METS SIGN MENDOZA TO MANAGE. TAKE THE REST OF THE YANKEES COACHES WITH YOU

Carlos Mendoza, the Yankees bench coach has apparently accepted the managerial position of the New York Mets.  I will not lose sleep over this. In fact, if the Mets need any more of the Yankees inexperienced coaching staff, I strongly suggest they poach every single one of them, and then hire Dillon Lawson to sit there and talk about "hitting strikes hard" too... just for comic relief.

ESPN writes:

"The New York Mets are hiring Carlos Mendoza as their new manager, sources told ESPN on Monday.

Mendoza, 43, comes to Queens after spending 15 years with the Yankees in multiple roles, including managing in the low minor leagues in 2011-12, and the past four seasons as Aaron Boone's bench coach."

Look, I may sound harsh, but this is a non-story. 

In fact, maybe it's a better story for the Yankees than the Mets.  This is nothing but good news. Let's hope more Yankee coaches' interview for other coaching jobs on other teams and totally deplete the shitty coaching staff we have.    Let's say what it is... Mendoza did nothing to better the Yankee organization. One thing he did do was collect a paycheck.  

In this world of the Yankees sucking and change needed, this is a plus.  Look, Mendoza may be a nice guy, good player coach, but that means nothing if you don't win.  So... clean slate for Carlos Mendoza... good for him.

Can we get Tony Pena back... please?  

WAIT. EXPERIENCE IS NOT NEEDED FOR A BENCH COACH?!

"“Experience is important, but it’s not the be all, end all. I want smart sitting next to me. I want confident sitting next to me.” -Aaron Boone

SAY WHAAAAAT?!

That is an interesting quote that has stuck with me after the Yankees officially announced Aaron Boone as their new manager. The Yankees are going through a lot of changes with the younger players and now a brand new manager and soon to be coaching staff. It's a lot all at once.

Photo: New York Yankees

So when Boone said that and said experience wasn't exactly necessary I had to go back and re-read the quote. I am still getting used to the idea of Boone as our next manager. I said previously that if the Yankees brought on an inexperienced manager that an experienced bench coach and coaching staff would be important and for more than one reason.

To succeed in New York you absolutely need the confidence factor, so that I completely agree with Boone on. However, if he wants "smart sitting next to me" I really think that is an experienced coach here. The idea of the blind leading the blind scares me a little. Boone has a lot of baseball knowledge but calling a game on ESPN and being the guy that makes the moves during the game are two very different things.

John Connolly/NorthJersey.com

The Yankees have a roster of young kids. Some of them got a full year under Joe Girardi and now Aaron Boone is going to introduce his own approach and way of doing things which I am guessing will be extremely different that how Joe did things. The Yankees clearly wanted that difference from the old regime, so much that some of it's key figure heads are gone.

Photo: Getty Images

Some people may not care, but I am going to miss Rob Thomson. I really think he is one of the best bench coaches in baseball. He's got a lot of pride, he cares about his guys and he was the mastermind and organization when it came to being ready for Spring Training. I really wish him luck in his new gig as the bench coach for the Phillies. I just wish he was still here in some capacity to help.

At least the Yankees will have the familiar face of Larry Rothschild still around now that the Yankees have officially announced his return but the Yankees will now need to turn their attention to hiring a bench coach, hitting coach, first-base coach, third-base coach and bullpen coach, and there are indications that Mike Harkey could return as bullpen coach according to the New York Post HERE.

Photo: Getty Images

But what about Tony Pena, Marcus Thames and Alan Cockrell? Who knows. It would be weird to not see Pena anymore but that could be a reality. Rumors are already swirling and so far Reggie Willits (Angels minor league coach), Carlos Mendoza and even Carlos Beltran are being considered for coaching staff positions. Mendoza has been with the Yankees since 2009 in a variety of minor league coaching and managerial roles and is well liked by executives in the front office. Could any of these guy be one of Boone's new managers?

I don't know. Brian Cashman said that choosing the rest of the coaching staff could take a couple of weeks. It will be interesting to see who he picks, and depending on who he does pick the explanations could be even more intriguing.

Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com

I just hope Boone rethinks his whole philosophy to the bench coach. He needs a strong staff around him and so will our young up and coming team. Just like many jobs out there.....the quote here should read "HELP WANTED, EXPERIENCE PREFERRED."

--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

NO EXPERIENCE, NO PROBLEM

Source: Allen Kee/ESPN Images

I have received tons of comments about the Aaron Boone appointment but the one that grabbed a hold of me the most is the one a school colleague in-boxed me last night.  "Experience needs to matter, and he has no managerial experience. That really irks me. It's the Yanks for goodness sake. In 2017 experience no longer matters is a societal problem." I couldn't agree more.  By the way, he is a Phillies fan.  And here's my take: Just because you analyzed baseball and you played baseball and you hit a notorious home run against the Yankees' arch enemy, doesn't mean you can manage a major league team.

