The Brewers' Next Manager; Latest -- Valentine may have inside track to the job; Cora, Melvin, Roenicke also finalists

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

Samuel is rumored to be a contender for the Pittsburgh and Toronto jobs. Also rumored to be in consideration for the Toronto job is Yankee third base coach Rich Thomson. He is from Ontario. With that lineage I would think that Doug and Gord couldn't help but consider him.

[yoyomayoma]

Joey Cora will interview for the Brewers job. Count me in the minority that think gambling on a younger guy like Cora is the right move for this team.

[logan82]

Different sports. NFL and NBA coaches make a much bigger impact than MLB managers and actually will do things very differently. Offensive and defensive schemes and such. MLB managers manage mostly the same, which is a problem. Managers can make a difference but mostly don't. That is why it would be nice to get an outsider instead of a retread.

 

I see Samuel put up a .333 record as interim manager in Baltimore this season. That and a .500 record in one season at a AA squad does not make me feel that he's a viable candidate. The fact that he has chosen to coach in the majors rather than manage in the minors tell me that he wasn't willing to pay his dues. Going further, I'm not interested in hiring a manager based on the needs of Gomez and Escobar.

 

I agree with the last sentence. As for the rest, why should a guy turn down a MLB job to go to the minors. "Hey do you want to be in the majors coaching." "Nah, I have to go down to the minors to pay my dues. I like making less money."

[joepepsi]

Juan Samuel makes no sense to me. Melvin talks about guys w/ experience and also guys who have been winning managers. Juan Samuel's Orioles were putrid during his Interim tenure. Buck Showalter came in the took the same team to an incredible record over the rest of the year. That alone tells me Juan Samuel is no winning manager. This would be right up there with hiring Rene Lachemann for 1984 and touting his virtues after he was fired after a lousy tenure in Seattle. Good luck getting a job elsewhere, Mr. Samuel.

Corey Patterson started 36 of Juan Samuel's 51 managerial games. He hit leadoff most of those games. Granted, Patterson wasn't bad this year as a 4th/5th OF'er type, but I don't ever want another manager who thinks Corey Patterson is some kind of answer.

[greeg35]

I'm on the Cora bandwagon

[rluzinski]

If Melvin thinks it's so important to find a "winning manager", all he has to do is get any recent Yankees or Red Sox manager. They are apparently all very good, since those teams win every year.

 

Hearing Melvin's wish list reminds me that he thinks pretty much like everyone else in the league.

[RockCoCougars]

I agree with the last sentence. As for the rest, why should a guy turn down a MLB job to go to the minors. "Hey do you want to be in the majors coaching." "Nah, I have to go down to the minors to pay my dues. I like making less money."

Sandberg did just that- and in my opinion, that makes him more qualified than Samuel. I think any former player could be a base and/or bench coach in the majors, and even if they served on a winning team, it doesn't mean that they learned anything to prepare for a managerial position . I would guess that the headaches that a manager faces (at any level of pro ball) are much more frequent and complex than those of a base/bench coach. As this club is put together, managing the 'personalities' should be one of the top priorities of the new manager. If you hire from outside the organization,I think these guys need someone who commands respect, and frankly I don't see a first-time MLB manager doing so (outside of maybe Sandberg solely based on his HOF playing career).

[JohnBriggs12]

Juan Samuel makes no sense to me. Melvin talks about guys w/ experience and also guys who have been winning managers. Juan Samuel's Orioles were putrid during his Interim tenure. Buck Showalter came in the took the same team to an incredible record over the rest of the year. That alone tells me Juan Samuel is no winning manager. This would be right up there with hiring Rene Lachemann for 1984 and touting his virtues after he was fired after a lousy tenure in Seattle. Good luck getting a job elsewhere, Mr. Samuel.

Corey Patterson started 36 of Juan Samuel's 51 managerial games. He hit leadoff most of those games. Granted, Patterson wasn't bad this year as a 4th/5th OF'er type, but I don't ever want another manager who thinks Corey Patterson is some kind of answer.

You don't mention that A. Brian Roberts was on the DL the entire time Patterson was leading off and Samuel had really no other alternative and B. It was easily the best stretch of games in Patterson's career, at least since 2003 anyway. Of course thats not saying much.

[BrewCrewForever]

Joey Cora will interview for the Brewers job. Count me in the minority that think gambling on a younger guy like Cora is the right move for this team.

