With LaRussa out, Pendleton could be Cards’ candidate (UPDATED)
Terry Pendleton has been waiting for a managerial opportunity.
(Updated with brief comment from Pendleton)
Now that Tony LaRussa surprisingly has decided to retire as St. Louis manager, don’t be surprised if the Cardinals place a phone call to Braves coach Terry Pendleton.
Pendleton for a time was considered a candidate to replace the eventually retiring Bobby Cox — before Fredi Gonzalez became available. He spent the first seven seasons of his major league career in St. Louis. He is liked and respected by players. He’s a leader. He certainly showed that on the field as a player with the Cardinals and the Braves. His acquisition was key in the Braves going to the World Series in 1991, his first season in Atlanta.
Pendleton told our Carroll Rogers that he has not yet been contacted by anybody in the organization. (She will be posting a blog later today.)
Pendleton had his critics as a hitting coach. General manager Frank Wren obviously was one of them, as evidenced by Pendleton getting demoted after the 2010 season. (He was kept as first base coach, and Wren hired Larry Parrish as a replacement. To say that didn’t turn out so well would be an understateent.)
But he has long been considered a managerial candidate in baseball, including getting mentioned as a possible successor to LaRussa before the Cardinals’ manager decided to come back for the 2011 season.
I also don’t believe somebody’s success or failure as a hitting coach determines whether or not somebody will be a successful manager. Pendleton understands players, personalities and the game of baseball as well as anybody.
The “Hardball Talk” blog on NBCSports.com already has listed Pendleton as a candidate in St. Louis, along with Terry Francona (just fired from Boston), Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, hitting coach Mark McGwire and third base coach Jose Oquendo. Their synopsis of Pendleton:
Terry Pendleton: The Braves’ first base coach and former hitting coach who, obviously, had a lot of time in St. Louis. He’s always been tremendously popular with Braves players since he began coaching and could be a good choice if the Cards are looking to keep a happy team happy. Worth noting also that, when he was removed as the Braves hitting coach, the Braves hitting went into the toilet. The man obviously has some skills.
So we’ll see how this unfolds. Until then, what are your thoughts on Pendleton as a manager?
By Jeff Schultz
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
71 comments Add your comment
Terry P is it?
October 31st, 2011
3:30 pm
“Pendleton told our Carroll Rogers that he has not yet been contacted by anybody in the organization. (She will be posting a blog later today.)”
Good grief! I thought Carroll Rogers was a male!
Steve
October 31st, 2011
3:35 pm
I hope TP gets the job. He deserves a chance.
To anyone who thinks he wasn’t a good hitting coach think about it. For one, what was our offense like before and after TP? Much worse. Second, how could you reasonably expect ANYONE to become a good hititng ciach with the drivel the Braves front office runs out there year after year? Outside of Chipper and McCann we really don’t have a true ‘hitter’. McCann played well under TP, and while Chipper had his best years under TP I am not sure how much coachign was done there since LWJ always looks to his father.
Put simply, TP got more out of guys like Infante and Prado thru the years than anyone should have rightfully expected. There were some failures along the way, but were tehy TP’s fault, or just bad hitters?
Besides, a manager is a whole different game than a hitting coach. I see no reason to expect him to be good or bad based on what he has done so far. The one thing I do know is that TP has always seemed like a stand up guy and a tough player. I see him as similar to Kirk Gibson and he is working out just fine.
chris
October 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
Pendleton can coach, he knows the game and he deserves a shot. As a Cardinals fan I would love to see them offer him the opportunity to return to St. Louis.
Bravesbobblehead
October 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
Pendelton will be a good manager. He has the skills but is not proven, therefore I believe he will do good given the opportunity.
sandra
October 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
Terry would be a good fit. He has played in STL and knows the ropes.
Ryan's Dad
October 31st, 2011
4:30 pm
This is terrible news. Who will hold the players’ shin guards when they reach first base?!
wreckbuzz
October 31st, 2011
4:39 pm
To say that Terry Pendleton had any “failure” as a hitting coach completely ignores the facts and the stats. Should have never been removed as hitting coach for the Braves.
Should have been hired as Braves manager.
Braves and Braves fans will regret if TP goes elsewhere and outperforms Fredi Gonzalez.
Banned Poster
October 31st, 2011
4:45 pm
You morons ripping on TP for the hitting woes must not remember the bumbling idiots who coached it before and after him. Merv Rettemund and Larry Parrish couldn’t teach a dog how to bark, much less situational hitting. TP preached patience, hitting to center field, and getting on base. The rag tag bunch of 2010 led the league in OBP and that goes to show that TP can coach. The same guys basically wet the bed with Parrish as coach.
I hope TP gets this job. He has shown me through the years that he knows how to play the game and be a leader. Not his fault that Lonnie Smith couldn’t keep his eyes on Jimmy Williams in 1991 or that Jeff Reardon gave up a HR to some bench player in 1992. The guy willed our team to its run in 91 and won the MVP; started a 9th inning rally that ended with Sid sliding home in 1992; was standing on 3rd with one out in game 5 in 1993 begging for someone behind him to hit a dang fly ball so he could score the winning run to put us a win away from 3 peat in the NL; and through it all coached and waited his time after hanging them up. TP would have brought a combination of Whitey ball and Bobby Cox professionalism to this clubhouse instead of the deer in the headlights look we get out of our current manager. I guarantee he wouldn’t have blown a 10.5 game lead in September.
