14
2011
It’s Official, Mets Name Bob Geren Bench Coach
An article by Hojo's Mojo
The Mets on Friday named former A’s manager Bob Geren the bench coach to Terry Collins.
“Bob Geren’s experience as a former manager and bench coach will be a great fit for us,” said Mets Manager Terry Collins. “Adding a former major league catcher like Bob to our staff will be ideal.”
Geren beat out former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman, who had strong ties with Collins.
Geren posted a 334-376 record in four and a half years managing the A’s.
The Mets have also begun the process of interviewing first-base coach candidates. The front office has interviewed Minor League infield coordinator Kevin Morgan and outfield coordinator Jack Voigt for the position, according to a source, and expects to add multiple names to its list of candidates in the coming days.
Original Post 10/13
According to baseball officials who requested anonymity because the club had not made any public pronouncements the Mets are making progress in its search for a bench coach, writes Andy McCullough.
Former Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman interviewed on Tuesday, while former Oakland Athletics manager Bob Geren is expected to interview today.
Despite what you may have read or heard, Larry Bowa is not considered a candidate. As we reported here last week, Bowa has taken some veiled shots at the Mets in recent weeks and considering his opposition to sabermetric views, he wouldn’t really mesh with the current front office if you know what I mean.
That said, I have a bit of a problem with this little item on Geren:
Geren spent more than 10 seasons in the Oakland organization, and was considered close with general manager Billy Beane. But things took a turn for the worse early this season. He publicly sparred with reliever Brian Fuentes. One of his former players, Rockies closer Huston Street, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Geren was “my least favorite person I have ever encountered in sports.”
What Fuentes had a problem with was Geren’s lack of communication and his overall managing style which he considered unorthodox and uninspiring. ”There’s just no communication…Just lack of communication. I don’t think anybody really knows which direction he’s headed.”
When asked if the air needed to be cleared with his manager, Fuentes replied, “Some people might think so, but at this point, I have nothing to say.”
Some have also reported, including Jon Heyman, that “Geren was in tough spot from the start, as players and outsiders alike viewed him as something of a teacher’s pet in that he was Beane’s best man at his wedding and unlikely to be a candidate to manage anywhere else.”
Geren took over an A’s club that had posted eight straight winning seasons, but when he took charge the A’s had five straight non-winning seasons.
However, Geren’s affinity for sabermetrics and managing the game by the percentages, could give him the edge over Riggelman and a leg up with this front office. We’ll see.
About the Author: Rob Johnson
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
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Geren took over an A’s club that had posted eight straight winning seasons, but when he took charge the A’s had five straight non-winning seasons”
wow.. wouldn’t put too much into this hojo. we also hired a GM with 6 straight losing season, is all good..
Meh, this isn’t really different from what Collins had up to last season.
it actually sounds like a good fit.
because, they aren’t hiring him to be the manager. And as far as I know, the bench coach isn’t supposed to be the communications portal to the players. that is Collins’ job.
the bench guy is supposed to help the manager in game with ideas, opinions, etc. So since Terry seems to be a guy guy, what’s wrong with having a #s/percentages guy next to him for input?
Agreed – Was thinking the same thing. Having two schools of thought side by side could have many residual benefits. I hope it happens.
Can you provide a link to McCullough’s post?
why don’t sandy let collins pick the bench coach??? i mean, sandy was able to bring his sabergoons with him, why not let collins pick his coaches?!?
For some reason, and this goes all the way back to Steve Phillips, Mets GMs very rarely allowed their managers to name their own coaching staff. Must be a Mets thing.
How do you know Collins isn’t involved?
not having Collins involved better fits his all encompassing hatred of everything Sandy, and anything involving statistics.
GMs do the hiring, anyway, not managers. Obviously, the manager should be part of the process, but he’s not the guy doing the hiring.
It’s quite simple really…
Sandy didn’t like the decisions Collins made and he can’t fire Collins who seems to have clicked with the players so he is replacing the Bench coach who will not suggest sabermetric sins like bunting the runner over and hit and running!
sounds like another terrible move. Let’s bring in another loser mentality who loves sabermetrics. Perfect.
