Coaching Staff

[illinoisredsox]

Cora has begun naming his coaches:

 

• Ron Roenicke has been named bench coach.

 

• Tom Goodwin will serve as the club's first-base coach and outfield instructor. He will also coordinate baserunning instruction.

 

• Carlos Febles has been named the club's third-base coach and infield instructor.

 

• Dana LeVangie will return to the Major League staff as bullpen coach. He will also continue to serve as the club's catching coordinator and assist in advance scouting.

 

Hitting and Pitching Coaches yet to come.

 

http://m.redsox.mlb.com/news/article/260459976/red-sox-announce-additions-to-coaching-staff/

[SoxnCycles]

Cora has begun naming his coaches:

 

• Ron Roenicke has been named bench coach.

 

• Tom Goodwin will serve as the club's first-base coach and outfield instructor. He will also coordinate baserunning instruction.

 

• Carlos Febles has been named the club's third-base coach and infield instructor.

 

• Dana LeVangie will return to the Major League staff as bullpen coach. He will also continue to serve as the club's catching coordinator and assist in advance scouting.

 

Hitting and Pitching Coaches yet to come.

 

http://m.redsox.mlb.com/news/article/260459976/red-sox-announce-additions-to-coaching-staff/

 

I like the Roenicke and LeVangie picks.

[mvp 78]

I like the Roenicke and LeVangie picks.

 

Good win and Febles have previously worked within the Sox org too. No red flags yet.

[Kimmi]

Good win and Febles have previously worked within the Sox org too. No red flags yet.

 

Tony LaRussa!!!

[Northern Star]

Tony LaRussa!!!

 

Don't even....

[Northern Star]

I've spent 9 years of my life watching Tony La Russa make pitching changes.

[Kimmi]

I've spent 9 years of my life watching Tony La Russa make pitching changes.

 

I know this was discussed in the LaRussa thread, but I really don't get this signing.

 

I guess he is supposed to be the 'checks and balances' for Cora.

[Carpin]

I know this was discussed in the LaRussa thread, but I really don't get this signing.

 

I guess he is supposed to be the 'checks and balances' for Cora.

 

Or a safety net....

[Kimmi]

Or a safety net....

 

LaRussa says he wants to help Cora without 'getting in his way'.

 

That sounds a lot like how Larry 'helped' Ben and Theo.

[SoxnCycles]

LaRussa says he wants to help Cora without 'getting in his way'.

 

That sounds a lot like how Larry 'helped' Ben and Theo.

 

LOL

I doubt Larussa will be micromanaging Cora's daily managing duties.

If he does, Cora should quit!

[Bellhorn04]

Oh well, Arizona did well this year and I don't think there were any stories about Larussa interfering with Lovullo. That's my Pollyanna take on the matter.

[Jack Flap]

Tony LaRussa!!!

 

Hard to say without knowing how much power he'll have. If he's really just there for Cora to bounce ideas off of when needed (for which he also has a former manager and mentor/friend as his bench coach) and so DD can have a buddy on the payroll, then I don't see it as a big deal. If it's much more than that, then ehhh....

[SoxnCycles]

Oh well, Arizona did well this year and I don't think there were any stories about Larussa interfering with Lovullo. That's my Pollyanna take on the matter.

 

Yeah, I don't see that happening here either.

LaRussa is avaialable for advice, if Cora asks for it.

[oldtimer]

Tony LaRussa!!!

 

LaRussa is one of the top baseball men in the business. He is a great advisory pickup for the team in my view. This site is so negative about people like DD and LaRussa. Can't understand other than some like to say shocking things to rile things up.

[Carpin]

LaRussa is one of the top baseball men in the business. He is a great advisory pickup for the team in my view. This site is so negative about people like DD and LaRussa. Can't understand other than some like to say shocking things to rile things up.

 

I agree that LaRussa is a great baseball mind and can help a big deal with ideas, the difference will be the role he will play with the team, if it's really in an advisory role for DD then great, if it's to second guess or micromanage Cora then the team will suffer

Edited November 3, 2017 by Carpin
bog seas : big deal WTF

[mvp 78]

LaRussa is one of the top baseball men in the business. He is a great advisory pickup for the team in my view. This site is so negative about people like DD and LaRussa. Can't understand other than some like to say shocking things to rile things up.

 

It's not JUST this site:

 

http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/11/03/redundancy-and-tony-la-russa/

 

Everyone needs some story to go with I guess?

[Kimmi]

LaRussa is one of the top baseball men in the business. He is a great advisory pickup for the team in my view. This site is so negative about people like DD and LaRussa. Can't understand other than some like to say shocking things to rile things up.

 

I just don't see where LaRussa adds much that we don't already have. I read a couple of good articles by Drelich and Kory about how hiring LaRussa is fine, but how his hiring really doesn't help to move the organization forward. One of them used the analogy of LaRussa being like a 3rd arm.

 

As Drelich so eloquently said, having people with experience is nice, but so too is having people who can challenge the viewpoints formed by experience.

[Kimmi]

It's not JUST this site:

 

http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/11/03/redundancy-and-tony-la-russa/

 

Everyone needs some story to go with I guess?

 

!!!

 

Matthew Kory, my man!

[Kimmi]

LOL

I doubt Larussa will be micromanaging Cora's daily managing duties.

If he does, Cora should quit!

 

I don't think he will be either, but I do think he was brought in mostly as a 'safety net' for Cora over anything else. That doesn't send a very good message to Cora.

[notin]

I don't think he will be either, but I do think he was brought in mostly as a 'safety net' for Cora over anything else. That doesn't send a very good message to Cora.