I would be in on Cora. Reminds me of my pick of Dave Martinez. A young guy who has been a bench coach for a good team for a few years.

 

 

[joepepsi]

I read somewhere, was it this year's Baseball Prospectus(?), one of the Cora brothers is considered among the smartest minds in the game today. Maybe it's Alex, but even if that's so, you gotta hope some of them brains are in the Cora gene pool. To paraphrase Bill Maher, I want the guy making decisions to be the smartest guy in the room.

 

I agree managing in the minors is probably better training for a major league manager's job than being a major league coach. The hardest part of any management or supervisory job is dealing with and motivating the people who work for you. Along the same line of thinking, that could also make a "losing" major league manager better than a "winning" manager.

[rluzinski]

I think the majority of professional athletes are primarily (and by primarily, I mean almost completely) motivated by the prospect of being independantly wealthy for the rest of their lives. No, I don't want a manager that is loathed by his players but I'm fine with "apathetic".

[monkeyman343434]

I think it's funny how people jump onto whatever the media has to say. I mentioned Joey Cora in post #267 and no one said a peep. Now all of a sudden some writer brings up his name and people are on the bandwagon real quick.

[RockCoCougars]

Sounds like Cora may have the inside track. I'm kind of on the fence about him, but if the Brewers are interested, they had better swoop him up before the Mariners do. He was a very popular player in Seattle.

[Sage]

I think it's funny how people jump onto whatever the media has to say. I mentioned Joey Cora in post #267 and no one said a peep. Now all of a sudden some writer brings up his name and people are on the bandwagon real quick.

For the record, I brought up Joey Cora in posts #64 and #144, and it wasn't mentioned again until your post at #267. I win, it was my idea first :P

That said, it seems to be relatively official at this point that Cora will interview for the job, as the (as far as I can tell) first person to interview for the Brewers job. I would be completely behind Doug Melvin if he were to offer Cora the job immediately after this interview.

(Random tid bit: Cora wears #28 for the White Sox... If he wants his #28, our #28 is gonna have to go.)

[yoyomayoma]

I was just passing along the news. I've been on the Cora or Dave Martinez bandwagon for awhile now. Shockingly I can form my own opinion without the help of websites telling me what to think. I'll be happy to be the 27th member of the Joey Cora fan club.

[brewmann04]

I wonder if they might be looking also at Clint hurdle.

[dlk9s]

I think it's funny how people jump onto whatever the media has to say. I mentioned Joey Cora in post #267 and no one said a peep. Now all of a sudden some writer brings up his name and people are on the bandwagon real quick.

Sorry if you got your feelings hurt.

[Invader3K]

I wonder if they might be looking also at Clint hurdle.

Anthony Witrado mentioned that he could be an option the other day.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm basically for anyone that is A) Not currently with the Brewers organization B) Young C) Has a great reputation around the league and considered very smart D) Not currently a Manager

[Sage]

I'm basically for anyone that is A) Not currently with the Brewers organization B) Young C) Has a great reputation around the league and considered very smart D) Not currently a Manager

You basically just described Joey Cora.

I have always liked Cora, and he definitely deserves a shot. Anthony Witrado had an interesting point about how having a coach on the team that can speak fluent Spanish would probably help with communication for players like Escobar, Gomez, etc. Cora (probably) speaks Spanish, so that could help.

Also, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke will also interview for the Brewers managerial opening.

[BrewCrewForever]

Yup Sage, Cora would be fine with me. Him, Dave Martinez or anyone else that fits my description.

 

Heck, pretty much anybody other than Bob Brenly. He would be my only nightmare hire. Anyone else I am willing to give them a shot.

[patrickgpe]

brewercrewin2004, i think the brewers could take an ex-manager and do well, like the bucks did with skiles. who that is I'm not sure. personally as I posted before I'd like to see an aaa manager like wallach.

[ilovebeer]

My first choice would be Sveum.

[sveumrules]

I'm flattered, ilovebeer. I have led my fantasy team to back to back titles so I am a "proven winner".

 

As long as it isn't a retread I'm AOK.

[Hofbraunhaus]

My first choice would be Sveum.

I really like Sveum but I can't really find it in me to support him as the next manager of the Brewers. I'm not sure why although I suspect it has something to do with the only managerial decision I remember from him.....starting Suppan rather than Gallardo in Game 4.