"Oh, please. Stop with that," Loria said when asked about speculation that Gonzalez could be in trouble because of the Marlins' 13-15 start. "Fredi and I are just fine. Fredi and the Marlins are just fine. Enough already."
If you're Fredi Gonzalez; this is not good news. If the speculation about his firing, be it imminent or not, has gotten so loud that the owner must publicly comment on it, you're in trouble.
The last time Jeffrey Loria had to declare, in season, that he is "fine" with a manager was 2006 with Joe Girardi. Girardi, you'll remember was dismissed at the end of the season.
For the Marlins - whether dismissing Fredi is warranted is another story - the move needs to come soon. The uncertainty cannot continue to hang over this team. The last time the Marlins made an in-season move, 2003, the season ended with a world championship.
A firing sometimes has the effect of energizing a stagnant team. Make no mistake, the Marlins are stagnant. Yes, the front office's expectations may be a little over zealous, but this team has talent, but you wouldn't know it from watching them this past week. Sometimes making a change at manager is all that is needed to wake up a complacent team.
That seems to run hand-in-hand with Jeffrey Loria's closing comments from Friday:
"I just want the intensity level to be a little higher and I want to have goals. The thing I'm trying to say to you is, there's nothing wrong with having goals and high standards. If that's a bad thing, then so be it."
Sorry, Fredi, looks like your time in Florida is coming to a close.
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