 

Tony LaRussa is 73 years old and has not managed since 2011.

 

While I do get he probably wants to be around the game as long as possible, I have to think that if he wanted the grind and travel associated with managing, he would have found an opportunity within the last 6 years.

 

I also doubt he is a safety net in the front office, something Dombrowski did not do with Farrell even after two last place finishes. If Cora doesn't cut it, the interim manager will very likely be someone from his staff...

[Jack Flap]

It's not JUST this site:

 

http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/11/03/redundancy-and-tony-la-russa/

 

Everyone needs some story to go with I guess?

 

I thought this piece did a good job of summarizing the incompetence of the Diamondbacks front office under LaRussa, which is a valid reason to be wary of him having anything to do with the Red Sox. Of course, I don't think that means he has nothing to add, either...as I said, it all comes down to how he is used.

 

I rather doubt Dombrowski would have been so dead set on hiring Cora only to tie one hand behind his back from the start by placing him under LaRussa's thumb, and if LaRussa has any input on front office decisions, he should be just one voice out of many...so I'm trying to go 'glass half full' on this one.

[Kimmi]

Tony LaRussa is 73 years old and has not managed since 2011.

 

While I do get he probably wants to be around the game as long as possible, I have to think that if he wanted the grind and travel associated with managing, he would have found an opportunity within the last 6 years.

 

I also doubt he is a safety net in the front office, something Dombrowski did not do with Farrell even after two last place finishes. If Cora doesn't cut it, the interim manager will very likely be someone from his staff...

 

Oh, don't get me wrong. In no way do I think LaRussa will take over the managing job if Cora falls flat on his face, which I also in no way think will happen. But I do think that LaRussa was hired in large part to advise Cora.

 

If Dombrowski likes what he sees in Cora's managing and the team is playing well, that advice from LaRussa will be just that, advice that Cora can use as he deems necessary. If Dombrowski does not like what he sees in Cora's managing, then the advice will become more like a directive.

[Kimmi]

I thought this piece did a good job of summarizing the incompetence of the Diamondbacks front office under LaRussa, which is a valid reason to be wary of him having anything to do with the Red Sox. Of course, I don't think that means he has nothing to add, either...as I said, it all comes down to how he is used.

 

I rather doubt Dombrowski would have been so dead set on hiring Cora only to tie one hand behind his back from the start by placing him under LaRussa's thumb, and if LaRussa has any input on front office decisions, he should be just one voice out of many...so I'm trying to go 'glass half full' on this one.

 

IMO, LaRussa and Dombrowski are too like minded. Dombrowski would be better served by hiring someone who could give him an alternate viewpoint.

[oldtimer]

I am expecting a storm of negativism regarding the Sox hiring of the new hitting coach Tom Hyers and his assistant Andy Barkett. This site seldom has a positive take on changes.

[Kimmi]

I am expecting a storm of negativism regarding the Sox hiring of the new hitting coach Tom Hyers and his assistant Andy Barkett. This site seldom has a positive take on changes.

 

Oldtimer, I am far from being a negative poster. My take is almost always positive, so much so that I am often called a homer, a pollyanna, or told to take of my rose colored glasses. I absolutely love the Cora signing, and have had no issues with any of the other coaches that have been signed.

 

I don't think that LaRussa will be the downfall of this team. I just don't see the necessity of signing him, and think Dombrowski would have been better off hiring a VP that could offer him some opposing viewpoints.

[a700hitter]

Oldtimer, I am far from being a negative poster. My take is almost always positive, so much so that I am often called a homer, a pollyanna, or told to take of my rose colored glasses. I absolutely love the Cora signing, and have had no issues with any of the other coaches that have been signed.

 

I don't think that LaRussa will be the downfall of this team. I just don't see the necessity of signing him, and think Dombrowski would have been better off hiring a VP that could offer him some opposing viewpoints.

I don't think you are positive at all. Free agent signings of top talent makes you shudder and you live in fear of looming cliffs. That is not positive thinking. As for the new hitting coach hire, I have no clue who this guy is. What is his resume as a hitter and hitting coach?

[mvp 78]

I don't think you are positive at all. Free agent signings of top talent makes you shudder and you live in fear of looming cliffs. That is not positive thinking. As for the new hitting coach hire, I have no clue who this guy is. What is his resume as a hitter and hitting coach?

 

Wrong. She's positive that there is a cliff coming. She's positive that LaRussa was a bad hiring and that he'll be a meddler. Very positive thinking, imo.

[Jack Flap]

Dana LaVangie will be promoted to pitching coach:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/red-sox-name-dana-lavangie-pitching-coach.html

[Jack Flap]

Pete Abraham @PeteAbe

#RedSox promoted Dana LeVangie to pitching coach. He had been bullpen coach.

 

Pete Abraham‏ @PeteAbe

Ramon Vazquez was added to the MLB staff. Per release: "will serve as a liaison between the major league club’s advance scouting and statistical analysis efforts, for the purpose of presenting information to players and coaches."

 

Pete Abraham‏ @PeteAbe

Former Sox advance scout Steve Langone will now "travel with the major league team and work closely with Vazquez and advance scouting assistant J.T. Watkins."

 

Pete Abraham @PeteAbe

In short: #RedSox are beefing up their advance staff and more closely aligning the analytics dept. with the MLB coaches.

[sk7326]

Dana LaVangie will be promoted to pitching coach:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/red-sox-name-dana-lavangie-pitching-coach.html

 

It is a sound move. What you hope is that they have a plan to replace some of the catching instruction he was able to provide in his prior role.