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Dave Roberts

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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#21 » by Neddy » Thu Dec 3, 2015 7:01 am

so, our coaching staff appears to be

Dave Roberts - the Manager
Bob Geren - bench coach
RIck Honeycutt - the pitching coach
Turner Ward - Hitting coach
Gabe Kapler - first base

so we are missing 3rd, bullpen, and potentially if needed, a few special coaches such as base running and assistant hitting and etc. but the core is now there.

let's see what our lineup is as of today.

1. CF. L. Joc
2. SS, L. Seager
3. 3B .R. Turner
4. 1B. L. AGon
5. RF. R. Puig
6. LF. L. Ethier
7. C. S. Grandal
8. 2B. S. Peraza

as long as we have a good pitching staff, I feel pretty good about our chances, knowing we are good enough and our front office will upgrade from here.
ehhhhh f it.
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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#22 » by Quake Griffin » Thu Dec 3, 2015 7:18 am

Well, from the superficial aspect of it (since I dunno how their baseball minds function), Neddy has his catcher on our coaching staff and in Dave Roberts' ear. He has experience as a manager although he never made the playoffs. But we know 1st hand he has playoff experience as a bench coach.

Turner Ward is fine to me. I have nothing to evaluate hitting coaches on except whether his previous teams raked and I thought the D-Backs were a handful. Chased Kershaw twice in the last 2 years in Arizona and gave him hell in Chavez going into the postseason.

I'm not as bothered by the Kapler hiring. One thing I continue to tell my friends IRL is that Friedman isn't just some random stat geek that just punches numbers. The guy played baseball at Tulane and understands there's more variables to the game of baseball than just sabermetrics.
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For that reason, he gets the benefit of the doubt from me when it comes to Gabe Kapler. If for some reason he sees the promise in Kapler, I'll assume it's more to do Friedman growing an appreciation for Kapler's baseball mind over the years and his personality over simple cronyism or because Kapler would be a yes man.

Also….keep in mind. Friedman and Zaidi have both went on the record stating that their approach going into the offseason was that Mattingly would be our manager for next year and the foreseeable future. So, while Friedman may have been sold a little early on Kapler (as you point out), it wasn't enough or them to give up on Mattingly initially. Now who knows what happened in their talks with Don but it seems like in the end Don didn't want this job, the expectations and the fans second guessing his every move.
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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#23 » by Quake Griffin » Thu Dec 3, 2015 7:26 am

dammit…didn't know that photo would come out that big.
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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#24 » by Neddy » Fri Dec 4, 2015 1:40 am

Quake Griffin wrote:dammit…didn't know that photo would come out that big.


that is one big ass photo for sure.
ehhhhh f it.
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Our New 1B Coach 

Post#25 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 7, 2015 1:26 am

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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#26 » by Neddy » Mon Dec 7, 2015 3:39 am

so Gabe isn't gonna be the 1b coach. I dunno if I trust him with the 3rd base, that leaves assistant batting coach role for Kapler. If he is our 3rd base coach, I sure hope Utley retires after this season to take over.
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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#27 » by Quake Griffin » Mon Dec 7, 2015 3:56 pm

Neddy wrote:so Gabe isn't gonna be the 1b coach. I dunno if I trust him with the 3rd base, that leaves assistant batting coach role for Kapler. If he is our 3rd base coach, I sure hope Utley retires after this season to take over.

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Who's on First? 

Post#28 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 7, 2015 5:57 pm

So Kapler will take 1B while Woodward moves over to 3B? I like that better.
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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#29 » by Neddy » Tue Dec 8, 2015 2:12 am

yeah it sure sounds like it.
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Another Coach Added to the Staff 

Post#30 » by Ranma » Tue Dec 15, 2015 4:42 am

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Kapler Not on First, After All? 

Post#31 » by Ranma » Wed Dec 16, 2015 10:26 pm

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However, Lombard was recently named as the Braves' Minor League Field Coordinator.

MLB.com (9/4/15)
Lombard, who makes his return to the organization that drafted him in 1994, will also serve as the team's minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. He spent the previous six seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization, most recently as their minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator from 2013 through the 2015 season. Prior to that role, he managed the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in 2011 and 2012, and in 2010 he served as the hitting coach for the rookie-level Lowell Spinners.

In his new role, Lombard will report to Director of Player Development Dave Trembley and Assistant Director of Player Development Jonathan Schuerholz.

Braves Announce George Lombard as Minor League Field Coordinator
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Re: Dave Roberts 

Post#32 » by Quake Griffin » Thu Dec 17, 2015 9:38 pm

Gabe Kapler staying the director of player development for Blue.

Pretty much dispels the rumors of Friedman having "his boy" looking over Dave Roberts' shoulder.
Not coming for you there Ranma. I read other Dodger forums and I've seen that same sentiment. Glad it's put to bed.

