2013-14 Manager Shuffle

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: Oh, and Terry Collins is now MLB's oldest manager.

He's also bordering on one of the longest tenured at this point too isn't he? gotta be at least in the front half.

[Edgy MD]

I don't see three years or front half as "bordering on longest," but Mike Scoscia has been with the Angels since the end of the last century.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

MFS62 wrote: Mets � Willets Point wrote: I'm trying to find the image of Jim Leyland reacting to Prince Fielder's belly flop. I think that captures the exact moment he decided to resign. During his press conference yesterday, he said he made decision after a win in Kansas City back in September. Had breakfast with the GM the next day and told him, but they didn't tell anyone else in the organization until now. Later

Okay, well that's not as funny.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I don't see three years or front half as "bordering on longest," but Mike Scoscia has been with the Angels since the end of the last century.

I was employing exaggeration. He's firmly in the middle exactly in the NL, though 3 of them have managed the same amount of regular season games and Mattingly took over with two weeks to go.

and 7 AL managers, meaning he's 15 of 30.

[Frayed Knot]

Dodger brass is making things tough on Mattingly by apparently axing several coaches and assistants who were considered to be "his guys". And in a press conference yesterday Mattingly made it clear that he was happy with the way things were run this year.

Sounds like each side is playing a game of chicken.
- Will the Dodgers, now that they've swatted him down a peg or two, offer him an extension?
- or do they pick up his option and keep him in more of a lame duck status than he was this past year despite the improving record each year he's been there?
- and will Mattingly decide to leave without a sign of more backing from upstairs - especially now several other jobs are open?



I had totally missed the fact that he's been there three seasons already. One or two sounded right to me.

[MFS62]

sharpie wrote: Reds hire pitching coach Bryan Price as their manager in a two-year deal.

Wow!
Whoda' thunk it?
Somebody in Vegas made a killing on that bet.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

From what I read Price was the fave from the start. The Reds made a show of letting folks know they weren't explicitly against considering x-Reds like O'Neill and Larkin and considered pereenial=type candidates like Jim Riggleman, but I think it was Price's gig to lose.

[Edgy MD]

Can you name the last guy to get promoted from pitching coach to manager without jumping teams? I can't. Marcel Lachemann? Ray Miller?

[HahnSolo]

Did Joe Kerrigan go from PC to manager in Boston? Or was that just an interim thing? Or did it never happen?

Looked it up. Kerrigan replaced Jimy Williams in 2001 and managed the last 43 games. He was replaced by Grady Little after the season.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, that's more than I got. Looks like both Lachemann and Miller jumped teams to get the big chair. Miller was the second of Earl Weaver's pitching coaches to become a manager, after George Bamberger. Bud Black also had to jump teams.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

I know Phil Regan was a pitching coach before managing the Orioles.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Word in Michigan is that the Tigers are expected to stay in house to replace Leyland -- LLoyd McClendon is the name heard the most. But Tom Brookens gets mentioned a bunch, too.

[Frayed Knot]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Word in Michigan is that the Tigers are expected to stay in house to replace Leyland -- LLoyd McClendon is the name heard the most. But Tom Brookens gets mentioned a bunch, too.

You wonder if they'll go short-term with the idea that hometown hero and Michigan native Kirk Gibson could be free from the Arizona desert in a year (although there are options for 2015 & 16) or even if they quietly inquired about prying him loose now.

[Edgy MD]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: I know Phil Regan was a pitching coach before managing the Orioles.

Good one. I checked him out though, and he jumped from pitching coach with the Indians to managing the Orioles.

He made a tough jump earlier in his career, going from the college ranks to the pro ranks. When go the college track in baseball, you usually trade upward mobility for career stability.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Edgy MD wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: I know Phil Regan was a pitching coach before managing the Orioles. Good one. I checked him out though, and he jumped from pitching coach with the Indians to managing the Orioles. He made a tough jump earlier in his career, going from the college ranks to the pro ranks. When go the college track in baseball, you usually trade upward mobility for career stability.

St. Lucie Mets pitching coach now!

Nice guy. We did a live chat with him on the day the Hall of Fame ballots were announced, and I spoke to him a little in St. Lucie this summer.

[Edgy MD]

Don Wakamatsu is the new bench coach for the Kansas City Royals.

Interesting Factamatsu: Don made nine career starts as a major leaguer, all at catcher, all for the 1991 White Sox, all on days that Charlie Hough was pitching.

[Frayed Knot]

Sources (originally FOX's Ken Rosenthal) say Matt Williams to manage the Nats.
Official announcement could be delayed until after the WS.

[seawolf17]

Tweet earlier said he's a partial owner of the D-Backs; he'd have to relinquish that first.

[Frayed Knot]

How often do you see bench coaches who are part owners?
I guess he got that as a going away present as his playing career wound down. Or maybe, as in the case of Lemieux and the Penguins, the team hit a cash crunch and couldn't afford to pay him all the deferred money so gave him piece of the org instead.

[ashie62]

Williams is official per espn via Fox..

Good pick..

[Frayed Knot]

Williams is official per espn via Fox.