Source:  CHARLES KRUPA/ASSOCIATED PRESS

"Everyone in the game respects Aaron Boone because of the way he played the game, and the way he goes about his life, being a great husband and father of four, including adopted brothers from Haiti, treating people right, and never putting himself above anyone else," penned Tim Kurkjian
ESPN Senior Writer.  I believe he is a great guy and even a self-less guy.  But does he have what it takes to manage the most decorated team in baseball history if he has never managed before?

Source: SI.com 

As the New York Daily News reported, "It is a gamble for Cashman and Co. as Boone has never taken on this type of endeavor before. Granted, during his teleconference with reporters following his interview, he said, “I would say in a way I’ve been preparing for this job for the last 44 years.”  I get that.  I think we all have lofty goals that have been part of our preparation for that "dream job."  But as my colleague said in the opening quote of this piece, "Experience needs to matter." To rebut that concept, the NY Post printed, "Boone had been using his role as an ESPN analyst as something akin to a Ph.D. program in modern baseball."  Ph.D. program in modern baseball? That's a bit of a stretch.

Source: Getty Images

If we go with the Ph.D program thing then riddle me this: Why not hire Boone as a bench coach and promote one of the current bench coaches to manager?  Why not Rob Thomson or Tony Pena?  Quite frankly, Yankees team executive and former Red Sox Tim Naehring played with Pena back in the early 90s.  I interviewed Pena during that time as well and thought very highly of him as a player.  What makes Boone more qualified than Pena or Thomson for that matter?

Source: YES Network

And what are we saying to society by hiring Boone?  You can get hired for a premiere job and impress management even if you don't have the experience needed to execute the key objectives of the job?  I hope I eat my words and Boone proves to be effective in his role as manager.  But right now, I'm stuck on the words "No Experience, No Problem." And for that matter, I do have a problem with the team's decision to hire Boone as the new manager for the 2018 Yankee team.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof




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AARON BOONE AMONG YANKEE MANAGERIAL CANDIDATES

This is just getting weirder and weirder.  ABC News er... Buster Olney of ESPN, is reporting that Aaron Boone, the 3rd baseman that helped the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox back in 2003 with his historic home run is one of the candidates for our new manager. 

Allen Kee/Getty Images

If I had to flip a coin between Wedge and Boone, I'd pick the coin.  What are the Yankees doing?

Buster Olney writes:

"Aaron Boone...among the candidates to be the Yankees' next manager, according to sources. An interview has not yet been scheduled.  The only candidate to interview for the job thus far is longtime Yankees coach Rob Thomson, who met with team executives for between five and six hours Wednesday."

Now Buster is wrong about 1 thing, Wedge did interview with the Yankees yesterday making that 2, Thomson and he.  In fact, rumors are flying.  At one point mid-week there were as many as 20 managerial choices rumored to be part of the Yankees plan.  I was able to confirm that that number is down to 12... or Eleven.

Photo: Eleven from Stranger Things

This is Eleven. See what I did there?

The point is there are several choices, but not as many as other sports writers are saying.  I personally would love to see a guy like Tony Pena or Raul Ibanez at the helm, but I guess we wait and see.

And for now, Aaron Boone is yet ANOTHER name thrown out there.  Stay tuned.

THE NEWEST MANAGERIAL CANDIDATE IS SURPRISING...

I didn't see this one coming.

This new possible manager candidate comes out of left field.....literally, he used to play left field. Now the Yankees are tied with Jerry Hairston Jr as the newest possible skipper on a seemingly growing list. This list should be called the "Everyone but Joe Girardi" list since it's growing by the day. I don't think anyone even thought about this name...

It has been widely reported that the Yankees new manager will be someone that Brian Cashman has a relationship with already. If that really is the plan Hairston Jr doesn't even cross my mind as a possibility just due to the limited tenure he had as a Yankee. Back in 2009 he helped the Yankees get their World Series ring BUT.....he only played 45 games. Since his days as a Yankee he played on four different teams before retiring as a Dodger and has since been an analyst as SportsNet LA as a pregame analyst.

Photo: New York Daily News

I don't see the big connection there with Cashman, at least not compared to other candidates for the job that have long Yankee ties like Rob Thomson, Tony Pena and especially Joe Espada. If Cashman does prefer to have a manager that he has a relationship with already then Espada sounds like a more obvious choice. He has worked with Cashman in the front office, knows all of the young kids the Yankees have and he is an analytical guy that can help the Yankees in the coming years.

