I know most are rejoicing the Yost firing, as Yost's name is most recently connected with yet another late season slide.

But, let's put that behind ourselves for a moment, and realize the significance of the fact that for the first time in five years, Ned Yost is not the manager of the Brewers when you fetch your morning paper.

When Yost took over the game management for the Brewers in 2003, the highest win total in the organization during the previous ten seaons (1993-2002) was 80 wins. The team had just completed a free fall from four consecutive mid-70s win totals (1997-2000), winning 68 and 56 games respectively in the two years prior to Yost's hire.

The Ned Yost Brewers immediately rebounded in 2003, improving by 12 wins in a season that featured solid seasons from Geoff Jenkins and Richie Sexson, and two improbable seasons from scrap heap pick-ups Dan Kolb and Scott Podsednik, a rookie of the year candidate with his 100 R / 43 SB campaign.

Things evened back out in 2004, with Podsednik returning to earth, Jenkins failing to match his previous numbers, and a score of talent entering the organization from the Richie Sexson trade. Doug Davis and Ben Sheets were the center-pieces of the 2004 seasons, as both pitched career high seasons (and both were plagued by bullpen and run support issues). 

2005 was Yost's next break out year, leading a new line up featuring Damian Miller, Carlos Lee, and a rejuvinated Geoff Jenkins. Perhaps an improbable season, Yost had yet another scrap-heap reliever explosion on his hands, with Derrick Turnbow's breakout year. The team finished 81-81 despite Ben Sheets' torn lat muscle and vestibular neuritis troubles, and a relatively average pitching staff.

Perhaps the biggest season up for debate in the Yost tenure is 2006, as the team once again evened out after a big jump. The debate will always be whether or not injuries were the reason for the dip in performance, as the 2006 team was expected to improve upon the highest wins total since 1992. 2006 featured a breakout rookie campaign from Prince Fielder, Bill Hall's best season, an improved Carloss Lee, who was traded at the deadline for Francisco Cordero (among others). But the pitching was an issue once again, with a largely average-to-below average staff plagued by continual injuries, including lingering problems from Sheets' lat injury.

2007 is the season fresh on our minds, a season that began with so much promise and slowly faded out. The year was not so much of a collapse as it was a terribly gradual fall from first place, and then from the wild card. Yost did manage to lead the Crew to their first winning season since 1992, although that was hardly a consolation prize. The promise of the season was held in breakout years from Prince Fielder and NL Rookie of the Year Ryan Braun, and a strong power year from J.J. Hardy and the rest of the offense. The pitching staff once again struggled around average, with more injury issues plaguing Ben Sheets, and Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, and Chris Capuano pitching largely below average years.

And of course, at his dismissal in 2008, Yost leaves a team at 83-67, easily producing the best record at many points late in August of any team in Brewers history, and ultimately matching the 2007 win total with two full weeks to spare. Of course, a quick collapse that spread like wildfire led to his dismissal, and his legacy will likely be the manager who was fired with 12 games remaining - a first.

 

I think it's a rather ironic end to the Yost chapter, a period in the Brewers organization that returned the team to relevance, competition, and saw promising teams on the field, and concrete improvement.

Whatever your personal opinion of Yost, let's say "thanks" to the manager that was at the helm during our return to competitive teams. While people debate the value of a players' manager in a pennant race, his loyalty and positive outlook was absolutely necessary to steer through several rebuilding campaigns, changing the attitude in the clubhouse.

Yost finishes his tenure with the Brewers with the second-highest win total of any Brewers manager, and he owns three season win-totals that were higher than any win total in the decade prior to his tenure. From 1993-2002, the Brewers posted one season of 80 wins. From 2003-2008, the Brewers posted three seasons above 80 wins. 

While we will remember him as "Nervous Ned," I think Yost rightfully deserves praise for managing the team during a rebuilding period and then managing three of the most competitive Brewers teams since 1992. 

Thanks for helping with the rebuilding, Ned! You deserve lots of credit and criticism alike for your tenure, and for the moment I wanted to focus on the credit!

Good post, Radio.

brewguru:

Good post, Radio.

+1

None of it was ever going to be enough to overcome the fact that people made up their minds that they hated him early on and he was always going to be viewed through that lens.

Edgar, we hardly knew ye.

 -1

 

 

Yost's success was the result of nothing more then a rising payroll and a great farm system. 

