Buck Showalter takes shot at Dan Jennings over bullpen management

The Miami Marlins have gone 2-6 since general manager Dan Jennings took over as the team’s field manager, and already there have been some questions about decisions he has made.

The Marlins beat the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday to snap an eight-game losing streak and had a pool party to celebrate. Miami ended up taking two of three from the O’s, but Buck Showalter wasn’t impressed with the way his counterpart managed.

“They used what, three guys three days in a row out of the bullpen to get it done?” Showalter said after Sunday’s loss, via Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald. “We’ll see how that works down the road.”

It’s unusual for a manager to criticize an opponent after losing a series, but Showalter apparently feels that Jennings is overusing his bullpen arms. And he isn’t the only opponent to share his opinion. Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale also pointed out what he perceived to be some oversights by Jennings last week.

In a recent interview with former general manager Jim Bowden, Hale was critical of the way Jennings appointed himself as manager.

“I think it’s frustrating in a way for guys who’ve done it,” Hale replied when asked by Bowden about his thoughts on the hiring of Jennings. “I’ve said this before: When you finish playing or get into Major League Baseball on the minor-league level, you say, ‘OK, what do I want to do? OK, I want to manage in the big leagues. What do I have to do? I’m going to bust my hump coaching and teaching and become the best manager at the minor-league level that I can, then get to the big leagues.’ It’s not looking like that track is going to be the way anymore.”

Jennings has no managing experience and hasn’t coached a baseball team in 30 years. No one would be surprised if this turns into more of a circus before the season ends.