NBC 7’s Derek Togerson offers some advice to the Padres as they look for a new manager in this commentary
The Padres are piecing together their list of managerial candidates. General Manager A.J. Preller hinted that he was going to look in a lot of different places and not rule anybody out based on background or experience level.
So let me do that for him.
One name that keeps on coming up is Phil Nevin. It has not come up from the Padres front office but it sure as heck has been a popular go-to suggestion for the Friar Faithful.
Nevin was an All-Star for the Padres as a player in 2001 when he hit 41 home runs. He played seven of his 12 MLB seasons in San Diego (Nevin also had stops in Detroit, Texas, Minnesota, Anaheim, Houston and the north side of Chicago) with manager Bruce Bochy so he saw first-hand what a great manager does.
Two years after retiring Nevin started managing in the independent Golden Baseball League with the Orange County Flyers. It only took him one year to join the Tigers organization, managing their Class AA and AAA affiliates. Nevin spent the last two years at the helm of the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks.
Nevin only has one winning record in his seven years as a manager (2014) but he has a pretty good guy in his corner.
“He’s drawing a lot of attention because he’s rock solid,” Hall of Famer manager Tony LaRussa, the Diamondbacks’ Chief Baseball Officer, told the Arizona Republic. “He’s got a great background as a player, manager, infield, hitter and a leader. Triple-A is a tough place to manage. He was understanding and nurturing of the young guys but also had the respect of the veterans. He’s smart and has a good out-going personality that attracts people. And he runs a hell of a game.”
If Tony LaRussa vouches for you, people will listen. Nevin has already interviewed for the Marlins managerial job and he’s on the Nationals wish list. If Phil does get a MLB manager’s spot, more power to him. I’m rooting for him to do it.
I just hope it’s not in San Diego.
Maybe it’s because I saw how irascible he could be as a player and that’s poisoning my opinion. Maybe it’s because of that combined 54 games under .500 as a minor league manager, something that can be more a product of an organization’s lack of depth than a manager’s ability. Maybe it’s because I still don’t trust Tony LaRussa as far as I can spit a sunflower seed.
But the most likely reason is … it just doesn’t feel right.
Nevin could be the next Casey Stengel, I have no idea. I’m sure there are a lot of Padres fans who would love to get a guy in who might serve as a bridge to Bochy and his success. But for an organization that has veteran players entrenched for a few years a rookie MLB manager with a spotty minor league record and a nondescript playing career seems like an awfully big gamble.
Matt Kemp, James Shields, Melvin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, Derek Norris … these are all guys who have established themselves in the game and probably aren’t going to listen to just anybody. If you’re going to go with a first time manager a guy like Jason Varitek makes a whole lot more sense. Varitek was the glue for a pair of World Series champions and one of the most respected players in the game. Just about anybody will bend to his will.
Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire won six division titles in a nine year span with Minnesota. He would be a guy who commands respect in the clubhouse.
The Padres need somebody with name recognition. Phil Nevin certainly has name recognition … with the fan base. The Friars need someone the guys in the clubhouse will get excited about before they ever even meet him.
