Ted Simmons new bench coach!

[brewmann04]

ok first move to help the team was made today and now we can concreate on the Roster .

[jodo23]

Actually, Sal Bando is a fairly intelligent man. He had great business acumen (ie., Bando McGlockin Capital Corporation, the business he opened with John McGlockin).

 

Baseball acumen, apparently not so much.

[areacodes]

Did the Boston media make up Sveum's quotes about not knowing Baldeli has a good arm, or that he doesn't care about being boo'd as long as he's not holding runners?

 

 

 

He didn't say that at all. He said "Baldelli hasn't made a whole lot of good throws." Who knows if he was talking about in that series, that year, or whatever. I'd rather see our 3B coach send the runner and put pressure on the D to make perfect throws than to hold up the runner and hope for another hit.

 

The way I judge a 3B coach is how much I actually remember of him during the year... apparently my memory is a lot worse that most, because outside of a few plays I don't really remember Sveum at all in 2006.

[dpapo]

Tom Haudricourt has some information about the hire in his latest blog. The Brewers were ready to hire Frank Kremblas as their 3rd base coach, when they took a shot at Simmons. Also thinks the Brewers will pick up Yost's 2009 option before the season starts, but doesn't mean he won't get fired if the team struggles.
Overall, I like the hiring of Simmons as bench coach. Everything you read and hear about Simmons is that he is a smart baseball mind and knows how to evaluate talent. Haudricourt even mentions what Simmons said about the Brewers trade for Linebrink at the time of the deal, which turned out to be correct.

Simmons is a brilliant baseball man
By Tom Haudricourt

Tuesday, Oct 30 2007, 05:36 PM

Was traveling back from Denver today -- I stayed after the World Series to help cover the Packers game Monday night -- so I wasn't on hand when the news broke about the Brewers hiring Ted Simmons as bench coach.

I've read some of the comments from readers, most of which are positive, and they should be. Simmons is one of the brightest baseball men I've ever met. I ran into him several times a year in his scouting role and always loved talking ball with him. He should be a great bench coach.

I saw some people reply with the "Here the Brewers go again, hiring an '82 Brewer" but I really don't think that has anything to do with it. Sure, Yost was familiar with Simmons from those days but GM Doug Melvin highly respected him as well because Simmons is known throughout ball as being a smart guy and talent evaluator.

The Brewers were ready to promote Frank Kremblas from Class AAA Nashville when they took a shot at Simmons and talked him into returning to the field. This is a joint hire by Melvin and Yost, and shouldn't be viewed as any kind of threat to Yost's job.

As for Dale Sveum moving back to third base, he wasn't "demoted" as some have suggested. He graciously agreed to go back to third because he realized the staff would be stronger with Simmons on board. Had Kremblas been promoted, Sveum would have stayed bench coach because Yost loves the guy, and rightfully so.

The Brewers wanted a bench coach familiar with personnel throughout the NL and Simmons fit the bill as a scout for San Diego. He told me after the Brewers acquired San Diego reliever Scott Linebrink in late July that Linebrink had been overworked, and predicted he would struggle for awhile. Sure enough, Linebrink had a poor August but rebounded with a solid September.

As for those who think Yost will be looking over his shoulder, I'll make this prediction right now: Yost's option for 2009 will be picked up before the 2008 season starts. Melvin won't let Yost go into the season as a lame duck manager. That doesn't mean he can't be fired if the team goes south, but I still predict that option is excercised.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/brewers/archive/2007/10/30/simmons-is-a-brilliant-baseball-man.aspx

[dvoiss]

I think the assumption that Ned is on his death bed just waiting for Doug to pull the plug is unfounded. The fact that most preople on this board want him gone doesn't make it so. I think a lot of people are assuming that Ned will be gone by the AS break. I think these moves are being made with the assumption that Ned will be managing the Brewers in the World Series next October. I dont think the organization is making moves to prepare for Ned's departure. If that were the case he would have been fired already. If things don't work out as the season moves along they then will make the necessary adjustments.

[dadofandrew]

Sveum was fine as 3B coach, and will be again. Some folks just like to exaggerate and tell fictional tales. We still hear about Mench's poor defense, despite numerous nice plays and a ZR solidly in the middle of the pack.

 

Weeks needs to be moved to the OF, Prince will never be able to play 1B, Gwynn is a poor defender, Braun has a hitch in his swing, and so on. Usually based on either heresay or a small sample, and with rare exception, groundless.

[danzig6767]

Sveum was fine as 3B coach, and will be again. Some folks just like to exaggerate and tell fictional tales. We still hear about Mench's poor defense, despite numerous nice plays and a ZR solidly in the middle of the pack.

