Ruben Amaro Jr to be named first base coach

[Papelbon's Poutine]

It's a fair question, but don't you feel pretty sure the Red Sox looked into this? No matter how it's being described in the media, I'm guessing the Red Sox made a more thorough decision than "he was an outfielder, I'm sure he can teach."

 
I'm sure they did some due diligence on his abilities, but with a complete lack of coaching experience, I'm not sure how they could make a reliable determination on his abilities. I'm in the camp that I'm perfectly fine with the hiring, but I think blanket statements like this 
 
 

... Ruben will also double as Arnie's replacement in taking over as outfield instructor for which he is certainly qualified for as a former ML outfielder.  
 

 
 need some sort of qualification, because I don't believe that every person that played baseball is automatically qualified to coach that position at the highest level. Especially ones that weren't very good players to begin with.
 
There's obviously something that led them to hiring him. It could just be Farrell helping out an old friend. Or they could be shifting the OF duties to someone else and realigning responsibilities. Or maybe it's about what HRB noted in that they didn't have a LHP BP, which I'm having trouble believing, but ok. But HRB seems to be suggesting that his playing time makes him qualified and I disagree with that without some backup. That's all I'm saying. 

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

It was Farrell's idea ..

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/47474/ex-gm-ruben-amaro-coaching-for-red-sox-satisfies-an-itch

 

[geoduck no quahog]

And obviously approved by Dumbrowski.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

And obviously approved by Dumbrowski.

 
Really? Is this the Remy Report?

 

[alwyn96]

And obviously approved by Dumbrowski.

 
Ah, I wondering when I would see this exquisite bit of highly orginal wordplay on Dombrowski's name grace the boards. I can't wait to see this wonderful chestnut really start getting some daily use.
 
Maybe the mods would be willing to put a macro in the posting process that automatically changes all instances of Dombrowski to Dumbrowski upon posting? I think the quality of wit on the board would be improved immeasurably.
 
EDIT: Oo! Maybe Dumbcowpee would be better? Or Bumhowdy? I'm no word artiste, so I assume someone might be able to come up with some even more brilliant ones that really convey the erudition of the author.

 

[soxfan121]

But HRB seems to be suggesting that his playing time makes him qualified and I disagree with that without some backup. That's all I'm saying. 

 
The backup is that Farrell & Dombrowski think he's qualified. You can distrust them, which would be totally justified given Farrell's recent track record and Dombrowski's lack of one in Boston, but the First Base Coach hiring checklist had, like, three items on it: 

1. Does he have a prior good relationship with his direct supervisor, i.e. the Manager? (Check)
2. Does he have prior experience, both standing at first base and in the outfield? (Check)
3. Does he know where the ballpark and airport are in most cities? (Check)
 
It's pretty safe to assume that if Amaro was hired to coach the outfielders, the people who hired him asked him a few questions in the interview about coaching outfield. Maybe had him look at some video and describe how he'd talk to a player about that situation. Assuming the Sox hired a guy without checking his credentials or having some backup to their assumption he can do the job is pretty silly, IMO. They're not complete idiots. 
 
This isn't neurosurgery.

 

[InsideTheParker]

 
 
This isn't neurosurgery.

Yeah, it isn't as though he were running for president of the U. S. of A.

 

[JimD]

I'm giving Farrell the benefit of the doubt here and assuming that he was impressed with Amaro's baseball acumen when they were teammates. 

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

 
The backup is that Farrell & Dombrowski think he's qualified. You can distrust them, which would be totally justified given Farrell's recent track record and Dombrowski's lack of one in Boston, but the First Base Coach hiring checklist had, like, three items on it: 

1. Does he have a prior good relationship with his direct supervisor, i.e. the Manager? (Check)
2. Does he have prior experience, both standing at first base and in the outfield? (Check)
3. Does he know where the ballpark and airport are in most cities? (Check)
 
It's pretty safe to assume that if Amaro was hired to coach the outfielders, the people who hired him asked him a few questions in the interview about coaching outfield. Maybe had him look at some video and describe how he'd talk to a player about that situation. Assuming the Sox hired a guy without checking his credentials or having some backup to their assumption he can do the job is pretty silly, IMO. They're not complete idiots. 
 
This isn't neurosurgery.

Once again:

- I am fine with the hiring
- I believe there was more to the assessment than reading the line item on his resume that says "used to play OF", much like the examples you gave
- I am perfectly fine trusting Farrell and DD in making the call
- none of these statements mean that blind sweeping comments suggesting that any person who OF is inherently therefore qualified to coach the position - which is what I took objection to.

You very well may disagree with that final point, but I'm not trying to make it in a way to denigrate this hiring and I don't believe that I have.

 

[kieckeredinthehead]

What's the line of succession in baseball, anyway? How many people need to get thrown out before we see Ruben Amaro, Jr. - Baseball Manager? There was a game against the Rays a few years ago where Lovullo got ejected and then Butterfield got ejected when a pitcher threw at somebody (iirc), so presumably he was acting manager and therefore third in line... 