All ESPN is doing there is agreeing with what they and everyone else read via FOX--which was the source of the story in the first place. But just because ESPN has a habit of taking credit for everything whether they had anything to do with it or not, the act of them "confirming" (read: repeating) someone else's news doesn't make it any more official than it was yesterday.
The only point about treating this as not yet official is that the club hasn't announced anything due to the moratorium on outside news during the World Series. I don't think anyone doubts that this is true and that a press conference with terms and details will come sometime next week.

[Vic Sage]

Those not coming back (with job still open):
Jim Leyland, Tigers - retiring
Dale Sveum, Cubs - fired
Eric Wedge, Sea - fired

Signed only thru this season (with no new deal or options for next season):
Ned Yost, KC - got 2-year extension
Walt Weiss, Rockies - Organization guy will likely get more than 1 year
Bo Porter, Astros - What difference does it make? But probably stays

Team options for 2014 (not yet exercised):
Fredi Gonzalez, Braves - will likely be exercised after post-season
Mike Metheny, Cards - ditto
Bud Black, SD - i think they still like him but he's been there a long while now
Don Mattingly, LA - They fired his coaches and keep insisting on 1-year deals; i guess they're trying to force him out.

Already hired:
Reds - Bryan Price (hired)
Nationals - Matt Williams (not confirmed)

So that looks like 3-6 jobs open for next season. Your remaining candidates for the following?

(option not yet picked up):
Astros - no word yet
Padres - no word yet
Dodgers - ?

OPEN spots (with rumored candidates so far):
Detroit - Lloyd McClendon, Tom Brookens, Tim Wallach, Mel Rojas, Dusty Baker, Manny Acta, Tory Lovullo, Brad Ausmus
Cubs -Rick Renteria, AJ Hinch, Eric Wedge, Dave Martinez, Lovullo
Mariners - Chip Hale, McClendon, Lovullo

ALSO mentioned: Joe McEwing, Joey Cora

[batmagadanleadoff]

Are MLB managers' multi-year contracts guaranteed? Maybe some? Why would a manager sign a multi-year contract if the money's not guaranteed and, for sure, the job isn't?

[Vic Sage]

my understanding is that the contracts are guaranteed like any others in baseball (and everywhere else except football), but not any of the option years. That's why they're called "options". So if the manager get fired on a long-term deal, the team still pays him.

but i think they have non-compete clauses, too, so if they're fired and being paid by one team, they can't go manage another team in that league. That's why some go into broadcasting until their deals expire.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Vic Sage wrote: my understanding is that the contracts are guaranteed, but not any option years. That's why they're called "options". So if the manager get fired on a long-term deal, the team still pays them.

I could see the reason why a manager would sign a multi-year contract if the money's guaranteed. Not so if the money isn't guaranteed. Unless there's some signing bonus attached. Not that a bonus would make any sense in MLB where there's no salary cap to circumvent. I know that option's aren't guaranteed - that's why they're optional.

[MFS62]

Ashie62 wrote: Williams is official per espn via Fox..

I almost did a little dance when he retired as a player.
Now he'll be managing a team that will give the Mets fits.
That guy keeps coming back. Like Herpes.
Later

[Frayed Knot]

TEAM	MANAGER	SIGNED THRU	STATUS
METS	Terry Collins	2013	New two-year deal thru 2015 + option
BRAVES	Fredi Gonzalez	2013	Has 2014 Option
PHILLIES	Ryne Sandberg	Interim	Given permanent job thru 2016
NATIONALS	Davey Johnson	2013	Will not return -- Matt Williams hired, length unknown
MARLINS	Mike Redmond	2015
CARDINALS	Mike Matheny	2013	Has option for 2014
PIRATES	Clint Hurdle	2014
CUBS	Dale Sveum	2014	Fired - Sept '13
REDS	Dusty Baker	2014	Fired 1-yr into a 2-yr ext. -- Hired Bryan Price on 2-yr deal
BREWERS	Ron Roenicke	2014
DODGERS	Don Mattingly	2013	Has option for 2014
GIANTS	Bruce Bochy	2016
PADRES	Bud Black	2013	Has options for 2014 & 15
DBACKS	Kirk Gibson	2014
ROCKIES	Walt Weiss	2013
RED SOX	John Farrell	2016
YANKEES	Joe Girardi	2013	Re-signed thru 2017
ORIOLES	Buck Showalter	2018
BLUE JAYS	John Gibbons	2014
RAYS	Joe Maddon	2015
TIGERS	Jim Leyland	2013	Will not return / Brad Ausmus is reported replacement
INDIANS	Terry Francona	2016
ROYALS	Ned Yost	2013
TWINS	Ron Gardenhire	2013	Extended thru 2015
WHITE SOX	Robin Ventura	2014
ANGELS	Mike Scioscia	2018
RANGERS	Ron Washington	2014
MARINERS	Eric Wedge	2013	Will not return
ASTROS	Bo Porter	2013
ATHLETICS	Bob Melvin	2016

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Ausmus is official in Tigertown.

As I recall it, Ausmus was the kind of player that today's sophisticated and arrogant fans hated -- a poor offensive player who fashioned a lengthy career out of respect for his "intangibles." Will be, uh, interesting to see how he's received as a decisionmaker.

[MFS62]

I heard Lloyd McClendon to the Mariners.
Any confirmation?

Later

[G-Fafif]

Verducci with interesting trend piece regarding who gets hired and why.