 

Weeks needs to be moved to the OF, Prince will never be able to play 1B, Gwynn is a poor defender, Braun has a hitch in his swing, and so on. Usually based on either heresay or a small sample, and with rare exception, groundless.

 

Weeks doesn't "have to" moved to the outfield,but he is a bad defensive secondbaseman and one of the reasons the team defense stunk big time.So long as Weeks builds on his end of the year offense and carries that into next year,it will make up for him being a poor defensive player.With that said,it certainly wasn't or isn't some crazy idea if some thought and/or still think Weeks could be a better player if he was roaming CF instead of playing subpar infield defense.We'll likely never know what kind of CF Weeks could have become.

 

Fielder can play firstbase,but he doesn't do it very well and was another one of the reasons our defense stunk big time.Obviously his bat makes up for his less than pretty defense.

 

Who ever said Gwynn is a bad defender?Maybe one person i never saw said this,but from what i've ever read on here,the vast vast majority love his defense,just don't like his fly swatter bat.

 

[colbyjack]

To add to danzig's comments, Braun does have a hitch in his swing. It's unorthodox, but it works for him (and I think you have taken enough shots using this comment before).

 

So does that mean Sveum does suck as a 3B? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

 

Awesome hire by the Brewers today. I love listening to Simmons talk about the game, and I think an earlier poster made a very astute point about how hiring Simmons may help Yost with in-game management. I wonder if he'll smoke in the dugout like he used to.

[Katuluu]

The comment about Gwynn's defense was that it wasn't as good as Krynzel's, and thus the person thought he was overrated in that area.

[Fatter than Joey]

I wonder if he'll smoke in the dugout like he used to.

 

I think he had cut down after the big heart attack.

[danzig6767]

The comment about Gwynn's defense was that it wasn't as good as Krynzel's, and thus the person thought he was overrated in that area.

 

Well you can often find one or two people to say something really off base about most athletes in any sport on a message board,but that doesn't mean much of anything if the other 95-98% don't share those views.

Weeks was at least an issue worthy of debate,unlike whether Gwynn is a poor defender.I personally am ok with him playing second,but still am curious how he'd have done if tried in CF.Who knows if the instincts would have been there for Rickie to do well out in center,but he certainly has the speed and arm to be a very good CF if he would been able to judge balls off the bat.If that had happened,we'd not only have his bat still,Rickie would go from being somewhat of a liability on defense to an asset of the defense.

Oh well,what's done is done.Hopefully the Weeks we saw at the plate after his demotion is more the Rickie we see next year and his defense gets somewhere in the average range.He did cut his errors and look better turning double plays.

 

[JumpinMacFlash]

I haven't added my two cents yet...

 

Personally, I don't mind the hire of Simmons at all. I guess I don't know much about him and I haven't heard him speak on broadcasts before either. I don't really know how smart of cerebral he is, but I usually take the word of the people who post here. That said, I still would have gone for Kremblas. Sure, he's been a minor league coach, but at least it's something he's done recently and had success with. I'm not knocking Simmons at all, he may end up being a great bench coach. I guess I just don't really see what necessarily put him ahead of Frank Kremblas or Don Money.

[PKBadger]

Sveum was fine as 3B coach, and will be again. Some folks just like to exaggerate and tell fictional tales.

 

Yeah, I fancy myself a real J.R.R. Tolkien http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eyes.gif

Not like I didn't read a thousand articles about him being a crappy 3rd base coach before he got hired in Milwaukee.

 

[MBHA]

Since the topic has somewhat moved towards 3B coaches, who comes to mind when you think of an outstanding 3B coach?

[valpocrewsader]

Sveum as 3B coach..... All I know is I watched games in 2006 and often had complaints and then I watched games in 2007 and pretty much had no complaints. If someone doesn't want to agree with me, I guess that's fine, I have no way to convince you otherwise, but personally I feel like we had corrected an issue that needed correcting between 06 and 07. And now -- to me -- we're taking a step back. (The again, maybe having to deal with this regression will be good practice for when the team names Turnbow as 2008 closer later this off-season.)

 

Yost's 2009 option? Yikes. That would really send a message that this organization demands nothing more than mediocrity.

[billyhallfan]

Since the topic has somewhat moved towards 3B coaches, who comes to mind when you think of an outstanding 3B coach?

 

Nick Leyva, and no I'm not joking, I can't remember him making a mistake.

[Thurston Fluff]

Did the Boston media make up Sveum's quotes about not knowing Baldeli has a good arm, or that he doesn't care about being boo'd as long as he's not holding runners?

 

I don't think you can determine if he has a good arm just by the number of assists he has. If he isn't very good he will be tested more often. If everyone took liberties with him it stands to reason on occasion he made the play. If you have some sort of % of assists to attempts it would be more informative.

