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Another extremely dissapointing loss for the Brewers leaves fans in doubt of manager Ned Yost's ability to coach and manage this young talented team.  General manager, Doug Melvin, assured Brewer fans that Yost was his man last winter and even signed him to a hefty contract for a manager with a losing record.  But to Melvin's great disspleasure, Yost has managed to coach one of the most talented teams in the MLB into a major hole in the NL Central.

All of the losses cannot be blamed on Ned Yost, and half of them he couldnt do anything about, but what strikes me as insane, is when Ned gets to make a decision to effect the outcome of a game he will blow the call 90% of the time.

For example, in a series against Washington, Yost wanted his set up man, Guillermo Mota, to get some playing time, so he puts him in for 2 innings.  Those 2 innings were great, Mota pitched well and got back on track.  It turns out the Brewers are in a close game the next day, so what does Ned Yost do?  Well of course he puts Mota back in!  He struggles through his first inning, walking a couple and letting in a run, but that isnt the worst.  Mota had never pitched 2 innings back to back days in his entire career, so what does Ned Yost do?  He puts him out there for another inning.  To spare you the details, Mota blows open what was once a close game.

Now those are not decisions of a good manager.  Another major blow by Ned Yost was to have Prince Fielder bat 3rd and Braun 4th.  Ned had tried it last year and it had failed miserably, Braun went into a slump and Fielder couldnt get out of his.  But Ned Yost being the thick headed idiot he really is, was convinced it worked...lets just say both Braun and Fielder didnt do so well with it this year.  A REAL manager would have learned his mistake the first time and gone back and adjusted it, but the brilliance of Ned Yost prevails, he goes back to something that didnt work and wants to try it again.

Ned Yost is quite potentially the worst bullpen manager in the history of baseball.  My Mota story is one of many blown bullpen decisions by Yost. 

You want another you say?  Well how about ANOTHER Mota story.

2 weeks after the Washington series in which Mota blew the series, the Brewers were down in Houston.  Mota again had not pitched in awhile so Ned decides to give him two innings of work...great, he pitches well and gets us through the game.  I figured Ned had learned his lesson about Mota before, but I guess I was wrong.  The next day in another close game, Ned decides to pitch Mota AGAIN!  Most relievers dont go back to back days with 2 innings performances, much less a former closer and now set up man.  Obviously his stamina was low and he blew the game...again...

Those arent such bad things you say, well do you want to hear how Ned Yost has completley destroyed morale on the Brewers team?  Good...

Last year, cather Johnny Estrada was seen as a big pick up, he could hit, and field.  But his previous managers had all said he was a horrible clubhouse man.  Ned, ignoring everything, keeps Estrada and lets him ruin the pitching staff last year.  In an article published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, pitchers for the Milwaukee Brewers came out and talked about Estrada.  Many of them said, Johnny didnt listen to Yost's calls, he called the game the way he wanted to, and some said he sabatoged the staff directly by making bad calls. 

Thats great, if a guy does that, a good manager would have his head.  But the pea brained Yost leaves Estrada out there all season, even after getting into a fight with Estrada which almost lead to punches. 

Not to mention all the life in the Brewers dug out is gone.  Before the young players were called up to the Big's, I had a chance to see them all play in the minors.  They laughed all the time, made jokes and were pumped up about everything.  But it all changed when the met Yost.  Ned has a rule that you should not showboat, you cannot make gestures, argue or really express yourself in anyway.  So when Ryan Braun hits a homerun off a rival pitcher (who had beamed Tony Gwynn Jr. in the minors on purpose), and Braun looks at the dugout and yells something, Ned Yost makes Braun apologize for his antics to the whole team...WHAT?  The guy was avenging his teamate, a little comradory never hurt anyone!

Now I look into the dugout and everyone has a blank stare, everyone is afraid of expressing themselves.  No one wants to get into trouble.  But as I look at the teams that are winnings like the Cubs, they are pumped up, they yell and scream, they fist pump...its great!  They look like they are having fun!  But the solemn Brewers just trot out there everyday with a glum look on there face.

It's time for Ned Yost to go.

And its not like there is not one out there to coach.  Retired Oriole manager Davey Johnson is still available and wants to coach.  The man has a winning record, he has coached and trained young players before, and has managed some great teams.  He would be a perfect fit.

Or find someone from inside the Brewers organization...Don Money.  They guy is outstanding for the Double AA huntsville.  He is about 500 games over .500 (exaggeration).  He is one of the best minor league managers and played a mean third base when he was a pro.



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