Photo: New York Daily News

Hairston is a third generation major league baseball player so he certainly has baseball in his blood. His grandfather Sam Hairston, father Jerry Hairston Sr., uncle Johnny and brother Scott Hairston were also all major league players along with several other family members who played in the minor leagues. Hairston's experience in both the infield and the outfield could give him an advantage if he does want to transition from commentary to managing since he has a lot of knowledge. His experience could help the Yankees in their youth movement but his lack of managerial experience though could also be a disadvantage considering how deep of a talent pool the Yankees have to choose from.

I guess since I have no personal favorite to fill Girardi's shoes at this point I just don't see anyone as the perfect fit. Maybe I am still in shock over it. I'm no expert, and maybe I am not giving Hairston Jr enough credit. Maybe his younger mindset could give the Yankees new life. It looks like we are behind the times here because I found an old ESPN article HERE from 2013 and he was considered an intriguing name for a managerial role years ago.

Maybe I am just wrong....or not willing to accept any name at this point. Who knows where the Yankees search will lead them as they look for their new skipper. Could it be Hairston Jr? I guess anything is possible at this point.

Stay tuned.




--Jeana Bellezza

BYB Managing Editor 
Follow me on Twitter: @NYPrincessJ

#BYB Merchandise

THOSE GIRARDI REPLACEMENT CANDIDATES

Photo: Getty Images

Wow, that took no time at all! The Yankees season ended less than a week ago and already they have declared that Joe Girardi will no longer be the team manager, read GIRARDI'S TOAST.

Speculation has already begun as to whom shall be his replacement. There are many candidates out there, but as you and I know... this is not a job for just anybody. Along with the managing of a baseball team, when taking the job of being the New York Yankee manager you're also taking on the task of managing an entire fan base and city.

Photo: New York Post

So while there are many managers out there, the options really are limited.  So, in the immortal words of Men at Work, I can't help but wonder "Who can it be now?" Of all the possibilities out there, is there really one that could step in and do what Joe Girardi has done for the last 10 years?

As with any situation like this, there are a lot of names being thrown around as to who could be the next man up. It's hard to tell which ones actually may be in the running. Our leader here at BYB, Robert Casey, asked me to write a piece as to who might actually be the next Yankee manager.

With the youth movement in full effect, I really don't think it would be wise to shake things up too much. I believe the new manager will come from within the organization. Someone who knows the strengths and weaknesses of the kids already. 

The first candidate that I would think fits this mold is current bench coach, Rob Thomson. He has been in the organization since 1990 and knows how things work within its confines. Though he does have limited managerial experience, 75 games for the New York/Penn League Oneonta Yankees, this is a hire that could end up working out just fine.

Another in-house guy could be current manager of the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Railriders, Al Pedrique.

Photo: Getty Images

Pedrique has managed and had success at every level within the organization. He has managed a lot of the kids currently on the big league roster and knows what they can and cannot do.

Photo: NJ.com

A third and final in-house candidate could be current third base coach Joe Espada. As with the previous names, Espada has been around the organization for a few years now. Though, much like Thomson he has little to no managerial experience, if you surround him with the right coaches, he could end up being decent. 

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

A fourth option is Tony Pena.  He is loved by the players, has been around the game forever and could be the perfect fit with the New York Yankees.

Look, I have no idea what it takes to be a good manager, but my feeling is that you simply need to continue molding our youth, and I believe that if you keep it inside the family, it may be a smart start.

What do you think? Should we keep it in the family? Or should we go bigger?  Dusty Baker? Raul Ibanez? 

--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer
Follow me on Twitter: @sevn4evr 

THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU DON'T DO!

This week Steve Weatherford, former punter for the New York Giants, stated very firmly that he would never even consider playing for division rival and city neighbor the Philadelphia Eagles.

When I talk with friends and readers about what teams I would root for if the NY Yankees, NY Giants or Notre Dame Fighting Irish were not playing, I have a hard time answering them or even taking them seriously.  I don't like any other teams, really.  And there are other teams I just simply hate or as Jim Carrey said as the Grinch, "Hate, hate, hate...hate, hate, hate, double hate- LOATHE entirely."  

So when guys come from the Boston Red Sox make the choice to join the Bronx Bombers, I wonder how they do it.  I could not just morph into a Red Sox fan if I moved to Boston.  I mean, I lived in Boston for a couple of years as a graduate student at Boston University and it was very clear that I was a Yankee fan.  How did Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Tony Pena (as a coach), Don Zimmer (as a coach) and more recently, Jacoby Ellsbury do it?  Did they sell their soul to the devil or maybe they had a come to Jesus moment and realized that they had been misplaced from the start?

