Ruben Amaro Jr to be named first base coach

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I think the better question is why does that make him a good 1B coach?

 
It doesn't, but assuming he's a bad 1st base coach because he was a bad GM is lazy. He may well be a terrible 1st base coach, but we really don't have any way to know yet. Of course, given his name and history, I doubt he has much chance of ever being anything but vilified. Thankfully, he's not likely to be in a position to make any decisions that can easily be attributable to him, so the opportunities for jumping on him should be limited.

 

[glennhoffmania]

 
It doesn't, but assuming he's a bad 1st base coach because he was a bad GM is lazy. He may well be a terrible 1st base coach, but we really don't have any way to know yet. Of course, given his name and history, I doubt he has much chance of ever being anything but vilified. Thankfully, he's not likely to be in a position to make any decisions that can easily be attributable to him, so the opportunities for jumping on him should be limited.

Yes yes, another example of most of the board being lazy. How exactly would someone be unlazy to determine that Amaro would make a good coach considering that he's never coached anywhere a day in his life? What research or analysis could be done to reach such a conclusion and not be lazy?

I'm not concluding that he will be a bad coach. But since it seems like a very odd hiring and he has zero history of success in coaching I think we're all entitled to wait to hear what the basis was for the decision and why it makes any sense. Until then people wondering about the logic behind the choice seem pretty justified to me.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I didn't say anything about wondering why he was hired. I just turned your question around on you as we have no way of knowing one way or the other how he is going to do. That's if he has, in fact, been hired in the first place.
 
https://twitter.com/bradfo/status/658042923213312000
 
I also didn't say most of the board was doing anything. But hey, have fun with that straw man.

 

[ifmanis5]

Interview for 1st base job:
 
1. Can you clap and tap people on the butt?
2. Can you carry knee and elbow guards?
3. Can tell someone how many outs there are?
 
Welcome aboard!

 

[benhogan]

the first base coach has some important decision making on hard hit wall balls

 

[mauidano]

Interview for 1st base job:
 
1. Can you clap and tap people on the butt?
2. Can you carry knee and elbow guards?
3. Can tell someone how many outs there are?
 
Welcome aboard!

Really not much to do at that gig at any level, Little League to the majors.  Cushy job.  But he whole thing is still SO weird.

Maybe there were provocative photos slid under Dombrowski's door.

 

[bankshot1]

If this is true this is the first step in a career makeover for Amaro. So good for him and its good to have friends in high places to help hook you up.
 
It seems the risk for the Sox is if Amaro still sees himself as a caller of shots, sees this as the stepping stone to loftier organizational responsibilities. With Lovullo already in the wings just in case, there may be an overload of decision makers in the dugout. Its a curious organizational decision.

 

[MakMan44]

I don't know how's going to do as a 1st base coach, but man, it's a hell of a turn around for him. I'm surprised he accepted the demotion, in all honestly. 

 

[Devizier]

What are the responsibilities of a first base coach, anyways? Reminding the runners of how many outs there are? There is zero translation between being a GM and a coach, never mind one that has virtually no strategic importance whatsoever.

 

[canyoubelieveit]

Interview for 1st base job:
 
1. Can you clap and tap people on the butt?
2. Can you carry knee and elbow guards?
3. Can tell someone how many outs there are?
 
Welcome aboard!

This is a gross oversimplification.  They have to keep an eye out for the hidden ball trick too.

 

[tims4wins]

It is rare that SoSH is an embarrassment, but this thread qualifies. Who the fuck cares who the 1B coach is?

 

[scotian1]

According to HR, they have an important role in stealing signs.

 

[glennhoffmania]

It is rare that SoSH is an embarrassment, but this thread qualifies. Who the fuck cares who the 1B coach is?

If you think that the only job is to remind runners how many outs there are or hold their elbow pad then sure. But coaches do more than stand out there in the coaches box for 90 minutes per night. Amaro is replacing the 1B coach and OF instructor. Who takes over the second role now? Is Amaro the best choice for OF instructor too?

 

[E5 Yaz]

It is rare that SoSH is an embarrassment, but this thread qualifies. Who the fuck cares who the 1B coach is?

