The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that general manager Doug Melvin will return for the 2015 season. However, they have not decided whether or not manager Ron Roenicke will return. Many expected Roenicke to lose his job after the club had a dismal 9-22 record to finish the 2014 season, costing them a playoff spot. It may have been an awful collapse, but the situation may not be as black and white as it may seem. Unfortunately for Roenicke, a late season collapse like the one the Brewers went through this past season most likely means he won't be returning next season.
The truth is that yours truly actually likes Roenicke. He was a refreshing change from the conservative managing style of Ken Macha. Roenicke may not be the most outspoken manager, but at least he has a voice -- something that Macha lacked. Roenicke experienced early success with the Brewers and led them to the NLCS in 2011. The Brewers struggled to remain consistent the following season and fell short of the playoffs. The 2013 campaign was disappointing, but much of that season was plagued by injuries and Ryan Braun's 65-game suspension. The club once again experienced success in 2014, leading the division for the first five months of the season, until they collapsed and ultimately put Roenicke's job on the line.
Looking back on the season, Roenicke played a minor role in the collapse. The simple fact of the matter is that Roenicke is not the one out there playing baseball. The players are the ones that swung at the ball fours. The players are the ones that threw the wild pitches. The players are the ones that bobbled that routine ground balls. The players are the ones that should be blamed for the collapse.
Yet, the Brewers cannot fire every single player for their role in the collapse. Instead, they need to find a scapegoat. The easy target in this situation is the manager. Firing Ron Roenicke doesn't mean that he was at fault for the collapse, it means that the organization is sending a message. Removing Roenicke from his managerial position would send a message to both the players and the fans. The message for the players would be that their play to finish the season was unacceptable and it cost their manager his job. This should ultimately motivate the players to work hard in the off-season and into next season to keep a situation like this from happening again. Similar to the message to the players, the message to the fans would be that the organization recognizes that the team's play to finish the season was unacceptable. The organization wants the fans to know that they are attempting to improve next season, and they are making the changes necessary to be successful. Firing Roenicke would be more of a statement than an actual solution to the Brewers' problems.
Ron Roenicke probably does not deserve to lose his job, but this is sports and someone has to pay for the team's collapse. Fans want to see changes being made because that gives them validation that their concerns have been heard. Change will be brewing in Milwaukee in the coming days, and the search for a new manager should begin soon.