Jays Hire Eric Wedge as Player Development Advisor

[Santoki]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-hire-eric-wedge-as-player-development-advisor/

[Garrett]

AKA the Jays next manager. Gibbons won't like this hire.

[Raptor_Guy]

AKA the Jays next manager. Gibbons won't like this hire.

I feel like if they were to replace Gibby it'd be with Francona somehow. Though of course they couldn't do that during the season..

[The_Hater]

AKA the Jays next manager. Gibbons won't like this hire.

You make it sound like they couldn't hire Wedge to manage here if he held the same position in a different organization.

Gibbons job is safe for at least this season. That's about as much job security as most managers get in MLB.

[Nolan]

Go Indians!!

[North_of_Border]

I like Gibbons and he should get a fair chance before they let him go. Though I see this move as a backup to Gibbons if things fall flat this season. Gibbons will be the skape-goat.

Though as for Wedge. He only has 2 winning seasons in 10 years of managing, but I wouldn't think too much of that. He is a respected and experienced professional. If the time comes, give him a chance with a competent roster and see what he can do. Solid signing. He was a victim of having bad teams, especially in Seattle. Though he was manager of the year in 2007 with the Indians.

[Santoki]

I like Gibbons and he should get a fair chance before they let him go. Though I see this move as a backup to Gibbons if things fall flat this season. Gibbons will be the skape-goat.

Though as for Wedge. He only has 2 winning seasons in 10 years of managing, but I wouldn't think too much of that. He is a respected and experienced professional. If the time comes, give him a chance with a competent roster and see what he can do. Solid signing. He was a victim of having bad teams, especially in Seattle. Though he was manager of the year in 2007 with the Indians.

I don't have anything to add but I just wanted to let you know the word is "scapegoat".

[Skin Blues]

Gibbons will be the skape-goat.

Randle, is that you? Kidding. Obviously he's typed that word out enough times to know how to spell it.

[McBlunt1]

AKA the Jays next manager. Gibbons won't like this hire.

Nope it will be Francona

[Randle McMurphy]

Gibbons will be the skape-goat.

Randle, is that you? Kidding. Obviously he's typed that word out enough times to know how to spell it.

To be more in line with RealGM tradition.

[LBJSeizedMyID]

Ah yes, Eric Wedge the sorta non believer in sabremetrics haha

[OakleyDokely]

That's the problem with hiring senior management from an average/mediocre franchise like the Indians. They bring all their friends along. Why couldn't we raid successful organizations like the Dodgers have?

[The_Hater]

That's the problem with hiring senior management from an average/mediocre franchise like the Indians. They bring all their friends along. Why couldn't we raid successful organizations like the Dodgers have?

So let me get this straight. The Indians with four recent 90 win seasons despite a very small annual payroll budget to work with are an average organization but the Jays, (who just had AA stolen by the Dodgers) after their first 90 win season and playoff appearance in over 20 years are a successful organization?

Your brand of logic can still baffle the masses.

[OakleyDokely]

That's the problem with hiring senior management from an average/mediocre franchise like the Indians. They bring all their friends along. Why couldn't we raid successful organizations like the Dodgers have?

So let me get this straight. The Indians with four recent 90 win seasons despite a very small annual payroll budget to work with are an average organization but the Jays, (who just had AA stolen by the Dodgers) after their first 90 win season and playoff appearance in over 20 years are a successful organization?

Your brand of logic can still baffle the masses.

Learn to read.

I said "organizationS" moron. They grabbed guys from Tampa and Oakland to be their key guys (President and GM). Small market teams who have actually experience sustained success unlike the Indians. And ya, it doesn't hurt to sign on the exec of the year to be your vice president.

Maybe you need to read slower instead of jumping to conclusions and reading what your want to read.

[The_Hater]

That's the problem with hiring senior management from an average/mediocre franchise like the Indians. They bring all their friends along. Why couldn't we raid successful organizations like the Dodgers have?

So let me get this straight. The Indians with four recent 90 win seasons despite a very small annual payroll budget to work with are an average organization but the Jays, (who just had AA stolen by the Dodgers) after their first 90 win season and playoff appearance in over 20 years are a successful organization?

Your brand of logic can still baffle the masses.

Learn to read.

I said "organizationS" moron. They grabbed guys from Tampa and Oakland to be their key guys (President and GM). Small market teams who have actually experience sustained success unlike the Indians. And ya, it doesn't hurt to sign on the exec of the year to be your vice president.

Maybe you need to read slower instead of jumping to conclusions and reading what your want to read.

They've also recently hired executives out of those winning organizations in San Diego and Arizona. I noticed you conveniently didn't mention those. Their new manager, he was the 1st base coach in San Diego. In 5 seasons as a coach in San Diego, Roberts helped coach 5 losing teams.

Those Dodgers, so consistent in their hiring practices. They only grab people from top organizations....

[OakleyDokely]

So let me get this straight. The Indians with four recent 90 win seasons despite a very small annual payroll budget to work with are an average organization but the Jays, (who just had AA stolen by the Dodgers) after their first 90 win season and playoff appearance in over 20 years are a successful organization?

Your brand of logic can still baffle the masses.

Learn to read.

I said "organizationS" moron. They grabbed guys from Tampa and Oakland to be their key guys (President and GM). Small market teams who have actually experience sustained success unlike the Indians. And ya, it doesn't hurt to sign on the exec of the year to be your vice president.

Maybe you need to read slower instead of jumping to conclusions and reading what your want to read.

