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I believe this was the right decision, although the timing may seem a little off. For it to have mattered or made a difference enough to save the team, I think it needed to be done before the series with the Phillies. It just wouldn't have been "fair" to do it at that point.
Even though the Brewer's gained some veteran leadership this year they are still a young team. With the talent they have, it's the manager's job to keep that team focused, relaxed, motivated, etc... Yost just wasn't able to do this at such a crucial point in the season, when you can almost smell playoff air. I believe this is what his firing was about more than his on-field decision making.
I was reading an AP article recently in which Yost was describing his managerial style in comparison to, I believe, Pinella's style. He basically dismissed the whole "tough love" style when the team is in a slump and performing below norm. Now I'm not saying that one particular managerial style is better than another or that one style is right for any particular situation. But to dismiss an idea and to not try anything that works, just isn't a good quality in a manager IMO.
Unfortunately I think the firing of Yost is just a little late for it to matter. Considering the Phillies have a pretty easy schedule remaining, the Brewers will need to win a minimum 8 out of 12 remaining games. If they can do that, along with a little help from other teams, they could still make the wild card ahead of the Phillies/Mets depending on how the NL East finishes out or with an NL Central title if the Cubs completely collapse. Both of these are completely unlikely, especially the latter theory, but there is always the possibility for either...
All in all Yost was being fired if the Brewer's didn't make the playoff's this year. The recent slump and series sweep against the team that was right behind you just made it happen sooner then later...
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