Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto was quick to dismiss the rumors that skipper Mike Scioscia may lose his job, but did not that all of the talk has been a distraction for his club this season.
Dipoto told the Los Angeles Times that he's tired of hearing about the job security speculation, and that the players and Scoscia himself just need to focus on the job at hand:
"We're 3 1/2 games out in the wild-card race, but you'd think we were in last place," Dipoto said before Thursday night's game. "Quite frankly, it's a distraction. Mike has been the manager of this team for a long time. He has a very long track record that suggests he's qualified. I say, let him do his job."
Scioscia's resume speaks for itself; 2002 World Series champion, five playoff appearances from 2004-2009, not to mention a and a 10-year contract that. A contract that includes three mutual option years, runs through 2018 and has more than $25 million left to be dished out.
Owner Arte Moreno echoed the same sentiment:
"I signed Mike long term," owner Arte Moreno told mlb.com last weekend, "and I'm invested in Mike long term."
Now the Angels need to move past all this and keep winning ball games.
For more on the Angels, please head over to Halos Heaven.