Should Braves need a manager, I’d consider these guys
Today’s discussion of Bobby Cox leads inevitably to another discussion: If not Cox, then who?
Were I running the Braves and in the market for a manager, I wouldn’t feel bound to recycle the usual names. (Jim Riggleman, Jerry Narron, et al.) Unless I could convince Terry Francona to leave the Red Sox — and I don’t think John Henry and Theo Epstein would let him — I’d look to two coaches.
Neither of them is Terry Pendleton, and here’s why: I think he’ll be a very good manager someday, but I don’t think the man coming after Cox needs to have apprenticed under Cox. (This also applies to Fredi Gonzalez and Ned Yost.) There’s a sense of sameness about the Braves — how could there not be, this manager having been in place 19 years? — that I wouldn’t be sorry to see dissipate. I’d look outside. I’d consider:
Brad Mills, bench coach, Boston Red Sox: He has worked alongside Francona, who was his college roommate, in both Philadelphia and Boston, and I consider the Sox the new model organization. (The Yankees just spend; the Sox spend wisely.) Boston isn’t afraid to dump big names — Nomar, Damon, Manny — and isn’t bound to anything except trying to win the World Series every single season.
Loading ...The Boston approach to actual baseball is similarly forward-thinking. The Red Sox take pitches and work the count. They rely so heavily on statistical data they even hired Bill James as a consultant, and Mills is one of the few actual baseball men who’ll use the word “sabermetrics” in conversation. I’m not saying the Braves don’t look at numbers — they do, every day — but few teams look harder than Boston.
Jose Oquendo, third-base coach, St. Louis Cardinals: He’s the velvet glove to Tony La Russa’s iron fist. He was a utility player of immense value — remember him pitching four innings, the first three scoreless, against the Braves in a 19-inning game in May 1988? — and is considered the leading candidate to succeed La Russa. (Pendleton’s name comes up often in that conversation, you should know.) But maybe La Russa isn’t yet ready to retire, and maybe Oquendo is ready to run a team of his own.
He has forged a bond with Albert Pujols, which isn’t as easy as you might think: Pujols can be prickly. That speaks well of Oquendo’s people skills, and also of his eye for value. (Pujols is a rather important Redbird.) And studying under La Russa is among the better ways to learn. Some baseball people despise La Russa for presenting himself as this high-falutin’ Man of the Arts, but he’s smart and he’s analytical and he was among the first to deploy stats as a weapon.
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135 comments Add your comment
Spolarbear72
June 18th, 2009
7:14 pm
My list to replace cox would be: Eddie Perez, Jose Oquendo, or Manny Acta.
Braves73
June 18th, 2009
7:15 pm
Mark, your selections have NO head coaching experience. While both selections are being groomed through successful organizations, having no experience as a major league manager will hurt both (of their chances in ATL). Ned Yost was decent in Mil. but it took some time for that team to gell and the Brewers didn’t take off until Yost was fired. I am still sticking with Fredi Gonzalez. He can probably be swayed away from his FLA contract to come back to the Braves. He is making miracles with that team and their non existent pay roll. With the Braves restrictions, Fredi would be a perfect fit and help lead this team back to the playoffs.
Brett
June 18th, 2009
7:45 pm
Dale Murphy
J-MAN
June 18th, 2009
7:54 pm
I’m gonna give you the most unusual pick but one that might be the best and its Bobby Valintine. He shows emotion and has fire and he is entaining and if he get ejected we can have Groucho Marx on our bench so I’d say its win-win
nick manning
June 18th, 2009
7:58 pm
Nick Manning should be the next Braves skipper. Look him up on wikipedia. Credentials.
Eastbound and Down
June 18th, 2009
8:03 pm
Brad Mills sounds good to me. if not him, Kenny Powers
Eastbound and Down
June 18th, 2009
8:08 pm
if not Kenny Powers, Edie Perez. If not Edie, Phil Wellman never get tired of seeing this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZUKHtW7vg
Bubba
June 18th, 2009
8:14 pm
1. Jose Canseco
2. Bob (Hurricane) Hazle
3. Pascual Perez
4. Bruce Benedict
5. Rick Camp
Shamus Thacker
June 18th, 2009
8:58 pm
Isaac Hayes is dead, unfortunately….
SC Ace
June 18th, 2009
9:10 pm
I’m sold on Brad Mills, even though I’ve never heard of him previously.
Someone said it jokingly, but what about that Wellman guy in Mississippi. I remember the Braves bringing him in last September, and DOB was commenting about the rapport with and respect from the younger players who knew him from AA. The grenade resin bag thing shows that the guy has some fire in his belly.
what the heck
June 18th, 2009
9:53 pm
Bring in Rocket Wheeler.
falcon21
June 18th, 2009
10:08 pm
Dave Justice could get this town fired up.
