Ron Roenicke Hired as Manager

[thablingster]

I was kind of privately hoping for Valentine as well, but I'm okay with Roenicke. I was most concerned we may go the conservative, meh route with Bob Melvin.

 

If Roenicke is as good at communicating and seeing things other people miss as Hunter et al. have said he is, then he'll be an asset to a team that needs someone like that. We've got a lot of young players still feeling their way through, so to have a manager who is observant and can pick up on subtle things, that can only be helpful.

 

Valentine and Cora may have been more vocal, exciting managers, but I'm sure compared to Macha Roenicke will probably be fine. Instead of going for the exact opposite in personality-type like they did from Yost to Macha, I'm guessing they tried to find someone who sits the fence in that nature, and Roenicke seems to fit the bill nicely for that.

[brewmann04]

ok we got our Manager and now lets see who he adds as his Bench Coach maybe someone with a National league Backround any thoughts.

Now lets hope Melvin can find the Pitching we need to compete.

[AJAY]

The team will sell or not sell tickets based on their wins and losses. Nobody will care who the manager is by midseason. He will either be savior or goat based on how the team plays.

 

Wins and losses are definitely important, but teams also sell tickets and build a fan-following based on their brand-image too. In my opinion, the kind of manager the Brewers just hired is generally more associated with teams like the Royals, Pirates, Rays, A's, etc. But having someone like Valentine, Pinella, LaRussa, Torre, etc. automatically creates more of the emotion and buzz generally associated with teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Mets, Cardinals, etc.

 

I realize that brand-image, marketability, and national respect / relevance doesn't matter to everyone. But to me, I am very obsessed with it. It does affect my enthusiasm, passion, and motivation to buy tickets and get excited about Brewers baseball.

[MNBrew]

ok we got our Manager and now lets see who he adds as his Bench Coach maybe someone with a National league Backround any thoughts.

Now lets hope Melvin can find the Pitching we need to compete.

- Most of Roenicke's playing career was in the NL.

- Most/all of Roenicke's minor-league coaching/managing was for NL teams.

- The type of ball Scioscia's teams play is fairly similar to the stereotypical NL style.

 

Roenicke's hardly a guy w/ only AL background. Reactions along the lines that he is seem to be knee-jerk in nature and lacking in depth of observation.

 

I want whoever will make the right bench coach for this team, period. If the guy's savvy & a quick learner -- as various associates also comment that Roenicke is -- then the extent of his NL background won't much matter. Guys in each league aren't totally clueless about the other league.

 

Oh, and I think this is an excellent hire. Watching how the Twins do business up here, w/ both Tom Kelly & Ron Gardenhire being "really? how boring" sorts of internal hires, and remembering some of the larger-than-life, over-the-top shenanigans involving Valentine in his former managerial stops -- especially NY -- much as he could've been good, I'm REALLY glad it's not Bobby V. There clearly would've been a bigger "splash" factor. But sometimes those are the guys who don't wear as well over time. Roenicke's a Scioscia protege. That says a ton to me, as do the lavish praises being tossed out from all corners of the MLB world.

[JimH5]

"I'm not sure the Brewers really know what they've got just yet."

 

And neither do I.

 

The Brewers just hired the most anonymous guy on their list. And I was giddy about the possibility of them hiring the most flamboyant one. So while I'm disappointed, I can't really rip them. All that matters is how the players respond to him.

 

Best wishes, RR. Do your magic.

[dlk9s]

This is one of the most demoralizing days I have experienced as a Brewers fan. I can't tell you how heartbroken, devastated, crushed, and disappointed I am that Bobby Valentine did not get the job. For 40 years, we have been hiring the exact same type of "up and coming" nobody for a manager. Look where it has gotten us. We heard all the same nice things about ever other guy they hired in the past too. Why does the front office keep repeating the same thing over and over?

 

The Brewers had a golden opportunity to hire the guy I have always dreamed of having for years, and I can't comprehend how they chose to pass on him. I feel sick to my stomach. I guess it's just another painful reminder that we are just the lowly small-market Brewers and that for some reason, we never get the special things in life.

 

I wish the new guy luck, but this is very painful for me.

Do you need to take a sick day from work?

[And That]

I'd still like to see Randolph come back as bench coach. I haven't heard his name called for any of the remaining managerial openings, so there's still a chance.

 

Even though Roenicke played in the NL experience and has minor league managerial experience, you'd have to think they'll bring in a bench coach who has managed before, even if its just another former minor league manager.

[brewmann04]

what would be worse is if Melvin can't acquire pitching to get this team in contention.

[GAME05]

what would be worse is if Melvin can't acquire pitching to get this team in contention.

can Ron Roenicke pitch?

[liveforoctober]

Is anybody else seeing the Craig Counsell resemblance?!

 

If you told me you were from 2025 and Counsell was working as a coach for Anaheim and showed me that ... I think I'd believe in time travel...

