Manny Acta interview with Les Levine.
about 2 years ago
Roger Dorn
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Interesting that he says “we don’t want to put too much pressure on Brantley” in regard to the leadoff spot. Reading that one way, its sounds like its assumed that Brantley makes the opening day roster.
I believe he says someone LIKE Brantley. Nothing major to see here.
Chugga-chugga chugga-chugga, Choo Choo!
Exact quote “..we don’t want to put to much pressure on a kid like Brantley.”
What other “kid” would be leading off?
Yea, he was basically acknowledging that the leadoff alternative to Sizemore is Brantley, who is probably not read for that particular role.
He read for it, but did not get the part.
by SuddenSam on Nov 17, 2009 1:53 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It took me only 2 minutes into the video and I already felt good. Manny Acta, I love you already, please do good things. Please?
Chugga-chugga chugga-chugga, Choo Choo!
Acta was with Les for the whole hour. At one point he even mentioned Jeanmar Gomez! At the end, in regard to Spring training competition for the rotation, he referred to the “Hector Rondon types” that may start the season in the bigs with a strong spring. I’m so pleased we have multiple Hector Rondons in the system! Problem solved.
So far, the most refreshing thing was his plainspoken responses. He’s not very eloquent, but it’s better than the last guy’s cliche-ridden corporate-style doublespeak that sidestepped the question and usually ended up with the declaration that “We just need to go out there and grind.”
Acta will be on Alll Bets Are Off on STO today. Loudtalker Bruce Drennan will be yelling questions in Acta’s direction, but they will not likely elicit as insightful answers as Les’s show yesterday.
Acta came off sharp and honest. Hopefully the feeling never goes away, but I’m going to try and enjoy this honeymoon period while it lasts.
No, not you. Your helmet!
by PatBordersHelmet on Nov 17, 2009 8:50 AM EST reply actions
Finally convinced my dad that Jeter is immensely hatable.
by westbrook on Nov 17, 2009 6:36 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Les again with the idiotic “strikeouts out of the leadoff spot” comment.
Still waiting for someone to explain to me why that’s a problem.
Agreed…if anything, you can make a strong argument that relative to other spots in the lineup, leadoff is the position least negatively impacted by strikeouts. Less likely to have men on base, more likely to see more pitches…
I’m convinced that the idiocy of Cleveland’s fan base is strengthened by the fact that Paul Hoynes and Bill Livingston are the conduits through which many (most?) Tribe fans receive their news. The Plain Dealer, and by extension, Cleveland.com, provides poor coverage of this team. Then, when viewers actually watch a game, Rick Manning and Underpants don’t speak from a voice of reason either, at least from a business sense (I’m ok when Manning sticks to the on-field action).
The sooner a more knowledgeable person is a member of the mass media, the sooner the Indians fan base would gain a better (but not perfect) understanding. Since the NY media made a whole fuss of the “Joba Rules,” every 11-year old and 65-year old Yankee fan understands the idea of an innings threshold (whether or not they like it).
Until local media emphasizes the rudimentary point that Grady gets on base at a clip among the highest on the team (and well above average for the league), very few casual fans will be in the know as to why Grady Sizemore getting more at-bats is better than getting fewer at-bats at a lower spot in the order.
I dunno, I can’t explain it, but there’s something I like about him. Let’s go, Acta!
"You are an LGT success story" -- Jay
Acta just continues to impress. I agree with JP_Frost that every interview he’s been in thus far seems solid. He’s got me excited about this team – which is quite amazing considering how horrible they looked in August and September. Funny, same players – completely different perspective. How many days until Spring Training starts?
I never paid much attention to him when he was with the Nats (despite him being local here). I feel really good about having him as manager (FWIW).
I just wanted to believe.
Acta talks like he’s been with the organization for five years. In every interview I’ve seen, he’s been impressive.
I was going to note this somewhere as well. He’s paid more attention and made more public statements about farm talent in the first month than I can recall Wedge making in over a year. Not saying Wedge didn’t know, but it is very nice hearing that this man understands who is here already.
Chugga-chugga chugga-chugga, Choo Choo!