There was a lot of banter about where would Tom Coughlin go after he resigned from the New York Giants earlier this month after holding the title of head coach for 12 years.  Weatherford's point was that Coughlin would never go to the Eagles.  They are like poison; they are like us and the Red Sox.

There are just certain things you don't do in life and in sports.  One of these things is go and play for a rival team.  As a reporter for Fox Sports said, "Many teams are hesitant to make trades with their division rivals, not wanting the player they gave up on to come back and haunt them for 19 games per season, or in the case of trading a young prospect, for years into the future. Shipping a player across the country, or even to the other league, minimizes the chances that your home town fans will be regularly reminded that not every trade works out in your favor."

So, your second favorite team, your alternate team, your second best team is really just a contingency plan that you really don't want to ever want to take on ever.  And that fierce competitor, antagonist, enemy, division rival; you never sell out for in sports and in life. There are just certain things you don't do; I guess unless your agent tells you that you have to and the money is greener on the dark side.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof





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"MUST READ FUN" ABOUT OUR YANKEE COACHES

It's one of those things. Many times a coach is in the dugout, working on the team and you realize, "Wait, did he play in the major leagues?"  That's when I click on the old Baseball-Reference.com, and see what I can find.  I gotta tell you, it's amazing.  Thank God for the Internet.  Thank God for Baseball-Reference.com.

I decided to do something cute.  I wanted to share with all of you when and who the Yankees coaching staff played for, share some stats, show a picture and have alittle fun on this Wednesday morning.  I even asked my BYB writers to take this story. No one bit. They're all fired.

Let's start with Joe Girardi:

Obviously he played and now manages for the Yankees, but he also played for the Cubs, the Rockies and 1 year with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003, his final year in the majors.  Lifetime, the guy batted .267, had 36 homers and 422 RBIs.  I wanted to find a nice old picture of the dude, when he played for the Cubs, his original team in 1989. I came up with this:

Atta boy Joe.

Next comes Larry Rothschild.  This is a dude that had an OK career as a pitcher.  I say OK because he played 2 whole years in the major leagues, 1981 and 1982.  He played with the Detroit Tigers, and compiled an amazing 5.40 ERA in 7 games.  He never recorded a win or loss, but he does have 1 save.  I searched and searched for a photo of the dude. Here's what I found:

Freaking Stud.

Alan Cockrell wasn't a porn star, despite his name.  He was however a ballplayer and what I found was interesting.  In 1996, he played his only season ever in the Majors.  It was with the Colorado Rockies and he had a .250 average, 2 hits, a single and double and 2 RBIs. That's it!

Interesting right? Yet, he's our hitting coach.

Next up is Tony Pena and we all know how successful he was as a catcher for the Pirates and Cardinals. Pena played from 1980 to 1997 and was freaking awesome. A terrific defensive catcher. Agile, smart and just a very good teammate.  My favorite years from him was when he was with the Pirates.  Overall, he played 18 years and had a career average of  .260, having 107 home runs and over 700 RBIs. 

Gotta love Tony.

Joe Espada was a minor leaguer his entire career bouncing from teams like Vancouver to Sacremento to Calgary and Omaha.  He played from 1996 to 2003. He was a second baseman and shortstop and now, amazingly, he's the third base coach for the New York Yankees.

America's a great place, ain't it?

Marcus Thames was alot of fun to watch when he played. He was passionate.  He played with the Yankees, blossomed with the Tigers and returned to New York for a moment and then finished his career in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.  He played a total of  10 years in the Majors.  He batted .246, had 115 homers and 311 RBIs.

Now he's back assisting Cockrell.  Love it.

Bullpen coach Mike Harkey was a beefy pitcher for a while in the majors.  Actually,  he played for several teams from 1988 to 1997 racking up a 36-36 record and a 4.49 ERA.  He played for the Cubs, Rockies, A's, Angels and Dodgers. I remember him most with the Cubs... that's what I'm choosing right here.

 

And there you go. 

Rob Thomson is the Yankees bench coach.  I'm gonna be honest with you, the guy must have worked with the CIA before this because I can't find anything about the guy.  It's strange actually.

What I did find came from Wikipedia. Check this out: " Thomson was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 32nd round of the 1985 draft from the University of Kansas. He played catcher and third base in the Tigers' minor league system until 1988, when he became a minor league coach for the team. "

Obviously now he's bench coach but moved around from first base coach and third base coach and all of that.  But here's the breaking news... he's Canadian! WTF bro.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this piece. Trust me, we at BYB are the only ones to take the time to put together something so mindless, yet, educational about the Yankees coaches. I really hope you liked it.

Hey... the offseason is here. I gotta fill the pages of BYB somehow!

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