Jerry Narron

Previous Position: Arizona Diamondbacks Bench Coach (2017 – 2019)

Age: January 15, 1956 (63)

Managerial Experience: Cincinnati Reds (2005 – 2007); Texas Rangers (2001 – 2002)

Due to the sleuthing of MMO‘s Jacob Resnick and the confirmation from the New York Post‘s Ken Davidoff, we now know Jerry Narron is a candidate to join Carlos Beltran‘s staff as the bench coach.

Narron has experience in a variety of coaching roles including his being the manager of the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds. In those two stops, he has a managerial record of 134-162. While he had a losing record in each season he was a manager, it should be noted the teams he had taken over were losing teams, and those teams would not have winning records until a few seasons after he was fired.

As noted in a piece written by Zach Buchanan of The Athletic, as a bench coach Narron is known as “J-Savage.” The moniker was bestowed upon him due to his prediction Jered Weaver threw his last pitch as a Major Leaguer, and it stuck because he has a fiery personality on the bench willing to engage umpires and opposing teams alike.

But that is just part of what Narron brings to the table. He has been known as a quirky personality who is meticulous in his preparation for games. He’s a mix of old school in how he approaches the game, but he is also someone who is open to and has used analytics. For example, when Narron was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, he had controversially batted Adam Dunn with his .365 OBP second in the lineup instead of lower down where you expect traditional power hitters with low averages to bat.

One overlooked aspect of Narron’s tenure as a manager was he had to handle some very difficult situations. He was the manager who had to tell Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. he was moving to right field. He was also the first manager who managed Josh Hamilton in the majors. At the time, the Reds took a chance on Hamilton in the Rule 5 Draft. Hamilton would have a very productive season for the Reds, and ultimately, would stay clean that season.

Through his career as a coach and manager, there is not much he has not experienced. He’s had to handle players deal with their decline, and he’s had to help players fight personal demons. He’s been a part of an analytical revolution while trying to keep his feet planted firmly square in the past. For some reason, that skill set never quite worked for him as a manager, but still, he carries a wealth of experience in any clubhouse he enters.

It should be noted he has experience working with this Mets front office. When Narron was the third base coach for the Rangers, Omar Minaya was a scout for the team. Narron was also the Brewers bench coach from 2011 – 2015 when Adam Guttridge was a Baseball Operations Analyst and Manager of Baseball Research and Development for the team.

Narron’s candidacy for the job would imply both Minaya and Guttridge think highly enough of him they would want him helping Beltran through his first year as a manager. On the front, Narron’s extensive experience as a National League bench coach and his brief managerial tenure with the Reds are an asset as well.

What They Say

Daniel Descalso: “If there’s a rules question, I’ll go to Jerry because he’s probably the best bet to have an answer for me.”

Torey Lovullo: “He asks me difficult questions sometimes, and I’m like, ‘Jerry, hang on. That’s a great question. I need to think about that, because I don’t know that answer right now. I need someone to think forward as often as he does.”

Recommendation

Narron has exactly what you want in a bench coach. He has experience, the trust of his players, and he has dealt with nearly everything you could throw at a manager. Narron has learned how to balance the new and old school and he has the respect of key members of the Mets’ front office.

When you break it down, Narron is the ideal candidate. However, it is not going to matter one bit if he doesn’t click with Beltran.

In previous years, we saw Willie Randolph‘s managerial tenure hindered by Jerry Manuel, and we saw the negative impact Gary Disarcina‘s lack of National League experience had on Mickey Callaway. We also saw how Bob Geren helped Terry Collins slightly modernize his approach to the game.

In the end, if Beltran likes and is comfortable with Narron, the Mets should hire him. However, if Beltran has even the slightest hesitation, they should look in a different direction because no amount of experience can ever bridge that gap.