M’s still searching for coaching staff
Yup. Exciting, isn’t it?
In comments, an interesting point came up: if you were a smart coach, wouldn’t you be a little bit reluctant to take this job even over other available positions? The M’s have chewed through a lot of coaches in the last few years, and if you see McLaren’s job as in jeopardy (and if you think the team’s not as good as its W-L this year, or you followed McLaren’s time here, you should be), you look ahead to next year, where there’s a good chance he’s been fired, which means his coaching staff probably gets fired… and you’re looking for a job again. You might be better off looking for a minor league coaching job with some stability or even possibility for advancement, or a position with a lower-profile team where you can try to get a longer-term shot at building a reputation.
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if you are a pitching caoch, what are your options this year, other than going back to the minors or taking a roving job– the Mariners, the Reds & the Pirates?
Are there available jobs in the M’s minor league system? If your looking to stay with the organization, don’t know why you would do that on purpose, that seems the way to go.
Well, the M’s have had only two pitching coaches over the last what, 8 or 9 years. Is that all that unusual? They have had a never ending supply of hitting coaches, but Pentland is sticking around. Don’t know if that is good or bad. But I agree with DMZ’s main point. Coaches that can expect to be offered equal positions with other organizations are not going to leap prematurely into the M’s lap.
Remember too though that they won’t announce this staff until it’s ALL assembled. I’m betting anything they’ve found about all but one or two of their coaches by now. If I had to guess, I’d bet Renee Laechman, Norm Charlton and Sam Perlozzo will be here, and we know about Pentland already.
But I bet their still looking at pitching coaches (Mazzone, Stottylemyre, and Colborn) and a base coach (?).
To get back to the original point of discussion though, I could see why because of the many changes in this coaching staff over the past 4 years how guys wouldn’t want to come here. But just understand this though, if we are to believe that this team really isn’t so far away from success, then you know McLaren will get a 3 year extension or something like that when this team starts to win, and therefore this coaching staff would be here a while.
Of course with any job you take in the majors I believe, a job is a job and in each job you take, there is a certain risk/reward to it, and these job openings are no different. Especially in a season like this where the Mariners could be on the verge of getting to the post season.
Either way though, if you find your way onto coaching staffs long enough like McLaren did, chances are you will get a better job like a managerial position somewhere. And that’s what shouldn’t be lost in all of this even though most jobs in the Major Leagues do have a ton of insecurity attached to them.
But McLaren is such a nice guy………
I have to agree with #4…
Any coach is hired to be fired. If you wanted security, you’d be looking elsewhere. And if you want advancement beyond where you are, you take a job in Seattle–heck, if you just want work in the majors, you’d work in Seattle.
‘Sides…it’s not entirely out of the question that if you do a superlative job, you’d be retained even if McLaren was fired—or even take HIS job if he was fired…
hmm.
“A lot of people have called,” said McLaren … “The phone has been ringing off the hook. We kind of made a list, threw it on the board, and started talking to everybody to see what they have to offer.”
FWIW, Larue had an entertaining piece a week back about some who might be interested …
I have a hard time believing that the kind of coaches that are being considered for the jobs at the M’s would turn down a shot at the majors on a team with potential, to have a longer term job in the minors. These guys are used to instability.
There are all kinds of reasons you’d do that. Say you’re a decently-regarded pitching coach with good relationships with one or two organizations because you’ve worked with them before.
You can either take a job with the Mariners and cross your fingers you’re employed in a year orrrrr
Take a job as, say, a roving pitching coach or AAA pitching in an organization you know you’ll be happy working for, knowing one of your friends might get a managerial job a year from now and tap you to follow them.
A lot of people in baseball organizations take jobs with teams because they know and like the people they’d be working with.
I suspect people turn down coaching offers all the time. It doesn’t make the news unless it made the news that a job had been offered.
Churchill is reporting that Colburn got the pitching coach position.
is he quoting the same source who told him Slaton got the job?
He wants old guys. Half the names mentioned are retired anyway. A year in the bigs at $150k is better than sitting at home.
Well, Joe Torre is available.