 
At the end of the season, apparently Red Sox management did

 

[InsideTheParker]

What are the responsibilities of a first base coach, anyways? Reminding the runners of how many outs there are? There is zero translation between being a GM and a coach, never mind one that has virtually no strategic importance whatsoever.

Verducci has an SI article on the KC base coaches and their roles in the KC wins. Through studying David Price's delivery, they knew when to start the runners. It was pretty sophisticated and the 1b coach saying "Run!" accounted for more than one winning run.

 

[Ale Xander]

He's here to make Hanley a passable outfielder defensively right? There's no other logical alternative reason is there?

Please stay away from mookie and JBJ, Ruben.

 

[tims4wins]

I should have written something else. We obviously all care about all things Sox. I should have written how can we possibly evaluate this decision without knowing anything about his coaching abilities, just because he was a lousy GM. I fully realized that the 1B coach has more responsibilities than knowing how many outs there are and patting guys on the butt.

Edit: I still think this thread is an embarrassment. Oh noes he was a horrible GM he is gonna bring teh suck as the 1B coach!1!1!111

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

It is rare that SoSH is an embarrassment, but this thread qualifies. Who the fuck cares who the 1B coach is?

For someone who has spent so much time in BBTL for a lot of years, this is a pretty funny statement.

 

[tims4wins]

For someone who has spent so much time in BBTL for a lot of years, this is a pretty funny statement.

Touche but I don't think I have ever written a word about Josh Boyer or Patrick Graham

 

[glennhoffmania]

Edit: I still think this thread is an embarrassment. Oh noes he was a horrible GM he is gonna bring teh suck as the 1B coach!1!1!111

I don't think people are saying he'll suck because he was a shitty GM. People are wondering why, of all the possible candidates, they'd pick someone with zero coaching experience. His track record as a GM is secondary.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Touche but I don't think I have ever written a word about Josh Boyer or Patrick Graham

Sorry, not trying to accusing you of anything in particular yourself, just pointing out that I'm sure you've seen much worse topics of discussion. I agree it's probably not going to impact the team much but it still is a pretty odd hiring and I think deserves comment, even if it's repetitive "wtf?" Not sure it ranks up to "trade Pedroia" level embarrassment for the main board (among others) or half what BBTL used to be, all I'm saying.

 

[tims4wins]

Fair enough. Personally I think "trade Pedroia" has more merit than this topic but YMMV.

And to ghoff, agreed, it's kind of an odd, out of the blue move

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

And to ghoff, agreed, it's kind of an odd, out of the blue move

And that's the simple reason for the thread.  It seems like an odd choice for the Sox and an odd career move for RAJ.
 
The fact that he is who he is, and not just some other random fired GM, just makes it feel weirder

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Fair enough. Personally I think "trade Pedroia" has more merit than this topic but YMMV

If the Pats hired Thomas Dimitroff as a positional coach would that warrant more or less conversation than trading Tom Brady? Just curious...

 

[rodderick]

I should have written something else. We obviously all care about all things Sox. I should have written how can we possibly evaluate this decision without knowing anything about his coaching abilities, just because he was a lousy GM. I fully realized that the 1B coach has more responsibilities than knowing how many outs there are and patting guys on the butt.

Edit: I still think this thread is an embarrassment. Oh noes he was a horrible GM he is gonna bring teh suck as the 1B coach!1!1!111

There are more posts saying that his GM history shouldn't be used as a barometer of his 1B coaching ability than there are people saying he'll suck because he was a lousy GM. People are baffled by the move because it's an incredibly unusual switch, I don't see why this is an embarrassment.

 

[keninten]

The Sox could just be floating his name out there as a favor to him. Maybe he really just wants to get back out on the field and misses the comraderie of being on a team. All we can do is speculate and probably never know why they do what they do, but it`s the off season so WTF!!!!!
 
If Amaro ever did become a manager, I wonder how it would help, if at all, to dealing with a front office?

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

The Sox could just be floating his name out there as a favor to him. 

 
 
Floating a guy's name for a job that has the public scratching their heads and talking about his humility seems like an odd kind of favor. 

