Fredi Gonzalez to return

As GameFish noted in yesterday's comments, Fredi Gonzalez remains at the helm.

Fredi Gonzalez will return to manage the Marlins next year, team owner Jeffrey Loria said Tuesday, ending two days of speculation that took players and the coaching staff by surprise.

But Loria did not explain why the team spoke recently to former Mets manager Bobby Valentine about a job, a development that surfaced Saturday when the team refused to endorse Gonzalez's return in 2010.

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Although Fox Sports on Tuesday quoted a source saying that Gonzalez's job never was in jeopardy, many people in the Marlins' organization believe Loria had planned to fire Gonzalez until the baseball operations staff talked him out of it in a meeting in New York.

 

An hour after Tuesday's announcement, Valentine returned an e-mail from a Palm Beach Post reporter asking him to call for an interview. "I guess there is no need to call," wrote Valentine, who couldn't be reached for further comment.

Gee, I can't imagine for the life of me why people in the organization would think that there might be change afloat at the position of manager.  Perhaps Samson's comments when he could've easily squashed the rumor but he didn't was a clue.

I'm glad Fredi is returning but I wonder how much damage has been done.  He has to know that his work in Florida isn't appreciated by the higher ups.  And if I were him I would be looking for the first exit out of town.  Trust me, Atlanta will be waiting with open arms after the legendary Bobby Cox retires.

Fredi returning is a good thing, whether you like him or not, it saves some embarrassment.  However, this whole ordeal still sucks.