Manager Lou told Tampa Tribune baseball writer Carter Gaddis, a hard-worker, that, look, I didn't come here to retire as a manager. I came here with one purpose in mind. And that's getting this organization moving forward, working with the front office, working with everybody else in the organization--our coaching staff, our young players, our veteran players. And so far we have added 63 wins and 70 wins (in his first two seasons). It's modest, but it is an improvement. We need to continue to improve.''
Let us celebrate the manager we have seen the past few years. We agree with some of his moves, and there are some we don't agree with. Lou overall did as best as you could possibly do given the financial constraints. It did not help the ownership he signed on with changed halfway through his term, each side with different agendas. In all, Lou is doing what is best for the organzization for 2006 and beyond by walking away. He leaves with a better team than when he first arrived, and the internal changes will make it a more attractive job for the next guy. Wheather the next guy is Howard Johnson, Bill Evers, or Bobby Valentine, whoever gets this job is walking into a goldmine.