Out with the old. In with the new.
The Arizona Diamondbacks brass let their frustrations be known Thursday night, firing General Manager Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch.
And after a lackluster and embarrassing past season-and-a-half, it was time.
Frankly, Diamondbacks fans deserve better than what they've been getting.
Since Hinch's hiring in May 2009, the D-Backs are 89-123. That's good for a .420 winning percentage.
Nobody wants to shell out their hard-earned cash to watch their team get humiliated (except Cubs fans).
This team (disastrous bullpen aside) is too talented to be toiling away in last place. It was just a few seasons ago that the franchise was in the playoffs.
Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Miguel Montero, Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds were all a part of that NLCS team. They are still on the club today but the team's results just haven't been the same.
That 2007 team was 90-72. Just days into July, these Snakes are on pace for 100 losses.
In a way, Byrnes and Hinch were tied together. It was Byrnes who had a part in hiring Hinch, a former major leaguer. Oh yeah, he also had zero managerial experience.
Instead of letting go of one or the other, D-Backs' President Derrick Hall said screw it. Now they're both gone.
Now all of the pressure falls on the players. Byrnes and Hinch have been made the culprits for a miserable season-and-a-half. If the players don't start producing, their jobs could be next.
For the final half of the season, the current D-Backs are playing for their jobs, plain and simple.
The interim manager, who we guess will come from inside the organization (Kirk Gibson?), will have half a season to show Hall what he's got.
Think of it as somewhat of a fresh start. But one that is now filled with extra pressure to perform.
Maybe Hinch was the problem and the players didn't respond well to his style. We all know the record (and NL West standings) aren't pretty to look at.
Can the new manager light a fire here in the desert and produce a winning baseball team in the final few months?
Time will tell. Let's just hope it can't get any worse.
