Terrerobytes: Postseason teams not immune to overhauls

Three of the 10 teams that reached the postseason in 2017 will have new managers in 2018.

Joe Girardi became the latest to get the ax, as the Yankees decided to let him go at the end of his contract. There were murmurs that he never settled into a comfortable, sustainable co-existence with the players and front office, even after 10 winning seasons, a World Series and a painless rebuild.

The Yankees haven’t yet explained it, but if the Yankees followed the trend set by the Red Sox (John Farrell) and Nationals (Dusty Baker), the general managers won’t answer many, if any, questions about the decision.

That strange climate has extended to coaching staffs, too. The Cubs’ surprising firing of pitching coach Chris Bosio became far less surprising with the impending hiring of Jim Hickey, Joe Maddon’s longtime aide in Tampa Bay. It’s also part of a greater overhaul that brought in two more Boston coaches, making the Cubs the most AL East team in the NL Central.

The second-wild-card winning Twins replaced pitching coach Neil Allen with Garvin Alston, and the Cardinals hired Mike Maddux, who became available when Baker’s staff in Washington was dissolved. The Indians also had to replace their pitching coach since Mickey Callaway took the Mets’ managing job, so they brought back Carl Willis, who occupied the position for much of the previous decade.

The White Sox, conversely, seem poised to retain their entire staff, which isn’t the problem it was in previous winters. Joe McEwing was the only coach considered a potential managerial candidate, but the Mets’ job was the only one he was closely connected to.

Terrerobytes

• After 2005 White Sox get slighted again, A.J. Pierzynski weighs in: ‘I think it’s a joke’ - CSN Chicago
• ESPN keeps forgetting the 2005 White Sox, who were unforgettable - The Athletic

To a certain degree, it’s understandable that the 2005 White Sox would get overlooked, because they were a one-hit wonder. Yet the degree to which they are forgotten is indefensible, especially since the way they went about it will never be replicated — four consecutive complete games and a manager who cemented a legacy before Twitter, which might have undermined Ozzie Guillen’s ability to get away with some parts of his being (the slurs, mainly).

Good news: Charlie Tilson is healthy enough to take part in the Arizona Fall League. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of Tito Polo, who has had a difficult time staying healthy and/or productive since coming over in the Tommy Kahnle trade. He hit .267/.303/.267 with 10 strikeouts to just one walk over 30 at-bats.

• David Robertson sets up fund for family of Daniel Webb — Chicago Tribune

Daniel Webb left behind a a new wife and their new baby after his fatal ATV accident on Oct. 14, and David Robertson set up a fund in order to help his family get through a wave of unplanned expenses.

• The Astros won the wildest World Series game in recent memory — SB Nation

The World Series resumes tonight, and it’s going to have a hard time following up Game 2.

The end result was that the Dodgers and Astros combined for more home runs than in any other World Series game in history. They hit more homers in extra innings than any other team had ever done, including postseason. And they both needed baseballs to hit caps or umpires to win. Nothing about Game 2 made sense, even after you concede that the sport can be a little weird. This whole mess was beyond weird.