Just out from the Nationals
The Washington Nationals today named Ron Schueler Special Advisor to the General Manager. The Nationals also promoted Bill Singer to Director of Professional Scouting. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.
A 42-year baseball veteran, Schueler joins the Nationals after serving the previous two seasons as Senior Advisor of Player Personnel for the San Francisco Giants. Schueler is perhaps best known for an 11-year stint (1990-2000) as General Manager of the Chicago White Sox, during which his clubs compiled an 817-734 record and a .527 winning percentage while finishing first or second in the AL Central or West eight times, including a pair of division titles in 1993 and 2000.
In 2000, his final season as General Manager, Schueler’s White Sox were named “Organization of the Year” by Baseball America.
In addition to his tenure as White Sox General Manager, Schueler has served in various special assistant capacities with the Cubs, Cardinals and Athletics, earning World Championship rings with St. Louis in 2006 and Oakland in 1989. He was also a pitching coach with the White Sox (1979-81), Athletics (1982-84) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1986). Schueler pitched for eight big league seasons (1972-79) with the Braves, Phillies, Twins and White Sox.
Singer’s new duties will include coordinating, scheduling and administering all Nationals major league, minor league and winter league scouting efforts. He most recently served the Nationals as a Special Assignment Scout and Coordinator/Pacific Rim Operations.
Singer joined the Nationals in 2006 after a three-year stay with the Arizona Diamondbacks as Major League Scout, where he worked under Rizzo. Singer was a two-time All-Star during his playing career, which included a pair of 20-win seasons (with the Dodgers 1969 and Angels in ‘73) and 118 wins. He has well over 30 years of professional experience as a player, area scout, national crosschecker, professional scout and international scout.
Another veteran set of eyes for the front office and an official Director of Professional Scouting.
But my call for a head of Pacific Rim scouting becomes more important now that the “boots on the ground” there has moved to a new position.
(Attached is an update to my guess of the Organizational Chart)
#1 by dd - November 3rd, 2009 at 17:08
I remember when Schueler and Singer were pitching in the majors!!!!
#2 by BinM - November 3rd, 2009 at 18:37
dd: So do I, in fact I still have baseball cards for both of them.
#3 by Andrew Stebbins - November 4th, 2009 at 00:12
I think some of these moves are just as important as some of the player moves we might see this offseason.
#4 by Jeff E. - November 4th, 2009 at 03:23
anothe great winter book to read this winter- Ira Berkow’s The Corporal was a Pitcher- the Courage of Lou Brissie. Brilliant. many of us here remember the lineage of players becoming scouts then player development support staff…baseball like most businesses is all about old associations..
#5 by estuartj - November 4th, 2009 at 10:54
Back to AFL news; Strasburg and Storen are on the Rising Stars roster (and SS looks to be the starter), but no Marrero or Espinoza. My thoughts on those two;
Espinoza, his avg is up and his OBP is matching his numbers in Potomac, but his SLG is down 90 pts. Looks to be having a solid run-up to AA in ‘09 and maybe a cup-of-coffee too. Likely a favorite to make the team out of ST in ‘10, but his role will depend on how his defense really stacks up and if his power can develop at all.
Marrero – what to make of Chris, his power numbers in Potomac and Harrsiburg were uninspiring and although he’s SLG almost .600 in AFL compared to other power hitters down there he should be (somewhat) dissapointed. Given his defensive limitations it remains to be seen if he can hit for enough power to be a legitimate bat-first 1B in the big leagues. If that can come along in AA/AAA this year he would make Adam Dunn expendable either for a mid-season trade or leave as a FA after ‘10. If Marrero doesn’t crank it up he may be traded and Dunn signed to an extension.
#6 by Guy Holly - November 5th, 2009 at 02:39
He was only at Harrisburg a few weeks. Give the kid a chance.