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Pap - I would argue that a 1B Coach and Outfield Instructors qualifications would include a desire to teach young players your experiences as a player while adhering to the leadership/direction of your manager.  I think you are really overthinking the qualifications of this job.  Amaro is a Stanford graduate who played the position in the major leagues and has a desire to teach it......why wouldn't one expect him to be a qualified candidate even knowing only this about him? 

 

[geoduck no quahog]

And obviously approved by Dumbrowski.

 
Unintentional mistake. Seriously. Full of Novocaine today.
 
Dombrowski.

 

[lexrageorge]

Guys, this is the first base coach.  Amaro will either be very good, in which case we won't notice him, or he'll be really bad, in which case we'll never know until the day he's let go. 

 

[EvilEmpire]

When Hazen decides to move on to a GM job that doesn't include a boss like Dombrowski making all the big decisions, DD will need to find another GM, preferably one who has an ego small enough to work under such circumstances.

I can't think of a better way for a former GM to demonstrate he has the lack of ego required for such a job than to accept a position as a 1B coach.

Well done Mr. Amaro, well done.

I'm mostly joking, but I doubt I'd see as much angst on this topic if there wasn't at least a tiny bit of concern about Amaro working his way into a more significant position than 1B coach. Because really, who cares about 1B coach?

 

[kieckeredinthehead]

This move has Allard Baird's fingerprints all over it.

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

Pap - I would argue that a 1B Coach and Outfield Instructors qualifications would include a desire to teach young players your experiences as a player while adhering to the leadership/direction of your manager.  I think you are really overthinking the qualifications of this job.  Amaro is a Stanford graduate who played the position in the major leagues and has a desire to teach it......why wouldn't one expect him to be a qualified candidate even knowing only this about him? 

 
Here where the thingss you listed as making him qualified: 
 
#1. Having played OF in the Major Leagues. 
 
Here are the qualifications I thought were necessary above and beyond that:
 
#2. Something additional showing abilities to coach a player to improve. 
.
.
.
.
.
 
That's it. 
 
I'm not sure that I'm overthinking it. If you want to accuse me of being pedantic about your original statement - that I took mild objection to - have at it. I'll cop to it and I wasn't trying to make it into a big thing. Please refer to post #159 for a summary of my thoughts. 

 

[Archer1979]

First base coach in-game requirements are fairly straightforward... help the batter judge whether or not to take second on the hit; help the runner to not get picked off at first by the pitcher; and making sure the runner advances. Given his playing experience, he shouldn't have any problem picking this up by the time the team breaks Spring Training.
 
That Farrell reached out to him is encouraging.  He asked for his guy and got his guy.  We're onto Ft Myers.

 

[findguapo]

What's the line of succession in baseball, anyway? How many people need to get thrown out before we see Ruben Amaro, Jr. - Baseball Manager? There was a game against the Rays a few years ago where Lovullo got ejected and then Butterfield got ejected when a pitcher threw at somebody (iirc), so presumably he was acting manager and therefore third in line... 

 
I think the first base coach is behind the bullpen catcher and the clubhouse manager.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I can't believe they're letting Amaro onto the field as 1B coach given his previous decision involving 1B has been a catastrophe.
 
The whole thing makes zero sense. Rationally, it's probably not a big deal in that his impact will be limited (although that limited impact didn't keep Beyeler from getting canned), but still, it rankles.
 
Amaro and Baird both in the org. Christ. Maybe Omar Minaya can step from from his org position in SD and become the bench coach. Then we can have the full triumvirate of shitty GMs in our org.

 

[RedOctober3829]

I can't believe they're letting Amaro onto the field as 1B coach given his previous decision involving 1B has been a catastrophe.
 
The whole thing makes zero sense. Rationally, it's probably not a big deal in that his impact will be limited (although that limited impact didn't keep Beyeler from getting canned), but still, it rankles.
 
Amaro and Baird both in the org. Christ. Maybe Omar Minaya can step from from his org position in SD and become the bench coach. Then we can have the full triumvirate of shitty GMs in our org.

You mean the same Minaya who drafted Harvey, Matz, DeGrom, Murphy, Niese, and Duda?   

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

You mean the same Minaya who drafted Harvey, Matz, DeGrom, Murphy, Niese, and Duda?   

 
And signed Jason Bay and rented Bartolo Colon and signed Moises Alou and traded away tons of good young pitching over his career, etc.
 
Omar got his ass fired for good reason. Same with Amaro.
 
Look, this is likely a tempest in a teapot, but it just is so unusual, and Amaro so unaccomplished as a GM, that it's bewildering in many ways.

 

[Bigpupp]

 
Omar got his ass fired for good reason. Same with Amaro.

Didn't he also get put in that position for a reason? By really smart people? So he obviously has shown something along the way that resembled good baseball thinking. Obviously that didn't translate to being a good GM, but he won't be doing that with Boston so that won't be an issue.

 

[moondog80]

I can't believe they're letting Amaro onto the field as 1B coach given his previous decision involving 1B has been a catastrophe.
 
The whole thing makes zero sense. Rationally, it's probably not a big deal in that his impact will be limited (although that limited impact didn't keep Beyeler from getting canned), but still, it rankles.
 
