04/25/24
March 03, 2008
After 20 years, Ted Simmons suits up one more time.: "Whether I wanted to do it or not, I (decided) I'd better do it," Simmons said. "Because if I tell them no — and it's been 20 years since anybody's asked — it probably will be the last time I'm ever asked. Four or five years from now, I don't want to look back and wonder."
Bench coach might be the greatest job in pro sports. What does this person do exactly? From what I gather, he's essentially a professional friend to the coach. It's not like he has any accountability. Bullpen coach is up there, too. He is charge of answering the bullpen phone. And then relaying the message to the appropriate player. "Garces - you're up... Yes, I hold the cheeseburger bag while you get ready." Baseball is pretty awesome that way.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:22 AM on March 03, 2008
3 cheers for Simba.
posted by budman13 at 06:05 PM on March 03, 2008
Bench coach might be the greatest job in pro sports. What does this person do exactly? From what I gather, he's essentially a professional friend to the coach. It's not like he has any accountability. Depends on the team and the manager I think. Many people think that Joe Torre leaned heavily on Don Zimmer for in-game strategy and whatnot. I think bullpen catcher would be a pretty cool job. Essentially you get paid to play catch.
posted by goddam at 06:31 PM on March 03, 2008
Yeah, bench coach, at least nowadays, seems to be the person responsible for a lot of work, talking strategy, double-checking the manager's decisions, positioning fielders, etc. I don't know what a bullpen coach does besides answer the phone and ask people if they're warmed up.
posted by yerfatma at 06:49 PM on March 03, 2008
I don't know what a bullpen coach does besides answer the phone and ask people if they're warmed up. I always thought of them as an assistant pitching coach. I see starters take their bullpen sessions during games all the time. I assume the bullpen coach is keeping an eye on them since the pitching coach is busy with the game.
posted by goddam at 07:46 PM on March 03, 2008
Yeah, but when John Cumberland was pitching coach for the Sox, he had time to raise tomato plants in the bullpen. And drink, according to Dan Duquette.
posted by yerfatma at 06:54 AM on March 04, 2008
"Mr. Simmons, did you play?" Hell yes, he played, and damned well too. It seems to be the norm nowadays for a team to adopt someone with experience to be a bench coach. Milwaukee is making no mistake in putting a graybeard like Simmons in their dugout. I'm not sure when the bench coach trend started, but I think Don Zimmer might have been one of the early ones, if not the first. The idea is a sound one. It gives the manager a sounding board and a "sanity check" for his ideas. The only potential for trouble is for front office management to decide who the bench coach might be, and not allow the field manager any significant input into the decision. In that case, you have set things up for a serious clash.