As much as I have dogged on Manny, I am starting to back some of his ideas that I have read in the paper or heard during interviews like these. I think he really does recognize where we are as an organization and the things that have been down falls for us, the bad starts, poor pitching performances etc… I also like his knowledge of our young talent considering the fact that he was in the NL last year and nowhere near Columbus. I also like that he isn’t going to put a lot of pressure on the team to “GRIND IT OUT” rather letting the guys play loose and relaxed. The only thing I don’t like is that he uses injuries as a reason that Cleveland has been a disappointment and that Jhonny Peralta is a great player with a lot of talent that he will bring out and become very good baseball player. Maybe I am going crazy but, I am starting to back your guys opinions about Acta and I think he was probably the best man for this job.
by ClevelandCrazy29 on Nov 18, 2009 3:55 PM EST reply actions
If I suggested this in anyway I am very sorry. However, I have not witnessed the level of talent that he is supposed to posses in any season since 2007. Also why are you criticizing my entry? For the first time since I joined the site, I was agreeing and polite. I believed that of all the entries I have input this one would finally be one that just might get some respect but obviously not. I have my opinions you have yours so please do not pick the fly crap out of the pepper in my opinion and I will no longer do it to anyone else. Thank You.
by ClevelandCrazy29 on Nov 18, 2009 10:18 PM EST up reply actions
You need to stop getting so defensive, dude. It’s not a personal attack every time someone disagrees with you. Most counter-arguments are made as a way to try to educate you, and the same goes for everyone else here; you’re not unique.
"You are an LGT success story" -- Jay
by Turkmenbashi on Nov 19, 2009 8:24 AM EST up reply actions
More importantly, this site is successful because it is about discussions, and not 107 simultaneous monologues.
I think it works because we don’t all say the same thing
by Brick. on Nov 19, 2009 11:12 AM EST up reply actions 5 recs
I considered making this exact comment. Well, with an indefinite article thrown in… y’know, to sound flowery.
by Logodaedalus on Nov 19, 2009 11:55 PM EST up reply actions
here’s my point. i think jhonny’s talent level is pretty obvious. getting the most out of it consistently has been a problem, but i love the idea of giving acta a crack at it. i plucked out a piece of your post as a point of departure for a conversation. it was one of the things you disliked about this interview – where it’s one of the things i was most excited about.
you don’t think peralta has a lot of talent?
This is not a personal attack.
Criticizing one another’s assertions is what we do here. That and memes, I guess.
If you don’t like to have your comments critiqued, you should leave. You are not being picked on. You are being treated like any other member of the site.
It’s not even a critique. It’s a dang conversation, a mode of communication that is traditionally understood to require two or more participants.
It may be a conversation but it could be taken two ways when you can’t actually physically hear or see a persons emotions.
The first would be:
You idiot how do you not think he has talent?
OR the other:
Why don’t you think he has talent?
I’m sorry that I all ways have a tendency to take it in the negative sense but that is just my personality. I truly appologize with my firing back however, i stick to my guns with the fact that i don’t think that for as much talent that Jhonny is supposed to have that he actually lives up to that potential.
by ClevelandCrazy29 on Nov 19, 2009 2:59 PM EST up reply actions
it’s neither. it’s:
“you don’t think peralta has a lot of talent?”
to which there are two answers:
yes, obviously he has talent. what i meant was that i don’t think he can live up to his the potential in the way Acta does.
and
no, he is a talentless AAAA hack. always has been, always will be.
if you answered the first, i would disagree and say that i think acta might just be able to squeeze out of jhonny more consistently what we’ve seen flashes of in the past because he might be able to relate to him better, etc.
if you answered the second, i would THEN ask “Why don’t you think he has talent?” and we’d have a conversation about what jhonny has done as a professional baseball player and at the end of that conversation, maybe, maybe i might surmise that you were being and idiot. I’d probably though, just wonder what your definition of talent was and how few players fall into that set.
That and memes, I guess.
Wait, is this a reply to me?
by afh4 on Nov 19, 2009 11:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I think Peralta has already demonstrated that he has the level of talent required to be an above average (hitting) shortstop in the AL. How much better do you want him to be?
It would. I would argue he has shown enough to suggest he has the talent for that as well. I’ll admit that argument is more stretched.
While I like Peralta, I would love to see what he gets in a trade. Brandon Morrow? All about it.
Just throwing this out there.
Steel Nick
I guess I’m still holding out hope that a change in management will revive his career. It’s not like his trade value can get a lot lower.
I don’t know that he has significant trade value at this point. His salary went up while the market went down. His bat is questionable, and my guess is that nobody is sure how good he is with the glove at third base. I doubt very much the case has been made that he’s now a plus-defender.
There’s a lot of unknowns with Jhonny right now. How much better can he get at third base? And if he’s not going to get a whole lot better, will he hit enough to make up for it? And then there’s the whole (perceived?) relationship with Wedge.
Am I the only one who hopes he plays well, ups his trade value and promptly gets dealt mid-July? Anyone?
I guess I don’t really see the upside on keeping him simply as a place holder for Lonnie. Marte can do that. We should maximize our return and move forward. Then again, I never really got aboard the Peralta bandwagon – although he does amuse.
I just wanted to believe.
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