 

[Oil Can Dan]

The Sox could just be floating his name out there as a favor to him

So that some other team would then panic at the thought of missing out on him as their 1st base coach and immediately pay whatever it takes to land him?

This really is one of the most bizarrely interesting moves I can recall seeing. Still not really sure if it's true.

 

[keninten]

Ridiculous isn`t it?

 

[P'tucket rhymes with...]

Well, he wanted to get into managing so it makes sense from his perspectiver. Sox had the opening, there is a pretty good likelihood that Farrell moves on at some point in the near future and Lovullo takes over, and Ruben could then be in line for the bench coach gig which would put him in line to manage at some point. Probably not a bad plan on his part if he is willing to wait 5 years, also probably go a rude awakening when his agent announced he wanted to manage and the rest of the league laughed at him.

The only rational reason RAJ would be on their radar in the first place would be the link between him and Farrell.  If Farrell "moves on," there's no way in hell Ruben is Lovullo's bench coach.
 

 
Unless he wanted to transition to an on the field position in MLB because he found out he didn't like the front-office(or wasn't good at it).
 
I'd say it worked out pretty well for RAJ. Since he is a former player, he can actually do this. Even Theo Epstein couldn't coach at any level of professional baseball.
 
From the Red Sox perspective a bit of a head scratcher too. That said, he was an outfielder, and a former teammate of John Farrell on the 1995 Cleveland Indians. Since the Sox were looking for a combination OF/1B coach it is starting to make sense.

Uh, no.
 

Poor Arnie Beyeler must be like, I got replaced by *this*?

Imagine how Cherington must feel.  He had to deal with this moron's delusional trade fantasies for months, and then the organization brings RAJ in before Ben's seat is cold.

 

[PaSox]

If his dad is part of the deal I will be all for it.

 

[Manramsclan]

 
Uh, no.

 
 
So, you're saying a front-office executive who had never played or coached at any level could in fact become a first-base coach for a major league baseball team?

 

[E5 Yaz]

So, you're saying a front-office executive who had never played or coached at any level could in fact become a first-base coach for a major league baseball team?

 
What he's saying (in answer to the bolded part of your post) is that it's incorrect to assume that just because he was a former player, he could be a coach of any type.
 
A Gatling gun could solve so many problems around this place.

 

[keninten]

Amaro was traded for Heathcliff Slocumb. Does this not give him some kind of love?

 

[MuzzyField]

Yay! WTF.... Why is this a good
Idea?

What a find to get that baseball mind in the mix.

Can this ass hat keep track of body armor?

 

[YTF]

A quick check reveals no on field coaching at the Minor or Major league level. Was Arnie Beyeler that bad that RAJ was the guy that the Sox had to have at first or was his dismissal more related to his being the OF coach? I don't think the failed Ramirez experiment can or should be pinned on him and Mookie's transition from rookie second baseman to outfielder at the Major League level was amazing. Granted Betts is an incredible talent, but Beyeler was there to mentor and facilitate that talent. Really, really strange.

 

[TheoShmeo]

From Amaro's perspective, it is indeed odd.  How many GMs move to the field, much less to coaching first?  Then again, as others have pointed out, he sucked at GM so moving back to the field might be his best career move, especially if he has his eye on eventually being considered for manager somewhere.
 
But from the Sox perspective, is it really so weird?  They got a failed GM but as a former MLB player, I think it's likely that he can handle the responsibilities.  Maybe the Sox view him as having the right personality to fit in with the players and staff, and as having the requisite skills to do the job.  Maybe they like the idea of having one Latin coach.  That Amaro has done a front office job doesn't mean he can't do a "lesser" job well.  I also note that Farrell had a front office job in Cleveland for five years before he became the Red Sox pitching coach, so there is precedent within this staff for someone moving from the front office onto the field.

 

[Fireball Fred]

It's advantageous to fit more than one stereotype. If the younger Jewish Stanford GM thing doesn't work, you can go with the older Latino ex-journeyman player coach. 

 

[staz]

I mean, you have to assume he did something right for the 10 years he was in the PHI front office under Wade/Gillick, helping to build a championship team. Maybe he's got a great eye for developing speed or base stealing skills.

