Adios, Felipe

Well, Felipe Alou is histoire, to use a French term. This is a good decision in my book. He was a fairly milk toast manager for four years. He was kind of an inside-out manager. He was extremely passionate about lesser things and lukewarm about some more important things.

For example, he went completely ballistic over some minor comments made by a KNBR radio talkshow host Larry Krueger about the Giants' Caribbean hitters, leading the way in Krueger's firing. He promised to slander Krueger's name all throughout the Caribbean and wouldn't accept an apology. He simply couldn't take a relief pitcher walking a batter, and would use three or four just to get an out. As if the next guy would really be any better.

But getting his team fired up, for let's say, a pennant race, wasn't a strong point for Felipe. They choked in the '03 LDS, choked against LA in the last series of the '04 year, completely sucked in '05 even though they were in the worst division in baseball history, and majorly choked a number of times in '06, being swept by several last place teams along the way. Still in the race until the last week of the season, he routinely sat Bonds and other veteran players down when they were needed most.

Nice guy, Felipe. I'd love to have him over for dinner every night for a month to talk baseball. But I don't want him managing my team. Nice guys finish last, so they say.