[GAME05]

nah, in 2025 Counsell will still look like he is 17.

[brewmann04]

I hope some how Melvin can find at least one legit starter before the 2011 season.But if Not this will be a very long season for our new manager.

[dlk9s]

brewmann04, enough of the pitching talk already. Three times in two hours? This thread is about the new managerial hire.

[brewmann04]

Sorry i make sure i monitor others who make more than one post.Welll getting back to the new Man hopefully he make some good Hires with his new coaching staff.Hopefully his 3rd base Coach and hire a Bench Coach who had some major league experience especially with a National league backround

[burnzy24]

Sorry i make sure i monitor others who make more than one post.Welll getting back to the new Man hopefully he make some good Hires with his new coaching staff.Hopefully his 3rd base Coach and hire a Bench Coach who had some major league experience especially with a National league backround

 

Huh??

 

Anyway, I was a little underwhelmed with the hire at first, but I am hoping for the best. I do like what I am hearing from his old players and co-workers. I am just excited for a fresh start.

[Oldcity]

I also hate Sciosciaball. They stole like crazy last year, but were only successful 66.6%. That's horrendous and gives away way too many outs. I don't get why so many people are down on the Brewers hitting home runs. They were fourth in the NL in runs scored this year and third in 2009. Why are they trying to change the approach?

[monkeyman343434]

I really don't have an opinion one way or another, still trying to find out more info, although I can't find anything "bad" about RR.

I do have one honest question, and no, I'm not trying to be a smart-alec, but why are some people so upset about it not being Valentine?

What would Valentine have done with the team that would make them 5 wins better than the next manager?

[logan82]

The team will sell or not sell tickets based on their wins and losses. Nobody will care who the manager is by midseason. He will either be savior or goat based on how the team plays.

 

Wins and losses are definitely important, but teams also sell tickets and build a fan-following based on their brand-image too. In my opinion, the kind of manager the Brewers just hired is generally more associated with teams like the Royals, Pirates, Rays, A's, etc. But having someone like Valentine, Pinella, LaRussa, Torre, etc. automatically creates more of the emotion and buzz generally associated with teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Mets, Cardinals, etc.

 

I realize that brand-image, marketability, and national respect / relevance doesn't matter to everyone. But to me, I am very obsessed with it. It does affect my enthusiasm, passion, and motivation to buy tickets and get excited about Brewers baseball.

Funny that you bring up Pinella and the Rays as they did hire him. Their attendance didn't go up by much more than 200,000 in any year he was the manager and actually went down in his first year. Their attendance only changed drastically twice in their history. After their first year it dropped dramatically. It went up dramatically in 2008 when they started winning and has stayed up since. Paying big money for a "name" manager will only make you a sideshow. You want attendance and recognition, win games.

[The Truth]

The more I read about Roenicke from various sources the more thrilled I am with this hire. A brilliant mind, sees things before they happen, great rapport with players, a quality person, I like hearing that...

 

I'm ever the optimist but perhaps the Brewers just hired their version of Mike Holmgren

[moofnelson]

I'm ever the optimist but perhaps the Brewers just hired their version of Mike Holmgren

 

So maybe there will be a Roenicke Road near Miller Park some day!

[RU Rah Rah]

Having grown up in Balto. as an O's fan, the family name has fond associations for me. I hope the next couple of years do nothing to change that....

[greeg35]

67% on steals is brutal The last three years they have stolen at rates of 70% in 2009 73% in 2008. So the team kept getting slower and they kept on stealing. They have been in the top 2 in caught stealing each of those years. The Rays have also been one of the top caught stealing teams those three years, the difference being they stole at a more acceptable rate of roughly 76% over that time frame, so at least it seems they have a magic number in their head rather than just stealing blindly.

...so hopefully Roenicke is more brilliant than Scioscia.

[DHonks]

stealing can impact the low scoring games in a positive way. The Angels are a team that can hit a few homers, but day-in-and-day-out they beat teams by nickle and diming them to death

[kilgore37]

Really doesn't who the Brewers hire unless they pick up 2 quality starting pitchers this team is going to hoover around .500

[Warning Track Power]

I also hate Sciosciaball. They stole like crazy last year, but were only successful 66.6%. That's horrendous and gives away way too many outs. I don't get why so many people are down on the Brewers hitting home runs. They were fourth in the NL in runs scored this year and third in 2009. Why are they trying to change the approach?

I can't speak for everyone but I was down on the Brewers hitting HRs because we became very hit or miss. It was either a 10 run outburst including multiple HRs per game or we'd score 1 or 2 runs with none or one HR. Maybe my memory is failing but it never seemed to be where they consistently put up 4 or 5 runs per game. The thought being there is more than one way for a team to average 5 runs per game. The Brewers were the team that scored 9 runs one game and 1 run the next. I for one would rather score 4 runs one game and 6 runs the next. Both teams average 5 runs per game, but the second scenario will win you more games.