1) If Sandoval is playing 1B against lefties, spelling Molina at catcher 1-2 times a week, and playing 3rd 1-2 times a week, he should be getting at least 5 starts a week. So, it might not be too bad, although he will have to deal with playing 3 positions and no one is really sure how he’ll do at third.

2) Randy Winn is fairly under appreciated, myself included, but he’s a very good player. His defense in right is amazing and he’s part of one of the best defensive outfields in all of baseball – something the pitchers should really appreciate. He has one of those skillsets where everything is solid (except his defense) and nothing is weak. It’s never something pretty, but it’s very valuable. At this point, 1 month of Nate in the bigs won’t change much and he hasn’t been that great in Fresno anyways.

All that said, I completely agree that Bochy should be fired and I don’t think you’ll find many people disagreeing with that around these parts.

Bochy will only be fired once he “crosses the line” and has Cain throw 150 pitches in one of his starts. But, 125 is no problem for our talented 23 year old….he’s got a workhorses frame.

Is there somebody available out there with a [good] reputation for working with young clubs/players ? Someone at the minor league level that needs a shot? Bochy just doesn’t seem to be the right fit for the post-Bondsian Giants.
Maybe someone who wouldn’t qualify for Social Security?

I agree with Macello’s points above.

Along those lines, Molina and Winn are under contract next year, so unless they’re traded they’ll be in the mix next season. If Bochy wants to be a “player’s manager”, he can’t hang those “veteran leaders” out to dry and say they suck in the papers.

For all we know, Sabean has told Bochy to keep playing Molina and Winn while they’re hot so they can continue to be showcased for a potential trade now or before the 2009 campaign begins.

I’m as excited about Pablo as much as anyone, but it’s still early. Let’s not annoint him starting anything just yet. Bowker’s debut was equally impressive after his call-up from AA.

I think the ideal solution is to shut Fred down and let him deal with his foot once Nate gets called up, which will open up an outfield spot.

The manager is not a free-standing point on the organization chart; he is under the GM (eww). If the GM is giving the manager clear direction (a significant "if"), then it would take serious chutzpah + error to act contrary to that. I just don’t think it’s likely that a manager would/could defy his GM every day for very long.

Further, you might remember Brian Sabean from such diplomatic and tactful movies like “Molina’s Clock is Winding Down,” “I’m Not An Idiot,” and “Lunatic Fringe.” This isn’t a guy who lacks ego. This isn’t a guy who doesn’t know how to get a message out in the media. Actually, this is a guy who doesn’t know how to avoid it. If Boch’ were really defying the express wishes of his boss, Sabean couldn’t help himself from saying something.

If anyone has any actual evidence that Bochy is defying chain of command, please share. And with all due respect to Lionel Hutz and the genius Phil Hartman who voiced him, no, inference and supposition are not kinds of evidence.

we should fire him after the season. not now.

I think you saw in Sunday’s game the working of the Bochy-Sabean relationship. Sabean wants him to play the kids, so he makes the lineup out with the kids in it, and if they’re winning it’s cool, but if they fall behind he immediately starts to put his veterans into the game. He pinch hits Aurilia for Ishikawa in the fourth freaking inning, and when he goes to the bullpen, it’s always Taschner, Yabu and Walker. The only reason he went to Hinshaw is that his lefty-lefty desires somehow managed to overcome his disdain for the kids. Tyler Walker said the other day that Bochy’s a good manager because he has never given up on him, he keeps giving him a chance to turn it around. That doesn’t make you a good manager, Tyler, if anything it makes you a dumb one. A good manager would find someone else that could do the job. Don’t confuse dumb loyalty to veteran players at the expense of playing winning baseball to doing a good managerial job.