If a subtle reading could be made, the decision to part ways with Dave Stewart, as general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Chip Hale, the field manager, was made long before Phil Gosselin’s walk-off, game-winning single this past Sunday afternoon that ended the season. That includes the formal announcement made by the club Monday afternoon.
Plus, the status of Tony La Russa, the club’s Chief Baseball Officer, remains in jeopardy. After Ken Kendrick, the general managing partner at Monday’s news conference called the Hall of Fame manager “iconic,” the likely process would have La Russa exit gracefully.