JT
June 18th, 2009
10:09 pm
This is one of the stupidest offerings in quite some time and I suspect it is only done to manufacture discussion and traffic on the site…..you have HoF manager in the dugout with a .500 team on the field, it is what it is so let’s not try to make this about Bobby….this whole line of discussion is ridiculous
SCJames
June 18th, 2009
10:54 pm
I just have the feeling that once Cox retires, and that should be the only way that is no longer the Braves manager, that Pendleton is not going to be manager but that Eddie Perez will be the new manager.
Rufus
June 18th, 2009
11:06 pm
Get Boozer the Clown, But please not Pendleton.
Eastbound and Down
June 18th, 2009
11:12 pm
I was only half joking about Wellman. he is still down in mississippi and appears to be well regarded within the organizatin. heck, he has to be after blowing up in 2007
old fashioned ray
June 19th, 2009
12:14 am
Don Mattingly is probably the next Manager of the Yankees,and maybe very soon if they don’t get on a winning streak. Right after the Fourth of July? I think the Braves will need to look elsewhere. Is there a Billy Martin type out there,to kick some Braves’ butt?
RW
June 19th, 2009
12:21 am
Earl Weaver for manager (is he still kickin’?).
RW
June 19th, 2009
12:26 am
Hank Aaron for manager (long enough to teach the kids how to measure up a pitcher and get a few hits).
Mitchell
June 19th, 2009
12:39 am
I’m sorry Mark, nobody named Brad should be allowed to manage the Braves.
Kenman
June 19th, 2009
1:20 am
I don’t know who the right manager is, but get someone who will put a fire in the belly of these guys! In the 90’s the “cool professionalism” worked, but this group needs some pride – and some anger. Let ‘em grow facial hair, get a borderline nutcase to be the closer, just get some personality and energy! The future starts now….
richbrave
June 19th, 2009
4:38 am
DAVE BRUNDIDGE
Random
June 19th, 2009
9:05 am
I nominate Ron Gardenhire, currently manager of the Twins.
On the other hand, if you want to “dissipate the sense of sameness”, a couple years of Bobby Valentine would be a real palate cleanser. And THEN Fred Gonzalez.
MB –
Has anyone ever asked Cox himself who he’d like to see succeed him? What’d he say?
Braves73 –
Ain’t no such thing as a “head coach” in baseball. You’ve exposed your dilettantism. CU L8R></strong.
Mark Bradley
June 19th, 2009
9:10 am
Ron Gardenhire would have been my first choice, Random. But big-league managers don’t often jump from team to team while they’re still working. (Bruce Bochy from SD to SF is an exception.)
Random
June 19th, 2009
9:15 am
kool$kat (June 18th, 2009 6:55 pm): “But why isn’t Joe Morgan considered, he knows more about baseball than any person live or dead!!!!!”
Well, you’re half right.
(But that WOULD possibly resuscitateFJM.com.) R.I.P.
Bill
June 19th, 2009
3:41 pm
ABC for manager.
Justafan
June 19th, 2009
9:25 pm
Braves mgr.
Torre 1982-84
Haas 1985
Tanner 1986-88
Nixon 1988-90
Cox-present
Bill I would also like a manager that plays ABC baseball. Get the runner on and get him in. Bunt, steal, sacf, hit and run. Brad Mills would do that.
Poorbrave
June 20th, 2009
9:24 am
I agree Mark we don’t need someone that worked for Cox. JOHN FARRELL from Red Sox or Brad Mills, Jose Oquendo are top Three.
SC Brave
June 20th, 2009
11:19 am
How about Greg Maddux. We all know how smart he is.
Buzz
June 22nd, 2009
5:14 pm
Maddux wouldn’t want to do it, not enough money in it.
James
June 22nd, 2009
8:13 pm
How about hiring Greg Maddux as a pitching coach and Tony Gwynn Sr. as a hitting coach?
The new Bobby Cox? He's managing the Red Sox | Mark Bradley
June 29th, 2009
1:56 pm
[...] And that’s what I see Terry “Tito” Francona becoming — the Bobby Cox of the 21st Century. He has in Boston the resources to win for a good long while, the same as Cox did here. And that’s also why, should the Braves ever need a new manager, I’d look first to Brad Mills. [...]
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
September 11th, 2009
1:54 pm
Wheewww, after seeing some of these names, especially in the first 100 responses, I would keep Cox. I like Gwenn, Maddux, or Oquendo, but #1 would be Norris. Which Norris? Why Chuck Norris and his first act as manager would be a round house kick to Norton’s head.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
September 11th, 2009
1:55 pm
I mean Gwynn
reality
September 11th, 2009
4:48 pm
Dale Murphy