Right because this article and every article out there said this guy is DEFINATELY coming to the NY Mets………
joe smith has an infatuation with bayonne, maniac, omar and me… can you stop stalking people here and make your own comments?!? damn man!!!!!
exactly, he doesn’t counter with anything he’s just mad you said it and let’s you know lol
another dou-che, just like jesseP and aggeee, but at least those 2 make us laugh you know
is that when we use big words?
no, when you write articles about urinals, or articles second guessing, you know,stuff like this that are funny as hel-l:
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/07/brewers-ptbnl-here-is-one-possibility.html DEAD WRONG once again…
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2010/12/aldersons-greatest-acquisition-this-off-season.html REALLY???
but the most ridiculous post was the one about brad eamus when you said this:
“Emaus is no slouch. In Baseball Prospectus 2010 prospect rankings, his scouting report reads “A polished infield prospect via Tulane, Brad Emaus projects as a solid major league second baseman in the near future. His .302 average and 12 homers in 463 at-bats at high-A Dunedin helped propel him to the top of the Blue Jays’ prospect chart. If his line-drive swing can keep up with more advanced pitching, he could get a look in Toronto at the end of the year.”
Emaus is starting to look like a prototypical on base threat at 2B. Although he spent much of his time at 3B, we probably have to assume he’d play 2B if he made the team right?
Last year in Las Vegas he played in 87 games, hit .298, 25 doubles, 10HR, 49RBI, and a .395 OBP.
He also spent time in AA New Hampshire where he played 38 games, hit .272, 7 doubles, 5HR, 26RBI and a .402 OBP.
Personally, I’m excited about the pick. There’s no way to know if he will be on the Mets in 2011, the Rule V draft is a crapshoot by design. However, his numbers and his scouting reports show that he has value and is not a throw away player”
WHERE IS THE ADMISSION FROM YOU THAT YOU WERE DEAD WRONG!!!??
but no, you will say things like: “he didn’t cost us anything” or he wasn’t on the roster” stupid things you know..
So you want me to get publically stoned to death because I said “My first guess is that it’s reliever Mike McClendon” and that I said “I’m saying McClendon is one of the players on the list, and if he is, I expect he’ll be one of the players brought over in the deal.” — The list being the list of 5 players the Mets COULD get.
Here is where I mention Emaus to the degree you want me to http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/07/rule-5-reflection-pedro-beato.html
I’m not going to apologize to you for having an opinion and not being afraid to put my name to it. If every opinion on here was accurate, we’d be getting paid to write.
No one is taking you to task for having an opinion and stating it…
What we take you to task for is when that OPINION turns out to be wong you refuse to ever admit it and correct it! Then go and continue stating the proved wrong opinion as if it still applies!
Like 7.5 games out in July is GAME OVER for the season!
Like the Minors is a shambles despite 4 guys coming up to make us a .593 team with 5 or 6 more still down in the Minors waiting to improve on that!
Like saying we don’t need a closer because we are awful before K-Rod got traded and then having 10+ blown saves because we had no credible closer in August and Sept! The difference between a .500 season and what we got!
Credibility my friend!
Your a much better poster than most here. But you tend to run from your past statements and opinions and then restate them even after they ave been proved to be total fabrications or just plain out wrong!
Like the latest beauty Omar had it far easier than Sandy did!
Omar didn’t have the pieces to make a team that played .593 baseball in June!
Sandy did!
Then traded away the biggest piece of that puzzle!
At the end of the season Beltran was still leading the team in RBI!
With only half a season of being here!
“What we take you to task for ….”
Hey Metsie, are you too forming a CORE? lol
Nah but I think I got drafted a few months ago!
And I must have been made an officer cause they keep saluting me! lol
Great response, Metsie. But remember you’re known by the company you keep! lol
Better I should be known for what I say not who agrees with it!
I would rather be correct in my response than worry if the “IN CROWD” agrees with it or not!
I know it seems to be a sport around here beating on a belittling Bayone, Omarfan and Alex.
And maybe they don’t always make their case as well as they should.
But they aren’t always as wrong as some would have them believe.
Jessup has been wrong many more times this year on points I have mentioned recently and even showed stats to illustrate that!