Rosenthal said it was Kapler's choice. Either way, he wont be looking over Roberts' shoulder this year.

edit:
Looks like Lombard ditched the Atlanta gig really quick to be our 1st base coach. Coaching staff is official and he's up on our website.
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Dodgers' Coaching Staff Complete 

Post#33 » by Ranma » Thu Dec 17, 2015 10:49 pm

This is great news. I always thought it was too soon for Kapler to leave his post as an executive in player development after just one season. I'm also jazzed on Lombard joining Roberts' staff because of their close relationship and because of his previous experience as a baserunning coordinator.

It's funny how skeptical I was at the beginning of this staff being put together, but I'm now excited with the additions of Ward and Lombard as well as obviously Roberts. Both Honeycutt and Geren should ground the staff with their respective experience and expertise. Plus, retaining Yeager seems like a notable under-the-radar move and Castro as quality assurance coach intrigues me with regards to our infield defense.


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Lombard the College Graduate 

Post#34 » by Ranma » Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:53 am

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Part-Time Professor 

Post#35 » by Ranma » Sun Dec 20, 2015 8:59 am

Neddy wrote:
Ranma wrote:While we're said to be close to extending Honeycutt in order to transition him to an advisory role, I'd like to pursue Greg Maddux as our pitching coach. I've wanted him for that role since he last pitched for us, but he's currently with the Texas Rangers where they just hired his brother, Mike, as their pitching coach.


who better than Greg Maddux as our pitching coach? he was never gifted with a fireball arm strength, he was never blessed with a 'once in a generation' type of 'stuff' on any of his pitches, and yet with his intellect and pin point accuracy, he made a HOF career out of 88 mph fastballs and not so Sandy Koufax like Curveballs. I even named my son's middle name after him. I am all for this move.


OMG! This can possibly happen. I thought Greg Maddux was locked in Texas with the Rangers with brother, Mike, there but apparently he's moved on to D.C., which is possibly great for us. Getting the Professor to work with our pitching staff both at the major-league and minor-league levels would be all kinds of awesome even if it would be a part-time role. Can you imagine what Kershaw and the others can learn from the likes of not only Maddux but Koufax as well? I don't even care if he'd not be a part of Roberts' staff.

Also, I know that Maddux doesn't want a full-time coaching position, but maybe he'll change his mind once his son graduates from UNLV or gets drafted. Honeycutt is said to be transitioning to a role in the front office as an advisor in a couple of years, so there'd be an opening for our pitching coach then. I'm just saying.


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Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe (12/19/15)
Greg Maddux is expected to join a West Coast team — likely the Dodgers — as a part-time special assistant. Maddux said he doesn’t want a full-time coaching career. His son, Chase, is a freshman pitcher at UNLV and Maddux wants to spend time watching his games. He also enjoys traveling with his family.

Maddux said broadcasting is out. “That’s not my thing,” he said from his Las Vegas home.

Maddux spent a few years with the Rangers when his brother, Mike, was the pitching coach. Mike has since moved on to the Nationals.

“I enjoy working with pitchers,” Greg Maddux said. “If there’s something I can do to help a young guy think about the game more and what he’s throwing and why he’s throwing it, I can help like that.”

Maddux and former teammate Tom Glavine are two rare pitchers who made it to the Hall of Fame while barely breaking 90 miles per hour. The secret to their success was not pitching at max effort. In other words, they didn’t try to throw every pitch as hard as they could and therefore put stress on their shoulder and elbow. It’s how they went so long in their careers without serious injury.

So what can Maddux, the ultimate pitchers’ pitcher, teach a young stud throwing 100 m.p.h.?

“Well, if you combine that velocity with the knowledge of how to pitch hitters, you come up with Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez,” Maddux said. “So I think I can help a young pitcher.”

He was surprised to hear that Zack Greinke is thought to be the active pitcher most similar to Maddux in terms of knowing how to pitch and set up hitters and his pitch location.

“I hadn’t heard that before,” Maddux said. “Maybe I should be compared to Zack. He’s definitely a guy who’s fun to watch the way he goes about pitching. He’s one of the best.”

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Castro Doubling as Translator 

Post#36 » by Ranma » Tue Jan 26, 2016 12:33 pm

Cary Osborne, DodgerInsider.com (1/24/16)
It appears that his value to the organization has reached another height. Castro is the only native Spanish speaker on the Dodger staff, meaning his ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking players and his ability to relay information makes him essential.
...

“The biggest challenge was English — the language barrier. I remember I wanted to get back to Mexico a week after I was in the States. It was very frustrating,” he said. “They’d explain things I didn’t understand. I probably made a lot of mistakes because of that. After a week I wanted to go back home, but at the same time I knew I got the opportunity and there might not be another one. I decided to continue and put more into my English classes and try to learn as soon as possible.”

It’s not lost on Castro that communication is such a vital part of his job today. Maybe one can appreciate from his experiences how difficult it is for a foreign-born player to comprehend and process information when there is a language barrier.

