Baseball Guru
10-05-2005, 08:50 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-athletics-macha&prov=ap&type=lgns
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
October 5, 2005
Oakland Athletics manager Ken Macha was out of a job Wednesday after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.
``We decided it's best to part ways at this point,'' general manager Billy Beane said on a conference call.
``We offered a three-year deal with a club option and they countered with a three-year deal without a club option,'' Beane said. ``I don't think we were ever going to be able to bridge the gap. It was a significant gap.''
The option would have allowed the A's to decide whether to keep Macha after three seasons.
``It was a compensation issue,'' Beane said.
Macha led the A's to the AL West title in his first year as manager in 2003, the club's fourth straight playoff berth. But Oakland failed to reach the postseason the past two years despite a 91-win season in 2004 and 88 victories this year.
Macha had said he hoped to return to the A's, and said late in the season he thought the team would make a quick decision.
``There are no hard feelings whatsoever,'' Beane said. ``This is part of the business.''
Macha's agent, Alan Nero, told The Associated Press he received an offer from Beane on Monday, then offered a counter proposal Tuesday.
``The reality of the situation is he made a proposal and I made a counter proposal,'' Nero said in a telephone interview. ``We were significantly apart. Then I made a proposal and we were very close. Billy declined to make another proposal because he felt Kenny wouldn't be happy.
``This is a sad day for Kenny, the fans and the players. It was an amicable separation and it's time for everybody to move on.''
In fact, Nero spoke Wednesday to Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield about the managerial vacancy in Pittsburgh, where Macha lives.
Nero will have further discussions with clubs now that there is closure with the Oakland situation. The Florida Marlins are interested in Macha, Nero said.
The A's went 88-74 this season, but seemed out of it in May when they had two eight-game losing streaks and finished the month with a 7-20 record. But Oakland rebounded with another strong second half, overcoming injuries to key players such as shortstop Bobby Crosby and No. 2 starter Rich Harden.
Beane met Monday with the 55-year-old Macha, who was still in the Bay Area as of Wednesday and had yet to return home to Pittsburgh for the offseason.
Macha was 275-211 in three seasons with the A's. He came to the Oakland organization in 1999 following four seasons as a manager in Boston's farm system. He was promoted from bench coach when Art Howe left for the New York Mets following the 2002 season.
A message left on Macha's cell phone Wednesday wasn't immediately returned.
Beane said the sides had exchanged proposals this past weekend because both parties wanted to come to a resolution quickly, leaving Macha time to explore other openings.
``It's part of the process. Kenny was a free agent,'' Beane said. ``Ken's contract was an outstanding issue. ... This whole issue didn't sneak up on us. It's disappointing we couldn't come to a conclusion that was satisfactory.''
Beane hadn't had a chance to speak to Macha about the decision, but left a message for him. Beane said he would work to form a list of candidates to replace Macha, and didn't say whether members of the existing A's coaching staff would be considered.
On Monday, the A's announced hitting coach Dave Hudgens' contract would not be renewed.
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
October 5, 2005
Oakland Athletics manager Ken Macha was out of a job Wednesday after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract.
``We decided it's best to part ways at this point,'' general manager Billy Beane said on a conference call.
``We offered a three-year deal with a club option and they countered with a three-year deal without a club option,'' Beane said. ``I don't think we were ever going to be able to bridge the gap. It was a significant gap.''
The option would have allowed the A's to decide whether to keep Macha after three seasons.
``It was a compensation issue,'' Beane said.
Macha led the A's to the AL West title in his first year as manager in 2003, the club's fourth straight playoff berth. But Oakland failed to reach the postseason the past two years despite a 91-win season in 2004 and 88 victories this year.
Macha had said he hoped to return to the A's, and said late in the season he thought the team would make a quick decision.
``There are no hard feelings whatsoever,'' Beane said. ``This is part of the business.''
Macha's agent, Alan Nero, told The Associated Press he received an offer from Beane on Monday, then offered a counter proposal Tuesday.
``The reality of the situation is he made a proposal and I made a counter proposal,'' Nero said in a telephone interview. ``We were significantly apart. Then I made a proposal and we were very close. Billy declined to make another proposal because he felt Kenny wouldn't be happy.
``This is a sad day for Kenny, the fans and the players. It was an amicable separation and it's time for everybody to move on.''
In fact, Nero spoke Wednesday to Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield about the managerial vacancy in Pittsburgh, where Macha lives.
Nero will have further discussions with clubs now that there is closure with the Oakland situation. The Florida Marlins are interested in Macha, Nero said.
The A's went 88-74 this season, but seemed out of it in May when they had two eight-game losing streaks and finished the month with a 7-20 record. But Oakland rebounded with another strong second half, overcoming injuries to key players such as shortstop Bobby Crosby and No. 2 starter Rich Harden.
Beane met Monday with the 55-year-old Macha, who was still in the Bay Area as of Wednesday and had yet to return home to Pittsburgh for the offseason.
Macha was 275-211 in three seasons with the A's. He came to the Oakland organization in 1999 following four seasons as a manager in Boston's farm system. He was promoted from bench coach when Art Howe left for the New York Mets following the 2002 season.
A message left on Macha's cell phone Wednesday wasn't immediately returned.
Beane said the sides had exchanged proposals this past weekend because both parties wanted to come to a resolution quickly, leaving Macha time to explore other openings.
``It's part of the process. Kenny was a free agent,'' Beane said. ``Ken's contract was an outstanding issue. ... This whole issue didn't sneak up on us. It's disappointing we couldn't come to a conclusion that was satisfactory.''
Beane hadn't had a chance to speak to Macha about the decision, but left a message for him. Beane said he would work to form a list of candidates to replace Macha, and didn't say whether members of the existing A's coaching staff would be considered.
On Monday, the A's announced hitting coach Dave Hudgens' contract would not be renewed.