And all I got from it was the same stuff Bayonne and the CORE gets without any attempt to prove their side because they knew what I posted was right and they couldn’t defend!
I myself prefer to keep company with FACTS and empirical evidence, not the lead pom pom waver and his parrots truth be told!
And whoever agrees with me is thier business not mine!
Oh ever the class act, You going to debate or just snipe like your cheerleaders Donal and Who?
pot meet kettle?
Please Alex. You insinuate yourself too. Maybe more than Joe. Cut him some slack, please.
is funny how you disapear for a long time then come back shooting arrows!
Stating the facts is ‘shooting arrows’ to a scaredy cat!
(Actually I do volunteer work for the needy and I was out of town and wasn’t at my computer.)
is ok des, i was out for a year as well.. no harm done… is good to have you around i guess, one more person to debate baseball topics
I’m still wondering why we let Mookie go. What was the reason again, because Pagan’s a moron in the outfield and Duda doesn’t cover much ground?
You’re assuming it was the FO’s choice. It’s not like he was fired.
From what I read he was released and CHip Hale was the one who voluntarily left.
Most winning ex-managers are retired or they are managing. What winning record ex-manager is out there waiting to become a bench coach?
Ex managers as bench coaches
Willie Randolph is in Baltimore as B.C.
Pete Mackanin was interim Mgr. in Texas as B. C.
Pat Corrales in Washington as B.C.
Jackie Moore in Texas
Jackie Narron in Milwaukee
I think I remember the article about the firing saying that Terry had some say about who left. That being said I see no reason why he wouldn’t have input about who came in to replace them. I hope he gets someone that he likes and that he trusts.
I’ll worry about who the bench coach is when he’s hired. But, I seem to remember hearing about how much players hated Terry Collins and I don’t know, that seemed to not be the case in 2011 right?
It’s about a good fit for Collins and the team as a whole. If they hire Geren, all that means is that Huston Street and Brian Fuentes won’t be a Met any time soon.
Great post!
I am definitely in favor of Riggleman over Bob Geren. I feel as if Riggleman is a more savy baseball man while Geren seems to attract more negative attention.
Then again Sandy Alderson likes hiring guys who have had checkered pasts in the clubhouse and dugout (See – Terry Collins)
Acc. to Mike Puma on twitter, Bob Geren is the bench coach candidate of choice of the FO, while Riggleman is TC’s preference. I vote for Riggleman. Even without knowing the above incident in the post above, from what I’ve seen of Geren on TV when he was mgr. of the A’s, he appeared to myself as being too stuffy, too cold, never crack a smile, etc.
I think I’d prefer Riggleman too.
BREAKING NEWS: BOB GEREN HIRED AS THE METS BENCH COACH…..
cool
yay another A’s douche.
Good greif, what’s next? An elephant painted on the on-deck circle? If we start incorporating yellow and green into our color scheme, I’m out.
LOL @ metsaddict77!!! Thumbs up!
why is it “cool”? What does Geren bring to the table? All I’ve heard are bad things about him and that’s a Sandy hire and not want Collins wanted. Do you have special insight into Geren that none of the rest of us have? If so then please correct us and make us see it your way.
So how is this cool? Please explain.
Or is it just because Geren was an Oakland A and that’s the only reason you’re saying “cool” and absolutely NOTHING to do with helping the ballclub to improve.
bayonne, i didn’t even bother replying to him… you should do the same
It means I frankly do not give any mind body or soul to this decision.
It means I never watched a game and thought to myself “what is Oberkfell doing!?”
It means I don’t think Joe Pettini, Jackie Moore really are of Cardinals or Rangers fans concerns.
It means, anybody who really cares to discuss who the bench coach is at great detail is looking for reasons to either complain or falsely praise.
If you tell me Robin Ventura hires some veteran manager as his bench coach then yeah I see the worth considering Ventura’s never managed or even a young Manager.
People had doubts about Collins, frankly they were almost identical doubts based on prior player quotes and I don’t think anybody today would argue he wasn’t the right guy for the job.