They've also recently hired executives out of those winning organizations in San Diego and Arizona. I noticed you conveniently didn't mention those. Their new manager, he was the 1st base coach in San Diego. In 5 seasons as a coach in San Diego, Roberts helped coach 5 losing teams.

Those Dodgers, so consistent in their hiring practices. They only grab people from top organizations....

Where did their batboy come from?

Their two most important positions (GM/President) were filled by people who came from Tampa and Oakland.

[The_Hater]

Learn to read.

I said "organizationS" moron. They grabbed guys from Tampa and Oakland to be their key guys (President and GM). Small market teams who have actually experience sustained success unlike the Indians. And ya, it doesn't hurt to sign on the exec of the year to be your vice president.

Maybe you need to read slower instead of jumping to conclusions and reading what your want to read.

They've also recently hired executives out of those winning organizations in San Diego and Arizona. I noticed you conveniently didn't mention those. Their new manager, he was the 1st base coach in San Diego. In 5 seasons as a coach in San Diego, Roberts helped coach 5 losing teams.

Those Dodgers, so consistent in their hiring practices. They only grab people from top organizations....

sheet

Where did their batboy come from?

Their two most important positions (GM/President) were filled by people who came from Tampa and Oakland.

So just so I have this straight, you're now saying the background of Eric Wedge is unimportant because he's neither the GM or the President. Your circular logic just defeated your own argument. Well done. Let's play again soon.

[OakleyDokely]

They've also recently hired executives out of those winning organizations in San Diego and Arizona. I noticed you conveniently didn't mention those. Their new manager, he was the 1st base coach in San Diego. In 5 seasons as a coach in San Diego, Roberts helped coach 5 losing teams.

Those Dodgers, so consistent in their hiring practices. They only grab people from top organizations....

sheet

Where did their batboy come from?

Their two most important positions (GM/President) were filled by people who came from Tampa and Oakland.

So just so I have this straight, you're now saying the background of Eric Wedge is unimportant because he's neither the GM or the President. Your circular logic just defeated your own argument. Well done. Let's play again soon.

What I'm saying is that their key decision makers come from very successful organizations and they just don't bring their lackey's with them.

Not complicated stuff. Not surprised you still don't get it.

[polo007]

According to Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet, Eric Wedge is looking to bring sustainable success to the Toronto Blue Jays.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/wedge-looking-to-bring-sustainable-success-to-blue-jays/

TORONTO – The split with the Seattle Mariners was difficult. The two years of broadcasting with ESPN that followed were fun. A desire to return to the game never ebbed. The opportunity to reconnect with Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins in the Toronto Blue Jays front office represented the perfect opportunity.

“Every bit of experience I’ve had, whether it’s been good, bad or ugly, is who I am today,” Eric Wedge, recently named the club’s new player development advisor, says in an interview. “I’ve been a student of the game, I’ve been a student of people, I believe in the passion and motivation it takes to be a quality human being but to be a quality baseball guy, too, and help others."

“One of the biggest reasons I wanted to get back in the game is I just missed being part of something that felt like it could potentially be special, and I felt like with Mark and Ross, as well as everybody else, it was a way to help others, be a part of something and make a difference with these players.”

Wedge’s role is the latest position created this off-season by Shapiro, the club’s president and CEO, and Atkins, the GM. At the moment he’s working closely alongside player development director Gil Kim, another job that didn’t previously exist in the front office.

A point of priority is developing the kind of organization-wide integration of philosophies and processes needed to ideally groom minor-league players for the majors.

“I believe you have to connect the big-leagues with the minor-leagues, and you do have to be all-inclusive in your organization, from scouting to player development to the big-leagues, and everything has to work hand in hand,” says Wedge. “It’s our job to create that type of environment and have that type of infrastructure.”

That’s the vision put forth by Shapiro and Atkins, one Wedge came to know while spending five seasons as a manager in the Cleveland Indians system in 2002. In 2003 he took over the big-league club and posted a 561-573 record over seven seasons that included one trip to the post-season.

[polo007]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/StarSports/status/704093634761625601[/tweet]

DUNEDIN, FLA.—The conspiracy theory du jour for much of the winter, ever since the name first came up as a possible front office addition, was that once Eric Wedge was hired as player development advisor, he would become the Blue Jays’ manager-in-waiting.

The gist of the conspiracy was that the former Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners skipper would replace manager John Gibbons whenever the first significant crack showed up in the AL East champ’s armour. Gibbons is signed through 2017, but at an easy-to shed salary. Wedge and Gibbons both disagree with the idea.

The two career baseball men have known each other since managing against one another in the minor leagues — Gibbons with the Mets, Wedge with the Indians. They also managed against one another in the majors, during Gibbons’ first tour of duty and they were both named AL coaches at the 2006 all-star game in Pittsburgh. If there is not a truly deep friendship, there has always been mutual respect.

“I want to try to get (front-office) experience — John Gibbons is the manager,” Wedge insisted. “I don’t have any desire to manage the Toronto Blue Jays. My job is to dive into the player development system, help (director of player development Gil Kim), help these players, help all of the coaches as best I can.”

The connection between Jays president Mark Shapiro and Wedge goes back to the ’90s when Shapiro was the Indians’ farm director and Wedge was a minor-league manager. In 2007, Shapiro, by now the team’s general manager, was named AL executive of the year, while Wedge won his only AL manager of the year title. Gibbons understands why new executives surround themselves with baseball people with whom they are comfortable and does not see it as a threat. Wedge agrees.

“Mark gave me a call and we talked about something that I might be willing to do,” Wedge said of the genesis of this opportunity. “I told him what I was interested in, knowing that he was going to have to hire a director of player development (Kim). That was a natural fit for me.”