Was the Firing of Milwaukee Brewers Manager Ned Yost Justified?

Yes

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by Michael Hickey

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Was the firing of Milwaukee Brewers Manager Ned Yost justified? This is an easy question to answer. All you have to do is look at how the team plays when it comes down to "crunch-time." If you're not aware, the Milwaukee Brewers have now become notorious for late season collapses. Whether you want to blame the players or coach, it's always been the manager's responsibility to get his team ready for big games. Unfortunately for the Brewers and their fans, this has not been happening. After a dreadful September last season, the Brewers ended up failing to make the playoffs, finishing second in the division behind the Chicago Cubs. This season was suppose to be different. With a bevy of young talent mixed with veteran leadership, things were looking pretty good for the Brewers this year. Not to mention the huge mid-season acquisition, acquiring phenom left-handed pitcher C.C. Sabathia. This added another ace to the starting rotation, making the Brewers look like a shoe-in for the post-season. They battled the Cubs over first place, spending most of the season just a few games back, but atop the wild card card hunt. With many of their stars becoming free agents this off-season, this had to be the Brewers year. Much to the dread of Brewers personnel and fans, the team started to collapse again late in the season. They fell nearly ten games back in the division race by mid September, and their only chance to make the playoffs would be to win the wild card, which was slipping as well. Something had to be done. It was obviously a hard decision to make, but it turned out to be the right decision. After the firing of Ned Yost late in the season, the Brewers were able to put together enough wins during the final two weeks of the season to earn a spot in the playoffs. Although Ned Yost was a very honorable and respected man throughout the organization and city of Milwaukee, he was unable to get his team ready to play when the games counted the most. After he was let go, the team was able to finish the season on a high note, making the playoffs for the first time since 1982. We all know that the ultimate goal is to win the World Series, but first you've got to get your team to the post season. The Brewers were finally able to do that after they got rid of Ned Yost. How can anyone ever argue that the firing of Ned Yost was not justified? It's simple, you can't.

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