 2005 ANtics. As you know, Macha's been let go, and every day brings new insight into the clubhouse tumult that apparently defined the A's year. We look into the struggles, in "As the Macha Turns".
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Also: Take the Poll: When Did You Know Macha Was A Goner?
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