Kyles named bullpen coach (reply #130), Randolph bench coach, Castro pitching coach, Brad Fischer 3B coach, Sveum hitting coach, Sedar 1B coach

[knowitall]

Yes, the impact of hitting coaches is over-rated, but I think they are important in shaping the individual and team approaches to situational hitting; i.e., convincing guys to hit the other way to advance runners, taking more pitches or being more aggressive, shortening your swing with two strikes. Don't care who the coach is as long as he gets them to believe and think about their approach at the plate.

On the Brewers, I believe the hitting coach was important and could have really helped last year. There were a number of regular players - Weeks, Hall, Cameron, and Hart - all of whom were pulling off the ball and it seemed like they just kept getting worse. It killed the Brewers at times, but mostly in September and the playoffs. There are tricks to staying on the ball with your set up, hand position, and balance that I don't think were properly taught to these guys. I don't completely blame the hitting coach because you have to make adjustments as a hitter when you fail and experiment with things, but I truly believe a good hitting coach can have an impact and think he failed last year.

 

In regards to understanding situational hitting, it was simply non-existent throughout the entire season and I think that was fairly obvious. I don't care if your a home run team or not, you can't just go up there like its a softball game, which is really what happened. I agree completely that a smart baseball approach should be taught, but don't know if Sveum is the guy. I do believe that some of the best teachers are guys that struggled and had to make adjustments throughout their careers rather than "naturals". The MLB hitting instructor might be the most difficult coaching position to fill on a staff.

[LouisEly]

Maddux seemed to be good with players off the scrap heap who have bounced around or came in from a different organization. He didn't have a lot of success though with the young guys who came up; whether that is an indication of the true talent of the players who came up or whether it is Maddux's style that doesn't work with rookies I don't know. But I have heard third-hand that Maddux is difficult for young players to work with because he is always tinkering with them and changing their mechanics, even when they are warming up in the bullpen. So maybe with a new wave of young guys starting to arrive they might benefit from a different approach. I guess we'll see.

 

If Dana Eveland, Ben Hendricksen, and Mike Adams were still here they would be parading him straight to the airport.

[logan82]

Dave Bush comes to mind as a guy who was tinkered with this year in spring training. I know he is going to be up and down because he doesn't strik out enough guys, but I seem to remember comments about changing something and going back after a month or so.

[endaround]

Actually until before this year Bush did certainly strike out enough guys. In 2006 his K/9 was 7.11 and in 2007 it was 6.47. Now that isn't overwhelming, but certainly very good given Bush walks almost nobody.

[hawing]

Vic Feuerherd of the Wisconsin State Journal reports on the likelihood of Brad Fischer being named 3B coach:

 

Link

[brewerjamie15]

I'm not at all disappointed about Maddux hitting the bricks. He was a breath of fresh air for a while, but sort of staled out a bit. I was kind of frustrated with him in 2007. He's still an asset to a ball club, I just think that his moving on will benefit the Brewers, the Rangers, and Maddux himself.

[bjkrautk]

The Rangers made Mike Maddux one of the game's highest-paid pitching coaches, luring him away from the Brewers with a two-year contract that is worth at least $500,000 per season and includes a club option for a third year, major-league sources say.

 

The Brewers offered Maddux a two-year deal worth $450,000 per season to remain in Milwaukee, according to one source. Bill Castro, the team's bullpen coach for the past 16 years, will be given the first chance to interview for Maddux's job with new manager Ken Macha.

 

Ken Rosenthal column for Fox Sports.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8754648/

[logan82]

Actually until before this year Bush did certainly strike out enough guys. In 2006 his K/9 was 7.11 and in 2007 it was 6.47. Now that isn't overwhelming, but certainly very good given Bush walks almost nobody.

If that is the case, then I blame Maddux for Bush being so sucky out of spring training. I think Bush was even walking a lot of guys early.

[fondybrewfan]

The Rangers made Mike Maddux one of the game's highest-paid pitching coaches, luring him away from the Brewers with a two-year contract that is worth at least $500,000 per season and includes a club option for a third year, major-league sources say.

 

The Brewers offered Maddux a two-year deal worth $450,000 per season to remain in Milwaukee, according to one source.

He would have been stupid to turn down an 11% pay increase to go to Texas where I believe they have no state income tax. Probably a pretty wise decision but he does have his work cut out for him. Like mentioned previously, they have some young talent but Maddux is more known for reclamation projects than he is developing young pitchers. I wish him the best.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Is Simba still an advisor to the team? I would assume he's in the front office then?

