The Giants have reportedly hired Matt Herges to be their new bullpen coach. Remember him? He fits the profile of a successful baseball coach in that he was not naturally gifted, yet was resourceful enough to have some success despite not having top notch tools.
I am going to assume you all have at least a passing knowledge of Herges MLB career. He has spent the last several years as a pitching coach in the Dodgers minor league system. That's interesting because he might have some inside info on what the Dodgers secrets to success are. More specifically, remember that Bobby Evans seems to be looking for coaches who are more analytical in their approach, or at least more data friendly? And what team is currently leading the charge in the information revolution in baseball. That would be the Dodgers.
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One prospective coach the Giants reportedly had their sights on is off the market and another may follow soon. Chili Davis is the new hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs who are also rumored to be about to hire former Rays pitching coach, Jim Hickey.
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Is it just me, or has Bruce Bochy not seemed quite as engaged since Tim Flannery retired as 3B coach. Anyone else concerned about how well Boch meshes with an essentially all new coaching staff? He did not seem to mesh well with Roberto Kelly or Phil Nevin who both tried to fill The Flan Man's shoes in the 3B coaching box.
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Bochy: I think there's a lot of things going on. Flannery being gone. Multiple heart procedures. Age. A lot of success (and a HOF career) and is now saddled with a non-competitive roster that he'll have to work miracles with or be fired because he couldn't. That's a lot to bear.
ReplyDeleteOnly the few... quit on top!
DeleteWas going to mention the heart issues. He had a long streak of being very over .500 in 1-run games that ended and now he's been under .500 in 4 of the last 5 seasons, or so (would need to check to verify, but that's what I recall).
DeleteSo he seems to be winding down, I can't imagine his wife isn't worried, especially since Bochy himself was worried because of his father's history of heart issues. I think he finishes up his contract and goes off to have great time with wife.
Mike Maddux was signed by the Cardinals to be their pitching coach. He was probably the best one on the market. When you look at his resume, he's taken a lot of mediocre staffs (Rangers & Brewers) lacking star power and elite talent and turned them into playoff caliber units by coaching up a bunch of players and turning them into over-achievers.
ReplyDeleteHe's also big into analytics.
I was hoping for Maddux too...
DeleteCrazy idea floated on some network yesterday, and discussed later on KNBR. Giants trade Bochy to the Nats for two or three top prospects. Why? The Nats window is closing, and they need a proven winner to manage them a title. Bochy wants one more ring and sees that it is not likely to happen in SF within three years. Giants realize their next major run at a title likely doesn't happen before Bochy hangs it up.
ReplyDeleteI am not advocating such a move, but it sure is thought provoking.
Didn’t the league make trading managers against the rules after the Pinella trade?
DeleteInteresting thought, though, if possible. Not sure Boch would be interested. He lives in San Diego and would likely not want to move to the other coast this late in his career.
I doubt Bochy would accept a job on the east coast.
DeleteYeah, no way this happens. But you can see why the idea has legs.
DeleteMaking the playoffs is not enough in the now crowded field. Boch is the guy who seems to fight to the top of the scrum. And really, I think his bullpen management philosophy in the playoffs is resonating right now. (And I don't blame him even a little bit for not going to Casilla in Game 4 against the Cubs).
But what seems to hold the attention in the playoff-angst communities of Boston, New York and Washington is youth. You get a lot of internet babble of Girardi being too old at 53.
So Bochy will retire a Giant, and considering the situation here, he'll do it with 3 rings.
Just read this:
ReplyDeleteGiants early favorites in potential Stanton trade
https://www.fanragsports.com/heyman-giants-early-favorites-potential-stanton-trade/
Wow.
I will be pleasantly surprised if the Giants are able to pull off a trade for Stanton, if they even want to. There are just a lot of things working against it. The only way it happens is if Baer can persuade the full ownership group that Stanton is worth blowing past the "Luxury Tax" cap for.
DeleteI've read that Bob Nightengale said the Giants will end up with either Stanton or JD Martinez. Either would be a pleasant surprise.
DeleteLG
Grant Brisbee, who is now practically a Giants Beat Writer, did a pretty good job of taking down Nightengale's piece.
DeleteMy opinion is you still. have to go back to Bobby Evans comments at the season-ending presser. Their first priority is a defensive upgrade in CF. Historically, the Giants have never deviated far from the offseason game plan outlined at those pressers.
Yup, you're spot on again Doc. It makes no sense for them to blow thru the luxury tax theshold. They said in their presser that the trade market is preferred over Free agency. At this stage, they need to stay away from giving goofy money to JD Martinez and get younger players. Thats why the Nightengale article confused me a little.
DeleteLG
But, also, neither Stanton nor Martinez is the answer. Either would somewhat solidify a lineup at a crippling cost.
DeleteThe main problem is pitching. Until that is corrected, another bat, even Stanton's bat, will not matter.
I'm hoping that Bochy and Evans are working well together as well. It's important for the GM to acquire the type of players the manager wants to work with. It seemed like Bochy and Sabean worked well together when Sabean was GM.
ReplyDeleteLG
Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing, we read a lot about how Sabean and Bochy were like two peas on a pod, but with Evans, nothing but perfunctory normal PR stuff.
Delete