But that's all I got.

 

[Yelling At Clouds]

A quick check reveals no on field coaching at the Minor or Major league level. Was Arnie Beyeler that bad that RAJ was the guy that the Sox had to have at first or was his dismissal more related to his being the OF coach? I don't think the failed Ramirez experiment can or should be pinned on him and Mookie's transition from rookie second baseman to outfielder at the Major League level was amazing. Granted Betts is an incredible talent, but Beyeler was there to mentor and facilitate that talent. Really, really strange.

Wasn't Beyeler the one who feuded with Cespedes and called JBJ stubborn?

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

 
What he's saying (in answer to the bolded part of your post) is that it's incorrect to assume that just because he was a former player, he could be a coach of any type.

 
Doesn't that depend on what you mean by "could"? Of course it would be silly to say that being a former professional player is sufficient qualification for a coaching job, but I didn't read Manramsclan's post that way--I thought he was just saying it was a necessary qualification that Amaro (unlike some GMs, such as Epstein) happens to possess. Which is a perfectly reasonable, though not earth-shattering, point.

 

[opes]

Its going to be hilarious when he starts giving trade advice to DD.
 
RAJ: We should xander for trout.
DD: Ruben, you're not the GM anymore, shut up.
RAJ: oh, right.  My bad.

 

[RedOctober3829]

You were listening to 98.5 as well, yea?

Nope, was busy all day yesterday.

 

[YTF]

JBJ was stubborn. As for the "feud" with Cespedes, I found this quote from Cespedes. "The first base coach treated me like a rookie when I got there, wanted me to do things that a rookie would and I told him I wasn't going to so, he started talking." All I was able to find and Beyeler "talking" was a quote where he mentioned Cespedes needing to put the time in to learn how to play left field and the wall at Fenway. Beyeler said, "It's a comfort zone thing and Cespedes is still trying to find his. The only way to do that is to practice." Perhaps there was more to it, but it seems like an outfield coach trying to instruct a guy that quite honestly didn't field the position as well as we would have liked in a park that can be tricky.  

 

[brandonchristensen]

Strangest news if true. So strange.

 

[Plympton91]

I find it strange that Amaro would be willing to go from GM to first base coach.  If he's willing to do that though, and the Red Sox have done a typical job search and interview process and decided he's the best fit for the job, I'm not sure why anyone would be wringing their hands or pronouncing the move a mistake ex-ante.   They want a first base coach and an outfield instructor.  He was a major league outfielder - check -- and I would imagine a lot of coaching careers have started out as the first base coach.  Let's see what he brings to the table, and why the Red Sox felt he was the best fit before we jump all over it.
 
And in the end, while I'm sure that everyone around here just can't figure out why Amaro didn't want to do Henry Owens straight up for Cole Hamels, he ended up getting a pretty nice package from Texas, didn't he?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

He also crippled the Phillies for years with the Howard contract. Let's ease off on the praise of the job he did in Philly. He was a famously shitty GM and I can't for the life of me understand why the Sox would want to add him to the organization in any capacity.

 

[MakMan44]

He also crippled the Phillies for years with the Howard contract. Let's ease off on the praise of the job he did in Philly. He was a famously shitty GM and I can't for the life of me understand why the Sox would want to add him to the organization in any capacity.

I guess, but I also don't see him any real authority. If it was a FO role, sure, it'd be one thing, but realistically, what's the worst that can happen with him as a 1st base coach?
 
He's bad at his job? Then they just fire him and hire one of the other hundreds of qualified candidates.  

 

[Smokey Joe]

If his dad is part of the deal I will be all for it.

I always liked Ruben Amaro Sr.  I was thrilled whenever he would play rather then Bobby Wine.  At least he could hit.  I think I have a foul ball he hit in Connie Mack in 64.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I guess, but I also don't see him any real authority. If it was a FO role, sure, it'd be one thing, but realistically, what's the worst that can happen with him as a 1st base coach?
 
He's bad at his job? Then they just fire him and hire one of the other hundreds of qualified candidates.  

 
I'm simply not a fan of bringing in incompetents to the organization in any capacity.