It looks like the NYY may have openings; according to ESPN Torre is stepping down. If that happens, it’s sure to open up at least a job or three. That could put a crimp in the M’s quest for good coaching. Do you want to coach for the M’s or the NYY?
As if it wasn’t hard enough to try to get a good coach for what could potentially be a very short time period, even for MLB.
isn’t Dave Eiland supposed to be the Guidry heir?
“Levine said the Yankee brass offered Torre a $5 million base salary with $1 million in a signing bonus, $1 million for making the ALCS and $1 million if he made the World Series. Levine said the option would vest if Torre made it to the World Series for $8 million in 2009.”
Since Torre made 7.5 mil this year, I’m not surprised he turned it down.
Hrm. Isn’t that kinda tacky on the part of the Yanks?
I’m sure they thought they were sending a message that nothing but a World Series trip would be acceptable.
Doesn’t sound like a bad offer to me.
A pay cut for anything less than a world series trip doesn’t sound like a bad offer? Okay.
Let me elaborate a little. The Yankees were clearly ready to say goodbye to Torre. They knew that firing him would be bad P.R. So they managed to put together an offer that Torre would likely turn down but that would result in lots of people saying “Doesn’t sound like a bad offer to me.” (I don’t think the New York media will swallow it, though.)
Nah…this is just weaseling.
If they wanted to send a message, they’d just let him go outright.
As it is…not a very strong message….
So, would Torre make a good bench coach? I think it’d be worth it in case McClaren gets fired.
24 is a really dry joke, yes?
#25: If it is, I’m still waiting for the punchline. . .
Dang, no Torre post yet? I guess the offseason IS the time for slacking.
Colburn would make Ichiro a happy guy. He was instrumental in our acquiring Ichiro and they were extremely close. That’d make our new franchise player tight buds with both the manager AND the pitching coach.
#1 entry on USSM wish list = ability to edit posts to correct spelling/grammatical errors and/or typos so as not to detract from comment.
well, this is ONE way to get the attention back on the Yanks, even if they didn’t make the postseason.
Well, that would be a concern AFTER his coaching ability. That sort of thing is just a plus; it shouldn’t substitute for any skill to help pitchers get better.
I would be taking the report by Churchill that Colburn has been made M’s pitching coach with a grain of salt and whole lot of yeah right if you get my meaning.
I can see Colburn getting either the 1stB or 3rdB coaching jobs because of his relationship with Ichiro handling the OF.
Same holds for Lachmann one of two corner jobs as to his coaching assignment I’ve no idea if he is available.
I quite frankly see Perlozzo as bench coach with either Mazzone or Stottlemyre as pitching coach with Norm Charlton bullpen coach.
It has been said before on this site. Mariner’s Hitting Coach = Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
I think you guys were generous when you gave the Mariners a “D” for their organizational grade. If they get a D, it is a Gentlemen’s D.
Baseball Prospectus named Jeremy Reed as a “Ready-Now Youngster.” Why?
28 – I’m tired of hearing about what may or may not make Ichiro happy. I often feel like he is the GM of this team. And if he really is pulling the organizational strings then he is one crappy GM.
why would Colborn be the 1st or 3rd base coach, when he has been a pitching coach any time he wasn’t managing or scouting?
From the Mariners’ website, Jim Street says:
Getting close: Manager John McLaren says he is “very close” to finalizing his coaching staff.
From all indications, Mel Stottlemyre will become the pitching coach, Eddie Rodriguez the first-base coach, Norm Charlton the bullpen coach, Jim Riggleman the bench coach, and probably Larry Bowa the third-base coach.
The Mariners are expected to name the entire staff when all the pieces are in place. As of Thursday night, all but one of the selections had been finalized.
35 I’m becoming more and more convinced he’s a sort of scapegoat. Of the few (maybe 6-8) Japanese people I’ve dealt with on a personal basis…none were whiners. They were all willing to do just about anything without complaints, if it was important. Nothing Ichiro has said even approaches whining. Yet he’s treated like some delicate flower
We were told he didn’t want to play center, yet when he was asked he did so flawlessly, with no complaints. He’s already expressed a desire to pitch, and I imagine you could ask him to be a bat boy without too much argument…as long as he got to stay in the stadium. If we really want to keep Ichiro happy I think management would be much better served trying to improve the team, rather than catering to whatever of his whims management/press dreams up.