Swaga1
October 31st, 2011
4:49 pm
I completely agree Banned poster. cased closed!
chris
October 31st, 2011
5:34 pm
itd be the Braves loss, we should have never demoted him to fb coach- he was a hell of a player and his demeanor evidently was what it needed to be to reach players….id hate to see him go but glad for him that he got a chance to manage. No one knows how he’d do – baseball isnt played on paper and what ifs – its played on the field..just as Fredi G looked to be a lock to do great here- he melted in September and oversaw the worst collapse in atlanta history..go figure…
scottbravesfan
October 31st, 2011
5:34 pm
He was a good hitting coach. The Braves led the NL in on base percentage in 2010. This year they were 13.
Bill
October 31st, 2011
6:00 pm
Francona was not Fired..He told GM and owner that team needed new manager and voice. He resigned………JEFF
Hope TP is gone to Red Sox are Cards…oh hell anywhere!
my-my
October 31st, 2011
6:06 pm
If he was so good, why didn’t the Braves hire him as mgr?
In 2010 the fans were calling for TP to be fired…now you love him. What a bunch of idiots.
jed
October 31st, 2011
7:53 pm
cards will go with francona, which is what we should be doing.
Holy Moses
October 31st, 2011
8:20 pm
My name is FG and I did not promote TP back to hitting coach. I will not give you fans a reason to call for me to be replaced by this guy who should have been manager all along.
mike mangan
October 31st, 2011
9:43 pm
HERE IS THE UNKNOWN FACTOR WHO I THINK WILL BE MANAGING THE CARDINALS NEXT YEAR.FiRST OF ALL i WAS TOTALLY MYSTIFIED THAT THE PALE HOSE PAST HIM OVER AND HIRED ROBIN VENTURA AS MANAGER.WITH THE CARDINAL BACKGROUND HE HAS AND WITH THE GREAT TRIPLE A JOB HE HAS DONE WITH THE CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS.I WOULD LIKE NOT BE AT ALL SURPRISED IF JOE McEWING WASNT THEIR GUY NEXT YEAR,,,
RCHH
November 1st, 2011
10:15 am
TP didn’t and doesn’t have a shot of managing the Braves. Even thought we have a black president, we’re still in the south. Football in the south is a religion…and until the Falcons, Braves, UGA Bullgogs, GA Tech Yellow Jackets, Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers or Alabama Crimson Tide hire a black head coach, that congregation is segregated. I may have left out a few. TeeHee
Banned Poster
November 1st, 2011
12:01 pm
RCHH that is a stupid and lame argument. TP could have been manager, but obviously Frank Wren thought otherwise (and how did that work out?). Also, if the Braves find a candidate that is black and fits in with the philosophy of the organization I am sure they would hire him to be the manager. And yes they would pull the trigger in a heart beat. You forget who still has a VP title with the ball club and his contributions to the game of baseball.
chrismc
November 1st, 2011
3:13 pm
JF agreed..TP has taken way too much crap from the fans and media – I think hes done a hell of a job as Braves hitting coach and FB coach. The numbers don’t lie and he had these hitters near the top at OBP last year and we just collapsed this year under Parrish. Walker may be able to get that fire back I dont know but TP has done tremendous things for this organization and I’d be proud to see him managing somewhere- I just wished itd been with a cap with an “A” on it instead of “STL”
dusting off the Brock-a-Brella for TP
November 2nd, 2011
1:56 pm
‘Banned Poster’ is DEAD ON.
TP was the Captain of the ‘91 Braves, and one could argue, the COACH. Booby was too busy sucking down a 12er every night, and recovering from hangovers everyday. He thought being a “players coach” meant you just let the players coach!
TP is a rock. Good dude with the temperament to be a great coach. Keeps his cool, treats people with respect, lives clean, was a great player, and has much experience to impart!
Also, I just have to echo previous posters about the “haters.” All of you people dragging TP through the mud either have amnesia, are too young, or didn’t bother following the Braves until long after that magical ‘01 season, which WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED if it weren’t for TP!!!
Go, my man! Back to St. Louis. A team owned by people who were originally fans. A REAL baseball city that will appreciate your efforts. Unlike this city: full of hicks who didn’t bother with baseball until the braves won a pennant (the morons on Skip’s old call-in show are a nice example – “duh, thanks for taking my call, Skip…uh, what’s a squeeze play??”), or bonehead sox/yankees fans from the northeast who go to the park just to heckle the bullpen and outfielders.
If this team were to suffer back-to-back .500 seasons, that’d be it for the “fan base.” It’d be the ’80s all over again: 3000 average attendance.
Also have to echo, after moving TP to third:
“Can we demote FRANK WREN and FREDDI?”
dusting off the Brock-a-Brella for TP
November 2nd, 2011
1:57 pm
OOOPS meant ‘magical ‘91 season”