We all want our manager to put people into a position to succeed. That’s the whole theory behind the LOOGY or platooning or having a closer. So, if it’s a good idea for players, can it be applied in other ways for a baseball team?

Supposedly, Carlos Beltran indicated that he wanted Terry Collins as his bench coach. From an outsider’s perspective, this is an absolutely horrible idea. Does anyone think that making decisions in the dugout in real time was a strength of Collins?

No one ever accused me of being a Collins fan. That’s because in my estimation, his weaknesses outweighed his strengths. But it’s not like there was nothing in the “strengths” column in my Collins calculation.

At the top of the (very short) list of his strengths would be how Collins handled the media. The guy managed in New York for seven seasons and you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of media controversies he had. And still have fingers left over.

So, yeah go ahead and give Collins a uniform and put him in the dugout. Have him available to both Beltran and players alike. But instead of him being the bench coach, make him the media coach. Don’t let him make in-game decisions. Let him talk to the press about the team before and after the game. It’s likely to be a weakness of Beltran, so why not let an old pro do it?

In the NBA, the league makes the coaches talk to the press at halftime. Gregg Popovich has become famous for his terse answers in these interviews. But David Fizdale doesn’t do them. Instead, he has one of his assistant coaches handle this duty.

If Mike Miller can answer these questions instead of Fizdale, there’s no reason Collins couldn’t do the same for Beltran.

13 comments on “Thursday catch-all thread (11/7/19)

  • Pete

    A few thoughts on this past MLB season. I found it interesting how MLB wanted to change the persona of how baseball should be perceived by us fans. Hot dogging, showboating were the new norm. Ronald Acuna Jr excelled in the let me admire my home runs before trotting around the bases. I found it poetically justice that the same posing cost his team in the playoffs. Ironically it wasn’t the first time he had done it as he was pulled from a game late in the season. I enjoyed his selfish throat slashing gesture at the Cards. Enjoyed it even more more when Molina returned the favor and gesture after the Braves were eliminated from the playoffs. Molina did nothing after that in the playoffs. Fast forward to the Nat’s who let their super ego superstar walk away in FA and played like a team with no egos and with one goal in their sites. Make the playoffs. The baseball gods smile down on them and yes every road team won in the WS. Amazing. So much for proclaiming thank God for Osuna. I’m happy for the Nat’s and their fans. Now if 2020 can be the Mets turn? I’ll kiss every Yankee fan I can find.

  • Chris F

    Pretty much with you on that Pete…but I wouldnt say the Nats are all lacking superstar egos. For example, Juan Soto is no different than Acuna.

    • JimO

      100 % agree on Soto. Total “hot dog”. Rendon on the other hand, is the complete opposite; I hate to face him but he’s a superb player.

  • Rob

    Agree 100 percent with article. I think should be a coach with experience but time for new blood.

  • Mike Walczak

    I don’t want Collins on the bench. He will be chirping his crappy advice in Beltran’s ear. Plus he is a ghost from past failures. I don’t like ghosts and especially ones that bring bad karma. He also becomes a shadow over Beltran, especially if things went south.

    I don’t give a rats tail about Collins being a media coach.

    Time for new blood. Beltran will have a lot of good choices for his bench coach.

  • MattyMets

    Like Callaway, Collins made a lot of questionable in-game decisions. However, he was a beloved, avuncular figure and the team played hard for him. If it gives Beltran comfort and support to have that wise old uncle in the dugout, then bring him back.

  • José

    I’ve got bad news for those of you hoping for deGrom to snag another CYA:

    Compare his stats from 2015 with 2019, and you’ll see numbers very similar. In 2015, JDG finished 7th in the CYA voting, and I’m sure some schmuck will use that to justify not giving the award to him this year

    • Brian Joura

      But you can’t compare raw numbers like ERA without taking run environment into consideration. In 2015, the NL averaged 4.11 rpg and in 2019, that number was 4.78

      deGrom led the NL this year with a 7.0 fWAR. In 2015, he finished tied for sixth with a 4.9 fWAR

      • Bob P

        To add to Brian’s point, in 2015 the guys that finished ahead of deGrom had phenomenal years. Look at what Greinke, Arrieta and a few others did that year. Comparing deGrom to himself in 2 different years is completely irrelevant to this years Cy Young voting. He’s competing against other pitchers this year, not himself in 2015.

      • Mike Walczak

        It will be deGrom or Ryu. What may determine it is if some voters put Scherzer ahead of these two in first or second place. Third place votes could thrown one of them off.

        I really hope that Jake wins it.

        • jennifer

          My main concern for deGrom not winning is I didn’t expect Scherzer to make the top 3 with only like 172 innings. And even Ryu only has 182 to deGrom’s 204. I thought Flaherty or even Stras might get in top 3. It seems the baseball writers are caring less about innings. More innings is more opportunity to screw up, so w/Jake having 20 to 30 innings more than his 2 closest competitors is a wash to me, but why are they there? Maybe it’s not close. Last year deGrom has 29/30 first place votes. Hope he has at least 20 this year.

          • Brian Joura

            It’s tough to balance innings and quality. While Scherzer might not have had the innings, he certainly had the quality.

            My view is the opposite. More innings by a top starter is always a good thing, as it means fewer opportunities for the bullpen to screw up.

            As for Ryu making top three, it shows that the voters still employ narrative in their decision-making process. Ryu was such a good story the first half of the year, staying healthy and having great results. But the 2nd half was a different story. Strasburg should have been third.

            • jennifer

              I totally expected Ryu to make top 3, but winning is tough w/not great 2nd half, though he did have good Sept. I feel Scherzer is there over Stras or Flaherty based on name. He was good, but the lower innings makes it tough for more than a 3rd to 5th place finish.

              I don’t know, if Scherzer got a lot of 2nd place votes could be problem for Jake depending on how many first place votes he got. We’ll see.

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