We were told he didn’t want to play center, yet when he was asked he did so flawlessly, with no complaints.
When Ichiro was asked if he’d move to center during Winn’s abysmal start out there, he refused. We wrote about it, and his reasoning.
It would appear that being able to have an off-season to prepare made the difference, but he was asked then and said ‘no’.
Hm, that still makes him less than a prima donna in my book; i.e., you can work with him pretty rationally, and he has high demands, but they’re rooted in reality and not ego.
And it still means that he shouldn’t be used for scapegoating by media/fan/front office people, etc….
I only wanted to point out that the Ichiro-was-ready-to-move thing was wrong. That in no way should be interpreted as an endorsement of any negative view of Ichiro, who I (obviously) am a rabid fan of.
Is this discussion about Ichiro really on topic Derek?
28 – “I’m tired of hearing about what may or may not make Ichiro happy. I often feel like he is the GM of this team. And if he really is pulling the organizational strings then he is one crappy GM.”
Are you really equating community speculation about what Ichiro might want with Ichiro running the team?
Frankly, I’d like to hear MORE about what Ichiro wants. From him. Then give it to him. The odds that he would make worse decisions than the organization are infinitesimal. That is particularly faint praise, but still.
42:The only reason ichiro got involved in these discussions is because of Colburn who was very key in the intial aquiring of Ichiro by the M’s and the fact that he and Ichiro are close friends.
37:If Jim Street is correct in his report about how McLaren’s staff is shaping up is true and hopefully soon all spots will be finalize quickly.
The list mentioned is true then I must say that Mac has chosen well and wisely:
Mel Stottlemyre Pitching Coach:Smart knows how to the most out of a rotation so as to balance out the innings between the SPs and RPs so there is as little over/under use as possible.
Norm Charlton Bullpen coach:excellent choice tough RP and closer when he played.
Knows how judge when RPs need rest and who needs work to remain effective.
Mac can completely trust his advice in any and all relief situations as to who to bring in and who not to.
Larry Bowa 3rdB coach:Just the guy to have at the hot corner.
Fiery and not afraid to bark and get into it with a ump.
Excellent judge of when to and when NOT to sent the runner especially in less than 2 outs situations.
Great awareness of where the ball is and knows who the M’s can score on who they should even try to.
However I can’t comment on Mac’s choices for 1stB coach Eddie Rodriguez and for bench coach Jim Riggleman.
Any infomation on either or both these gents will be appreciated.Point me with a links or a site where I casn get the lowdown on them.
Given that it was Charlton who delivered the Rick White Disaster, I can’t see how anybody can approve of him in any position where his judgment is relied upon for anything that affects results. His abilities as a player unfortunately don’t automatically translate into skills in other areas.
45:Granted that was the case and he delivered that advice to Bavasi and others when asked anyone is going to make a mistake.
However Rick White was a waiver wire pickup and such are always very iffy as to what you get sometimes you get a sound player but mostly you get busts.
In any case there strictly no reward/no foul kind of deals cause it’s a no brainer just release them.
More importantly you need to remember the final decision on these deals are the province of the GM.
Baseball Prospectus named Jeremy Reed as a “Ready-Now Youngster.†Why?
Umm, because he’s unlikely to get any better?
Article regarding Stottlemyre
[Long link TinyURLed]
http://tinyurl.com/3dtukz
re: 46
Actually, White wasn’t a bad pickup as a mop-up filler type, or a look-see. Can’t blame Charlton if they keep running him out there AFTER they saw there was nothing there to tweak….
Charlton played an important part in the decision to promote White, who had nothing to contribute. There’s no way he escapes all responsibility for what happened when he was promoted.
Charlton played an important part in the decision to promote White, who had nothing to contribute. There’s no way he escapes all responsibility for what happened when he was promoted.
Derek – is that borne of a Charlton blind belief in the value of veterans?
So now the reason for the Ms hiring a bunch of grandpas to be coaches is that McLaren’s an inexperienced manager?