Well. It had to happen at some point. Bobby Cox's last season in the Braves dugout will be 2010. I have been anticipating this move. I felt he would come back for one more year. He has announced that he has signed a one year extension through 2010 and will retire after that season. Afterwards, he will be a consultant for the team for five years. So, who do you think will replace Bobby Cox? Replace is a bad word or this, because IMO, you don't replace Bobby Cox. You simply succeed him. I've long felt that Terry Pendleton has been the guy being groomed for the job. In fact, my hypothesis is that Cox will coach one more year and Chipper will play one more year. In 2011, TP will be named manager and Chipper will become the Braves hitting coach. There are some other names out there. Ned Yost is a former Cox assistant that I feel got a raw deal in Milwaukee. I think it would be hard to get Fredi Gonzalez from Florida. Some outside names that have been mentioned are Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills and St. Louis 3rd base coach Jose Oquendo. Some in house names are 3rd base coach Brian Snitker, bench coach Chino Cadahia, Gwinnett manager Dave Brundage, and Mississippi manager Phillip Wellman. Now, Phillip Wellman would be fun to watch. I wonder if he will decide to make the rosin bag a hand grenade again.
A little early to start a discussion on this, no? I mean who knows who will be available after the 2010 season.
It's about 15 years too late but hey...... Hoping that consultant gig doesn't include him advising on when to make a call to the bullpen
Not a Braves fan, but Terry Pendleton is immediately who jumps out at me too. I wonder if they go outside the organization or if they promote from within. The Braves always struck me as sort of a family type of ballclub, meaning they would rather find the solution in house than go outside. As long as it isn't Mark Lemke. I LOATHE him still.
The ideal manager, IMO, would be one that is a players manager and can handle different personalities the way Bobby does. I do not believe that a manager should throw their players under the bus or embarass them publicly. Bobby has always handled things in house, and he has not hesitated to pull a player from the game that loafed on the field. I love the way Bobby manages his players. In addition, I'm a big fan of aggressive baseball. I like hit and run plays. I like having guys who can steal bases. I like being able to manufacture runs when you need it. I also like to have power hitters in the line up, but I don't like sitting back and waiting for the three run homer. Also, I want a manager that understands that pitching is the bell cow of winning baseball and knows how to handle pitchers. Say what you want about Bobby overusing his bullpen, there hasn't been a manager in baseball that is better at handling his pitchers. I think the guy that may be an under the radar candidate for the job is Dave Brundage at Gwinnett. Dave has spent two seasons in the Braves system managing their AAA affiliate. He has been a minor league manager for the past 9 seasons. He has won 3 league championships during those 9 seasons and has taken 6 of those teams to the playoffs. He fits many of the qualities I have stated above.
You're spot on with the Pendleton prediction. (Much) farther down the road, I could see Greg Maddux as a possibility.