I appreciate Collins wanting a guy, but you can’t forget Riggleman has a tiny dark cloud over himself right now for ditching the Nats. Whether we like it or not, that cloud is there.
Teams pick coaches all the time, you don’t know how the meeting went with TC.
It’s a bench coach. That’s all it is.
Pretty much. He’s there to be TC’s sidekick. I’m pretty sure every manager has some players who hate his guts.
I really don’t see the need to get excited one way or another over the bench coach. Unless you think Don Zimmer was the lynch pin of those Yankees WS teams.
I’m more interested in what Teuful does since I think he’s the heir apparent.
OBVIOUSLY you’ve never been in a position to select a coach to help assist you.
That’s the person you confide in, the guy you may turn to if you have an in-game managing decision to make and you want to bounce your idea of somebody.
When I selected an assistant that’s the person who I usually stood next to the whole game, i know their perspectives, I know what their hunches are, etc.
It is somebody you must have a good relationship with otherwise the lack of communication CAN transcend to the field. IF this is who Collins did not want than the GM has to respect that – if you want to create as much an atmosphere conducive to winning as you possibly can.
“OBVIOUSLY you’ve never been in a position to select a coach to help assist you.”
Oh shut up with that. Like high school has anything to do with any real world job outside of high school teacher.
“That’s the person you confide in, the guy you may turn to if you have an in-game managing decision to make and you want to bounce your idea of somebody.”
I notice the players’ opinions of him haven’t come into play.
“When I selected an assistant that’s the person who I usually stood next to the whole game, i know their perspectives, I know what their hunches are, etc.”
Nifty. You are a nobody. Your experience has nothing to do with what major league managers do. And I still see players not coming into this.
“It is somebody you must have a good relationship with otherwise the lack of communication CAN transcend to the field. IF this is who Collins did not want than the GM has to respect that – if you want to create as much an atmosphere conducive to winning as you possibly can.”
And if the GM did not feel that what the manager was looking for in this instance was best for the team, then its his job as the executive to make that call.
Like I said
“It means, anybody who really cares to discuss who the bench coach is at great detail is looking for reasons to either complain or falsely praise. ”
It’s a bench coach.
Lets talk about the bullpen coach next.
I’m waiting for the raging debate on the bullpen catcher.
Breaking News ——-
The Mets hired Manny. The former Oakland Coliseum peanut and beer vendor. Damn Saber-bastids.
I don’t like this move, mainly because I think Collins should be able to pick his bench coach. At the very least, they should’ve hired the guy he wanted, Riggleman, if it wasn’t his decision (obviously it wasn’t.)
Geren doesn’t have a history of doing anything much, but according to his former players, he’s terrible with pitchers/overall in terms of communication. Not a glowing record for somebody on my coaching staff, no matter what the position.
I would of preferred they have added Riggleman only because he seemed on the surface like a better fit than Geren. Can only hope that like Collins who had players rally against him in Anaheim that Geren shows himself to be as useful in 2012 as Hudgens has and as Collins has in 2011.
“Bob Geren’s experience as a former manager and bench coach will be a great fit for us,” said Mets Manager Terry Collins. “Adding a former major league catcher like Bob to our staff will be ideal.”
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7102532/new-york-mets-hire-ex-oakland-athletics-skipper-geren-bench-coach
but how does this fit with Sandy just ramming a former A down Terry’s throat?
Oh, I’m sure no matter who was made bench coach, TC would be a good soldier and support it publicly.
The reality is, we have no real idea how things went down. For all we know, TC really liked Geren, but just preferred Riggleman. And the reverse with Alderson. It could have been a coin flip.
Wait til these folks find out Geren is best friends with Billy Beane
oops… uh oh
Are you all arguing about the stupid bench coach? Lame!
Bob Geren = Sandy Alderson’s, “man in the dugout.”
In other words, “I acknowledge that you have done some excellent work Terry Collins you may stay provided you have “supervision” in the dugout.
Not good. If I were Terry Collins I would look to capitalize on the good year he has in 2011 and move on.
I am disappointed.
so geniusalderson made his big offseason move…great job getting this geren character before some other genius scoops him up? hey cone headed geniusalderson when ya gonna sign reyes? we need jose signed up…..now!