Not the Manager's Fault

C'mon, baseball fans!  Some of you are taking your frustrations a bit far afield when it comes to the latest Mike Gonzalez 9th inning meltdown.  Gonzo's been nothing short of a disaster in his first 3 games as the Orioles new closer and blowing up in the 9th inning of a home opener in front of a record crowd is as excruciating as it gets.  Be mad, but don't blame manager Dave Trembley.  I say that after receiving multiple complaints  that it was the manager's fault for bringing in the closer in a save situation.  I can't agree with that at all.  Trembley went to the player whose job it is to finish out victories.   Gonzo flat out blew it.

I'll go one step further and suggest that if a save situation comes up this weekend, you have to go to Gonzalez without hesitation, BUT- the leash on him has grown super-short.   If he comes on and exhibits a continued lack of control, you have to yank him and move him down the bullpen order until he proves he can be counted on and trusted to be a closer.   Gonzalez has done it to himself- not Trembley. 

It's way too early in the season and too early in the Mike Gonzalez closer era to suggest the O's mis-spent $12 million on a failure.  But if it comes to pass that it was a bad investment it's not Dave Trembley's fault.  It would be a front office issue and/or a Mike Gonzalez issue.