[Crew2323]

Is Simba still an advisor to the team? I would assume he's in the front office then?

No, he's the new bench coach for the Padres.

 

Simmons

[brewmann04]

no talk about how castro talk with Macha went? Any names on who the bench coach will be

[PeaveyFury]

no talk about how castro talk with Macha went? Any names on who the bench coach will be

 

When anyone hears something, it'll undoubtedly be posted here.

[iluvlamp]

I have not posted in a while. Have watched things develop. Why is Sveum the hitting coach? This strikes me as insane. Keep him at all costs for some reason I can't think of. How has he proven to be a hitting coach? It's weird.

[PaulRigdon]

Did anyone catch the Brewers weekly show on WTMJ?

 

Macha mentioned he's hired a bench coach who has been a successful manager with experience in the NL....who could he be talking about? Willie Randolph?

 

Apparently there is a presser tomorrow at some point.

[patrickgpe]

art howe was recently released from the rangers. could it be him?

 

never mind if the bench coach has nl experience, so i doubt its him

[1992casey]

Keep him at all costs for some reason I can't think of.

 

The reason in the back of my mind is that the Brewers view Dale as a good teacher. We're not necessarily in the position to evaluate his teaching abilities, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that he's a fully capable instructor.

[And That]

Willie Randolph, Jim Tracy and Larry Bowa are the names that come immediately to my mind when I hear "NL manager with success" though I guess he could have sucked in the NL and done well in the AL.

[areacodes]

Why is Sveum the hitting coach? This strikes me as insane. Keep him at all costs for some reason I can't think of.

From the chat with Anderson from the other thread, second to last response:

 

Brian Anderson: I spoke to Dale about becoming the hitting coach. He had his choice, but had a passion for hitting. He teaches hitting in the offseason and has always wanted to do that at the Major League level. He has got to be one of the hardest working coaches in the game. Good for him for choosing a role thankless job.

[MNBrew]

Macha mentioned he's hired a bench coach who has been a successful manager with experience in the NL....who could he be talking about? Willie Randolph?

Those of you who ruled him out, re-read what PaulRigdon wrote. It darn well could be Art Howe. I doubt it'd be Randolph. He's likely still in the running in Seattle.

[PaulRigdon]

I forgot to mention that Macha also said he would really help out the infield...thus Art Howe or Willie Randolph would be the logical choices. Wasn't Macha Howes bench coach in Oakland? So there is definetly a history there...I'm changing my vote from Randolph to Howe...Though art howe wasnt very successful in the NL. His stints in Houston and NY were not so good...

 

Or call me crazy but what about Scrap Iron...Phil Garner? NL Experince, former infielder???

[mls4]

I think it's good to see Macha keeping coaches around like Sveum and Castro and even considering them for new roles. He isn't just bringing in his old buddies- it seems like most managers just clean house and start over with their own guys, but Macha is being open to the fact that the current coaches may have quality experience too.

[Dmiles23]

Though art howe wasnt very successful in the NL. His stints in Houston and NY were not so good...

I don't know if you wrote it wrong or meant something different, but in your original post on the topic, it doesn't say anything about the new bench coach having success in the NL. To me, it says 2 things: 1. He's been a successful manager and 2. He has experience in the NL. I don't know if that's what Macha said, but if it is, I'd guess it to be Howe. He had success with the A's, and his most recent managerial job was with the Mets.

[colbyjack]

Rene Lachemann didn't exactly have success as a manager, but he worked with Macha in Oakland and does have managerial experience in the National League.

 

Randolph makes some sense since he turned down the opportunity to coach with the Nationals despite not getting the managerial job here.

[areacodes]

Randolph makes some sense since he turned down the opportunity to coach with the Nationals despite not getting the managerial job here.

Didn't Randolph make comments about only wanting to come back this year to be a manager as well as saying no to the Nationals before the Brewers job had even been filled?

 

edit:

Found this article from Newsday from the 24th:

 

Willie Randolph turned down an opportunity to join the Washington Nationals' coaching staff, and if he doesn't get the Brewers' managing job, he'll probably sit out the 2009 season, a person familiar with the situation said.

Not exactly the same but it is close and he turned it down right around when Brenly was being interviewed. It seems like he had other reasons for turning it down as the article mentions how Randolph and Acta had a "tenuous relationship." At the time BF.net was still discussing the possibilities of all 3 candidates and it was also around then that TH heard Macha's name coming up a lot.