"This was a very difficult move to make” - When Brewers GM Doug Melvin opened up on the decision to fire manager Ned Yost
Ned Yost was a Milwaukee Brewers through and through. The former catcher turned coach has a rich history with the club. Despite not being able to win the World Series with Milwaukee as a player or a manager, Yost had a significant role with the club.
While Ned Yost had a less impactful career as a player, he became better known as the manager who helped turn things around for the Milwaukee Brewers. When Yost came in as the manager in 2003, the Brewers were one of the worst teams in baseball.
He helped turn things around, however, right before what would have been his first playoff appearance, he was let go by the club in 2008. Even though the Brewers were still in playoff contention, they were in the middle of a brutal losing streak, which ultimately cost Yost his job.
While the Brew Crew ended up reaching the postseason after Yost was let go by the team, the decision to fire Yost was not an easy one for GM Doug Melvin. Given the struggles of the team at the time, it was clear that something need to change for the Brewers, unfortunately for Yost, that meant his job.
"This was a very difficult move to make, and we appreciate all of the work that Ned has done to develop this team into a contender," Doug Melvin said of the decision to fire Yost.
Third base coach Dale Sveum replaced Yost for the remainder of the year, clinching a playoff berth on the final day of the regular season. They were elimintated by the eventual World Series-winning Philadelphia Phillies.
Ned Yost went on to have tremendous success with the Kansas City Royals
Thankfully for Ned Yost, he was able to land on his feet, joining the Kansas City Royals as their next manager in 2010. It was with the Royals that Yost would enjoy the most sucessful seasons of his career.
Under Yost, the Kansas City Royals became one of the best clubs in the MLB, reaching the World Series in both 2014 and 2015, winning the title in their second appearance.
Yost, along with club legends such as Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, and Lorenzo Cain, the squad was able to bring a title back to Kansas City for the first time since 1985.