The first rumblings about minor league managers are coming out. Syracuse.com has the news that Tim Foli will not be returning as the Chiefs manager in 2010. Replacing him will be Trent Jewett who managed the Potomac Nationals in 2009.
No word yet on who is replacing Jewett in Potomac or whether Foli stays in the Nats organization.
The Chiefs staff will be entirely new in 2010 with Jewett and a new hitting coach (Darnell Coles is the hitting coordinator in Milwaukee) and pitching coach (Rich Gale was let go after the 2009 season).
#1 by estuartj - October 28th, 2009 at 14:57
Tim Foli wil be Mattingly’s bench coach :-)
#2 by Positively Half St. - October 28th, 2009 at 14:58
This opens the possibility the Foli becomes the Nats’ manager, as well.
#3 by estuartj - October 28th, 2009 at 15:06
I would like to get a better feel for what kind of people and players Rizzo is looking for in the system. I have no idea on the staff decisions, but for position players I’m guessing he’s looking for;
#4 by estuartj - October 28th, 2009 at 15:07
clubhouse not locker room, let’s not have any football references here, any Skins infection might lead to a group suicide pact in Natstown.
#5 by Berndaddy - October 28th, 2009 at 15:32
estuartj what happens in Natstown stays in Natstown. What happens in Danny’s World is manipulated by Danny and then shown through rose colored lenses and sugar sweet sound filters… what…I love Natstown grown up are running the show now !!!
#6 by Sue Dinem - October 28th, 2009 at 15:32
Tacking on to estuartj… it appears that Rizzo favors the “my-way-or-the-highway” type managers, too. Would certainly explain Jewett getting the jump from A+ to AAA (though I believe he’s managed that leve before) and Stearns getting the boot.
#7 by Brian Oliver - October 28th, 2009 at 15:36
Jewett did in fact manage at Triple-A before, for the Pirates
#8 by estuartj - October 28th, 2009 at 16:27
I’m hoping Trent joins the big league club soon so I can buy a Jewett jersey without paying to have my name stenciled on the back.
#9 by estuartj - October 28th, 2009 at 16:38
Interesting piece on a High-A affiliate swap between the Reds and Pirates;
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/business/?p=234
I’d love to swap Harrsiburg for Richmond with the Giants, but not sure if that would be in the Giants interest at all.
#10 by Sue Dinem - October 28th, 2009 at 18:33
This only happened because it appears that the Reds themselves owned the Sarasota franchise. What most likely happened is that the folks that owned Lynchburg were asked to forego the last year of the PDC in exchange for a new, longer PDC (probably four years instead of three).
I’m reasonably certain that the ownership group in Harrisburg wouldn’t want to swap a Giants affiliation for the Nats unless a similar deal was struck. Likewise, the Richmond folks would much rather have the Nats than the Giants any day of the week, but their current PDC is through next season. Perhaps not coincidentally, that’s when the Syracuse PDC expires as well.
#11 by Jeff E. - October 28th, 2009 at 19:39
Long time in Lynchburg for Pirates. Lorenzo Bundy for POT?
#12 by Jane - October 29th, 2009 at 05:55
Trent Jewett, much continued success in your promotion to Syracuse!!!!!!
#13 by estuartj - October 29th, 2009 at 09:28
So the affiliate contracts for Richmond, Harrisburg and Syracuse all expire after the 2010 season? I thought the SYR one went longer…
I don’t expect a change to come in our AAA affiliate, there just don’t seem to be many preferable options, but moving the AA affiliate from Harrsiburg to Richmond would be a strong move.
Especially since I can totally see myself driving to Richmond to see Bryce Harper play AA ball in 2011, no way I’d make it to PA no matter who was playing.
#14 by estuartj - October 29th, 2009 at 09:28
So the affiliate contracts for Richmond, Harrisburg and Syracuse all expire after the 2010 season? I thought the SYR one went longer…
I don’t expect a change to come in our AAA affiliate, there just don’t seem to be many preferable options, but moving the AA affiliate from Harrsiburg to Richmond would be a strong move.
Especially since I can totally see myself driving to Richmond to see Bryce Harper play AA ball in 2011, no way I’d make it to PA no matter who was playing.
#15 by Mark L. - October 29th, 2009 at 10:00
Thinking that moving our AA team from Harrisburg to Richmond is a good idea is the ultimate in navel gazing, and an admittance that someone has never been to either facility. Harrisburg has one of the, if not the, best situations in all of minor league ball. Richmond’s is a dive. The driving distance to the two is almost exactly the same, so unless there is a warrant out for your arrest in Penn., there is no advantage there, either.
#16 by dian - October 29th, 2009 at 10:13
any other word on potomac nationals coaches?
#17 by Pilchard - October 29th, 2009 at 13:19
A Dominican Court ruled that the Nats owe former director of DR operations Jose Baez $40k for wrongful termination. The Nats fired Baez in the wake of the Smiley Gonzalez age scandal: http://www.thespread.com/ap-news-mlb-500/dominican-court-orders-nationals-to-pay-40k.html
#18 by Rich - October 29th, 2009 at 15:11
The Dominican courts can say whatever they want. There is no way that the Lerners pay until they have appealed it up down the court system. The same way that they treated DC.
#19 by TimDz - October 29th, 2009 at 15:12
Maybe I’m just stupid, but, if you are a director of some entity and, under your watch, someone screws up ROYALLY, shouldn’t you EXPECT to be terminated? Or is this some Dominican thing that we don’t understand?
#20 by Bill G - October 30th, 2009 at 09:53
The Nats could not move their triple a team to Richmond. Richmond no longer has a license for a triple A franchise. The Atlanta Braves owned the team and chose to move it out of Richmond because the stadium did not meet major league requirements.
There are only as many Triple A teams as there are major league teams. Syracuse has a license for a triple A team and a fairly new stadium so they are guaranteed to have an affiliation with one of the major league teams . They only way Richmond can get a team is if another triple A team would chose to move there, which is highly unlikely because of the stadium situation.
#21 by Jeff E. - October 30th, 2009 at 18:14
Surprising that with Dana Brown gone that Spin and Trent have impressed Rizzo and did not join the ex-bucs bounced out of the beltway. Should be interesting how many associates come over from AZ, ATL, TEX or COLO what with the recent hirings.