Amaro and Baird both in the org. Christ. Maybe Omar Minaya can step from from his org position in SD and become the bench coach. Then we can have the full triumvirate of shitty GMs in our org.

 
What makes zero sense is you not understanding that they're not asking him to be in the front office.  This is a completely different job.

 

[swingin val]

I can't believe they're letting Amaro onto the field as 1B coach given his previous decision involving 1B has been a catastrophe.
 

So because he signed Ryan Howard to a bad contract he can't make a good/competent 1B coach?

Does the opposite hold true in your mind then? For instance, would Kevin Towers make a good 1B coach because he signed Goldschmidt to a great contract?

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

 
And signed Jason Bay and rented Bartolo Colon and signed Moises Alou and traded away tons of good young pitching over his career, etc.
 
Omar got his ass fired for good reason. Same with Amaro.
 
Look, this is likely a tempest in a teapot, but it just is so unusual, and Amaro so unaccomplished as a GM, that it's bewildering in many ways.

 
If Dombrowski brought him on board to be a scout or an assistant GM or some other front office job where he'd be in a position to influence a player personnel decision even 0.001%, it might be concerning.  But he's a first base coach, a job in which he will have no such job responsibilities.
 
It's akin to a McDonalds firing a manager for incompetence, then Burger King hiring the same guy to mop the floors and clean the bathrooms.  The Burger King folks shouldn't be concerned that his inability to make good decisions as a manager is going to result in dirty toilets and unclean floors.
 
It is admittedly strange that a guy who was a GM would want to basically start over in another aspect of the business, but certainly not strange enough for this kind of angst.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

The interesting thing to consider is whether RAJ would have made a good 1st base coach if he had never been a GM.
 
He played all 3 OF positions in the major leagues; he apparently has a lifetime 1.000 fielding percentage in CF over 100+ games.  http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=amaroru02
 
His father, who was a GG winner, was also a 1st base coach when RAJ was with the Phillies.
 
So there is some background.  Not a lot but some.
 
And under the "Learn something new every day" category, apparently RAJ was such a good athlete in high school that he was offered a chance to play soccer in Germany but his mother turned it down because of the Holocaust.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

So because he signed Ryan Howard to a bad contract he can't make a good/competent 1B coach?

 

 

 

[joe dokes]

Had they waitied they could have had Alex Anthopoulos coach 1B:
 
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/alex-anthopoulos-leaving-blue-jays-after-rejecting-extension/

TORONTO – Alex Anthopoulos is leaving the Toronto Blue Jays less than a week after the American League East champions were eliminated from the post-season, rejecting an extension to remain as general manager, according to multiple sources.
 

 

[alwyn96]

Had they waitied they could have had Alex Anthopoulos coach 1B:
 
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/alex-anthopoulos-leaving-blue-jays-after-rejecting-extension/

 
Weird. Well, maybe they can have him fill in doing whatever it was DiPoto did before he left. Dishing about how his team valued guys and how they gameplanned the Red Sox, I assume.
 
This may be the most front office turnover I've ever seen. Crazy.

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

Weird. Well, maybe they can have him fill in doing whatever it was DiPoto did before he left. Dishing about how his team valued guys and how they gameplanned the Red Sox, I assume.
 
This may be the most front office turnover I've ever seen. Crazy.

AA's fate was sealed when they hired Shapiro as the "president" .. Just the latest in an increasingly popular manoeuvre which is basically FO title inflation. AA used to run the show .. Under Shapiro that would no longer be the case. It was the same as Cherington and DD.

 

[grimshaw]

I think this only gets weird if a team asks permission to interview him for their 3rd base coach opening, and the Red Sox refuse.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Had they waitied they could have had Alex Anthopoulos coach 1B:
 
http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/alex-anthopoulos-leaving-blue-jays-after-rejecting-extension/

Had RAJ waited, he could've gotten his hat in the ring for BJ's GM!

 

[geoduck no quahog]

I assume Hazen and Dombrowski will be picking Amaro's brain for the information he's gleaned over his tenure. Before the predictable jokes about this occur downthread, the fact remains that this guy was a front office mover for 17 years - and you don't do that for half a lifetime without picking up useful and unique information. It also helps that he's Latino (actually Russian-Latino) in an organization that's limited (I believe) to 2 Latino executives: Romero and Lorenzo. 
 
Add whatever he can bring to the mix with Frank Wren and what you have is a pool of available knowledge and contacts that can only help in the decision-making processes (it certainly can't hurt).
 
No downside.

 

[soxhop411]

Fangraphs interviewed Amaro about Analytics and other scouting aspects…

one of the many interesting quotes
On analytics

“I’ve always believed in analytics. I just didn’t make it all public (in Philadelphia). I thought it was more of a competitive advantage for me to keep our thought-process about analytics closer to the vest. We didn’t boast about what we were doing — we didn’t discuss it openly — because I didn’t think it was anybody’s business but our own as to how we evaluated.

“We got a little more aggressive, as far as building our analytics department, probably three-or-so years ago. It did maybe become a little more public then. But that doesn’t mean we weren’t utilizing analytics to some degree earlier than tha

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/ruben-amaro-on-analytics-and-evaluation/
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