Castro’s presence, even if he’s not in the dugout during games, helps break that barrier.

“I know those guys, they understand English, but sometimes they might need someone who speaks the same language to help them understand different things,” Castro said. “I go back in time, and I know how important it is when you don’t understand things to (have someone who speaks) your language. And I hope I can be that guy if they ever have any doubts or need to understand something, I’d be more than happy to help them out. I know I’m going to be telling them a lot to continue to learn the English language. It’s important for them to get better and understand.”

Dodger Coach and Mexico’s Own Juan Castro’s Understated Value
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The Professor to Start Tenure with Dodgers 

Post#37 » by Ranma » Tue Feb 2, 2016 8:36 pm

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Re: The Professor to Start Tenure with Dodgers 

Post#38 » by Quake Griffin » Tue Feb 2, 2016 9:08 pm

Ranma wrote:[tweet]https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/694617739843899393[/tweet][tweet]https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/694617595572387840[/tweet]

does this mean they will be hands on with the players or their job mainly consist of being in Friedman's ear?

I'd love to see Greg Maddux work with Alex Wood.
Maybe he could work some magic.
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Roles for Maddux & Ibanez 

Post#39 » by Ranma » Wed Feb 3, 2016 12:01 am

Quake Griffin wrote:does this mean they will be hands on with the players or their job mainly consist of being in Friedman's ear?

I'd love to see Greg Maddux work with Alex Wood.
Maybe he could work some magic.


It sounds like both will primarily be supplemental voices to the brain trust in the front office, but it will be interesting to see how their respective roles evolve. I think there is high demand for Maddux to be more hands-on, especially as a pitching coach, but he's shied away from such opportunities in order to serve a more part-time role in order to spend time with his family. Similarly, it sounds like Ibanez is more focused on spending time with his family as well given that he previously took himself out of the running for the Rays' managerial opening.

The additions are widely praised so far in media circles. Ibanez sounds like another Dave Roberts and I can see him eventually making his way to being a bench coach in the dugout. Maybe both will eventually be more interested in full-time roles once their kids grow up.


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Andy McCullough, Los Angeles Times (2/2/16)
In a release announcing the moves, the Dodgers indicated that Maddux and Ibanez would aid in “scouting, player development and working with the club’s players” at all levels of the organization.

Maddux, 49, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014. He played in parts of two seasons with the Dodgers and finished his career in Los Angeles in 2007. This is his first front-office position, having spent time working with both the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers.

Ibanez, 43, retired in 2014 after a 19-year career. He was a finalist for the managerial opening in Tampa Bay the subsequent off-season, but removed himself from the running to spend time with his family. He worked as an analyst for Fox in 2015.

Greg Maddux and Raul Ibanez Join Dodgers Front Office
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Dodgers Bringing in Past Greats as Instructors 

Post#40 » by Ranma » Thu Feb 25, 2016 12:00 am

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Ken Gurnick, MLB.com (2/24/16)
The Dodgers weren't kidding when they said they would cast a wide net in last year's managerial search, as CEO Stan Kasten asked Hall of Famer Greg Maddux if he'd ever thought about managing.

Kasten said Maddux was pretty surprised at the veiled offer and declined, but the conversation led to Maddux's hiring as special assistant to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.

Wednesday was Maddux's first day in uniform at Camelback Ranch-Glendale and he had Cy Young company, as Clayton Kershaw was throwing a bullpen session and Eric "Game Over" Gagne was also in uniform as a guest instructor. Ron Cey, Shawn Green and Eric Karros are also expected as guest instructors later in camp.
...

Maddux, 50 in April, wasn't eager to be a manager, but said he loves the freedom of the part-time role he now has -- similar to previous ones he had with the Cubs and Rangers. He will be with the club the entirety of Spring Training, then work on selected projects. He owns a home in Dana Point, about 60 miles from Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers happy to Have Maddux Share Wisdom


Doug Padilla, ESPN.com (2/24/16)
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014, Maddux has already served as a special assistant for both the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. His job description is to give advice to pitchers on both the major league and minor league levels throughout the season.

Maddux claims his advice won’t be any different from anybody else’s, but he does admit that perhaps he can get through to a pitcher when others have not. And he also will teach things he wish he knew when he pitched.

"There’s some stuff I wish I heard, that I didn’t hear until I was 40 that I wished I’d heard when I was 20," he said. "There’s stuff I’ve heard since I’ve been out of baseball that I wish I’d heard."
...

Maddux has been quite impressed with the career Clayton Kershaw has fashioned.

“You never think anybody is going to be that good,” Maddux said. “I mean, you knew he was good and he was going to pitch for a long time. He had an incredible fastball, good breaking stuff. And he’s been able to turn into a winner. I think a lot of guys have the stuff or the makeup but not everybody’s a winner. He’s been able to win and stay healthy and win a lot.”

Greg Maddux Eager to Share Knowledge with Dodgers Pitchers


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