Padres Editorial: Why I Like Andy Green

There is always a dichotomy to consider about the internet: it can never be erased. So while my new co-editor Jacob Kornhauser thinks that the hiring of Andy Green as the next Padres manager is a disaster, I want to go on record and say I disagree with him. Clearly by the end of the season one of us will be deemed right and the other wrong. That status will be determined by performance alone – as the Padres need to get past the rationale that kept Bud Black here for so long of “he’s doing a great job with what he was given.”. Padres President Mike Dee and General Manager A.J. Preller proved quickly last season that no longer sits well with them. Time to win some baseball games.

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First of all the pool of candidates that Preller chose from was varied and essentially came down to Ron Gardenhire and his years of Major League managing experience and everyone else. Phil Nevin of course had years of playing in San Diego – but that meant nothing to Preller. He wasn’t around San Diego when Nevin was a fan favorite for his passion and fiery play. Dusty Baker and Bud Black were the other big two veteran managers on the market (before the Don Mattingly firing) and Black of course wasn’t an option, while Baker was famously declined the chance.

With that move it seemed like Preller was decidedly moving towards a less experienced option, and when it started to appear that maybe Gardenhire wouldn’t get the job. After all, to me there is not much to distinguish Gardenhire from Bud Black – a manager Preller has already fired in his short tenure as Padres manager! So if you didn’t think Black was the right man for the job, why would Gardenhire be much different?

On top of that, Green was a two-time Manager of the Year in the minor leagues so he knows at least how to manage even if he hasn’t yet done it at the major league level. He brings a fresh outlook to the role and perhaps more importantly should be very moldable for Preller. If Preller and the team brass want to put Wil Myers at first base more often, you’d imagine in 2016 that would happen. Perhaps in 2014/2015 Bud Black would favor the veteran and field the team his own way. Think about the famous clashes between Art Howe and Moneyball GM Billy Beane. You get the feeling there was a similar relationship between Black and Preller and the same one might have occurred between Gardenhire and Preller. Not so with Green.

If relating to players is what you want in a manager, why can’t Green be your guy? At 38 years old, he’s still older than most of the Padres players but brings both playing experience and managing experience – at least at the minor league level. It should fit well if he seems the best way to lead the club by empowering some of their natural leaders like Matt Kemp, James Shields, and Derek Norris.

In closing, I think we can all agree that Green is still a better pick than some of the other wild cards that were being tossed around like “Flash” Tom Gordon or current ESPN analyst Joey Cora isn’t it?

Again, this move will be judged by how the team plays and if it works it will be a stroke of genius by Preller in a season where he desperately needs it.