 

Sveum as 3B coach..... All I know is I watched games in 2006 and often had complaints and then I watched games in 2007 and pretty much had no complaints.

 

Perhaps you're differant than I am but I tend to notice guys getting thrown out more than guys who should have been sent and weren't. Yet I'd rather have a few guys thrown out being aggresive than no one thrown out with the subsequent loss of runs.

[areacodes]

Sveum as 3B coach..... All I know is I watched games in 2006 and often had complaints and then I watched games in 2007 and pretty much had no complaints. If someone doesn't want to agree with me, I guess that's fine, I have no way to convince you otherwise, but personally I feel like we had corrected an issue that needed correcting between 06 and 07. And now -- to me -- we're taking a step back. (The again, maybe having to deal with this regression will be good practice for when the team names Turnbow as 2008 closer later this off-season.)

 

Yost's 2009 option? Yikes. That would really send a message that this organization demands nothing more than mediocrity.

 

 

I've read in this thread more than once about his horrible 2006 as our 3B coach and so far the only example that was thrown out there was Hardy breaking his ankle. If everybody is so positive that he is horrible can we get some specifics other than "Sveum sucks"?

 

 

As to picking up Ned's option, no matter how many people on this board believe Ned is the son of the devil and only put on Earth to ruin our franchise, people in baseball (including Simmons, as he wanted Ned as a coach before) think Ned is a good manager and a smart baseball guy. Listen to other coaches talk, other broadcasters talk and looking at what OUR GM and Owner are saying indicates that they all think Ned is a good manager as well. I think everybody got jaded by the 24-10 start... if we start off slower and make a push for the playoffs late, a majority of peoples opinion of Ned would be completely different. I think he is a good manager who has a great relationship with his players and gets a lot out of them. As with all managers, Ned does make decisions that I disagree with... but I only work with limited information. I can't sit at home and know that Wise's shoulder is a little stiff or that Mench has really been stroking the ball lately in the cage. These types of things could affect who is playing and when and I, as a fan, only have what is presented in front of me my decision could be different.

[Fatter than Joey]

including Simmons, as he wanted Ned as a coach before

 

To be fair -- this was probably a minor league opportunity for Ned, or he was hoping to get Ned a job with one of his division rivals.

 

I think everybody got jaded by the 24-10 start..

 

No -- I think people go jaded by his sub .500 performance after that start over +120 games -- a good number of people including myself thought he should have

been fired at the end of 2006. The only time I see that 24-10 start mentioned on this board, is when people are pasting quotes from Yost, or

parroting Yost's comments. Honestly -- as much as Ned would like to blame his 24-10 start -- that is probably the only thing that is

keeping him employed.

 

I think he is a good manager who has a great relationship with his players and gets a lot out of them.

 

I don't believe this -- it is hard for any of us to prove/disprove this -- but I think he carped his pants this year and lost his team.

It is my opinion that guys like JJ Hardy moved him way down on the Xmas card list, after Yost's shenanigans in 2007.

[whizkid]

it is hard for any of us to prove/disprove this

 

IMO that would have been a good place to stop as we have no real knowledge of how Ned relates to players, whether he's "lost" them etc. I'm taking the indirect signals from the front office which does have real knowledge in this area. I think they've let us know they think Ned needs some work in the in-game area. If they also felt he wasn't working well with the players, had "lost" them etc., I'm confident he'd be gone as he'd have no redeeming qualities whatsoever and there'd be no reason to keep him.

[trwi7]

Anybody listen to Sparky interview Ted Simmons? Sparky brought up bunting and all that crap and Simmons is like well the studies show that you're basically giving away one of your 27 outs so it doesn't make much sense to him.

 

He also said he thinks this team is close but they have holes to fill and when they fill them the team will takeoff and when they realize that they're better than everybody else they'll start playing with a ton of confidence.

 

Asked him about Curt Schilling and he said you have to weigh all the baggage that comes along with him and he said he would take Schilling and then said sometimes his comments can be pretty entertaining.

 

I like this move even more now.

[Fatter than Joey]

I'm confident he'd be gone as he'd have no redeeming qualities whatsoever and there'd be no reason to keep him.

 

I think if Melvin hadn't hired him, he would have been fired long ago.

[Brian the Automator]

Anybody listen to Sparky interview Ted Simmons? Sparky brought up bunting and all that crap and Simmons is like well the studies show that you're basically giving away one of your 27 outs so it doesn't make much sense to him.

*melt*

[trwi7]

*melt*

I figured most of you guys would like that.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[cooprules]

Is there audio of that interview anywhere?