Kurt Suzuki's rookie manager gaffe confirms harsh reality Angels fans already knew

Most Los Angeles Angels fans know what the deal is with Kurt Suzuki serving as the team's manager this year. With general manager Perry Minasian having lame-duck status, the impression is that Arte Moreno didn't want to sign off on hiring a manager to a multi-year contract when there was a chance he would be ousted along with Minasian. Enter Suzuki, who is working on a one-year deal and has already had his inexperience exposed.

The latest example was during the Angels' 6-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. The scoring got started in the third inning when Cubs' second baseman Nico Hoerner doubled to bring home Miguel Amaya. There was a play at the plate, and it was clear that Zach Neto's throw beat Amaya. The question was whether or not Amaya's hand touched the plate before he was tagged by Travis d'Arnaud.

Amaya was ruled safe, but in this day and age, it was clearly a play that one would expect to be challenged. Especially in that moment, considering the wind was blowing in at Wrigley Field, and runs are typically at a premium. The problem is that Suzuki didn't get the challenge in on time, and play continued. The Cubs would go on to score four more times that inning.

Kurt Suzuki's early managerial mistake may have proven Angels' fears right again

It was an odd set of circumstances, considering that since the challenge system has been around, there's rarely been a case of a manager waiting too long to challenge a play. After the game, crew chief Chris Guccione confirmed that once a team indicates they may challenge a play, they have 15 seconds to decide, or play will resume. Suzuki confirmed that the Angels may have been too slow with their review of the play.

"He said it was a judgment thing," Suzuki told reporters. "He said it was like zero-bam and then I challenged, so it was like right after. If we're late, we're late. Can't really argue that. Even if it's a half-second, a second, you can't argue that. If you're late, you're late."

It's a reminder that Suzuki is learning on the job. The 42-year-old had no major-league coaching experience at the time of his hiring, which adds to the confusion that surrounded the team's managerial search.

Suzuki's error in timing on Wednesday won't be what places him on the hot seat; he's already on it. If anything, it's just more confirmation that LA should have made sweeping changes last offseason, instead of moving forward with the charade that is Suzuki as their manager.