Thanks for the kind words, Brewguru and Einstein.

 

 

prime311:

Yost's success was the result of nothing more then a rising payroll and a great farm system. 

I see the old standard of any success being the work of others and any failure being Yost's is still alive and well.

I hope this is the minority opinion, now that Yost is actually gone and people can (hopefully) be a bit more rational.

Not that it matters anyway.

Since many here believed Yost was totally inept, that nearly every move he made was wrong, I guess we can look forward to the Brewers easily winning  the wild card race now that he isn't screwing things up, right? Of course that assumes the new manager is semi competent.

Nice post radio.

Einsteinhood:

prime311:

Yost's success was the result of nothing more then a rising payroll and a great farm system. 

I see the old standard of any success being the work of others and any failure being Yost's is still alive and well.

I hope this is the minority opinion, now that Yost is actually gone and people can (hopefully) be a bit more rational.

Not that it matters anyway.

Einstein, I can see you still have blinders on and think that everything Yost did was good.  Nevermind he could not run a BP to save his life and his players are wound about as tight as him.  I thank Ned for bringing this team past oblivion, but his inability to get over the hump ultimately led to his demise.

Nice post Radio. I agree Ned should be given a lot of credit for bringing the Brewers back to respectability. For whatever reason he just couldn't take them to the next level. For that reason I think letting him go was probably the correct move. I question the timing of the move, but I guess time will tell.

 

Einsteinhood:

None of it was ever going to be enough to overcome the fact that people made up their minds that they hated him early on and he was always going to be viewed through that lens.

In my opinion he was on borrowed time since 2006.  This guy was given an extremely long leash, especially in light of his teams miserable performances after the All-Star break.  You're a numbers guy, just look them up.  These guys were never going anywhere with him at the helm and everybody knows it.

fmrmarinesgt97:

Einsteinhood:

prime311:

Yost's success was the result of nothing more then a rising payroll and a great farm system. 

I see the old standard of any success being the work of others and any failure being Yost's is still alive and well.

I hope this is the minority opinion, now that Yost is actually gone and people can (hopefully) be a bit more rational.

Not that it matters anyway.

Einstein, I can see you still have blinders on and think that everything Yost did was good. 

Read again and then you come back and tell me why what you wrote in no way represents my opinion.

You know better than this, yet you can't come up with a real arguement.

fmrmarinesgt97:

Nevermind he could not run a BP to save his life and his players are wound about as tight as him.

Lots of managers have trouble running bullpen's, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't fire a guy who can't run one to find one who can and I suspect that the "tightness" thing is at least partially true.

fmrmarinesgt97:

I thank Ned for bringing this team past oblivion, but his inability to get over the hump ultimately led to his demise.

Yup.

All I was really trying to say.

The guy put in a lot of hard work and we owe him a debt for what he did, even if it wasn't as good as we might have hoped.

Einsteinhood:

prime311:

Yost's success was the result of nothing more then a rising payroll and a great farm system. 

I see the old standard of any success being the work of others and any failure being Yost's is still alive and well.

 

 

For me, it is good to know that even in these turbulent times of Brewers fandom, somethings will never change...

I also think there's a greater than 50/50 chance at Fielder being traded this off-season.  Not only has he not gotten the job done this year, half the team doesn't like him.

People made up their mind early that they hated him. Conjecture on your part-correct? And if somehow you came across a scientific study that established that fact, did you also read the study that explained why people hated Yost? Is it fun to write things that belong in a Tabloid without regard for accuracy? Lucky you that accountability isn't a consideration or you might spend time in court. Suggest you preface your sage observations with something like "it seems to me that....".

Here's a news flash-like yours-not verified. Ned Yost was much over his head trying to successfully maximize the efforts of 25 major league players. Many managers are, in my opinion. Managing a baseball club requires a number of skills, not just one or two and requires a talented roster, a competent coaching staff, a cooperative front office and a self image that tells you that you really do belong at the head of this team. Ned Yost was playing the role of big league baseball manager. he was lets pretending and it showed in numerous ways. I'm glad he's gone, although finding a suitable replacement won't be easy. It's a thankless job - a job filled with myriad pitfalls and unexpected, damaging happenings. Lucky Yost. he walks away with his pockets lined with silver , his heart somewhat scarred and many good years before him.