San Diego Padres manager Andy Green knows a lot about baseball. That’s a prerequisite for being a big league skipper. Green takes it a step further and knows a lot about the Padres.
Not just the guys who have established MLB resumes, mind you. Andy has only been the Padres skipper since October 29 and already he has an almost scary grasp of his entire organization. Ask him about a player … ANY player … and Green has a full-blown scouting report at his fingertips.
Being with the Diamondbacks last year and seeing the Padres 19 times, helping prepare 19 scouting reports will obviously provide insights on the guys, like 2nd baseman Cory Spangenberg.
“I love what he brings to the table,” says Green. “I love the speed element. I think he had 11 or 12 bunt hits last year and I think he has a lot of room to progress in that area. At 2nd base he plays with great energy, he’s got good instincts.”
How about outfielder Travis Jankowski? He only played in 34 games in 2015 with a mere five of them coming against the Diamondbacks.
“Travis Jankowski is a rare combination of speed and ability to defend the field. (We’re trying to) get him to where he needs to be from an offensive perspective, handling the bat, and he’s making great progress right now when you watch his batting practices.”
Alright, there’s no way he knows anything about Alex Dickerson, another outfielder who has eight career plate appearances, zero against Arizona.
“Alex Dickerson, when you look at his progression, path through the minor leagues, it tracks very well and consistently with guys who have turned in to solid Major League Baseball players. I like the shortness of his stroke from the left side, the aggressiveness of it.”
OK now it’s getting a little spooky. Even Dickerson himself says he was taken aback by how much his new manager knew about him before they’d ever met.
“He knew quite a bit,” said Dickerson, a Poway High School alum. “He knew medical history. He knew my averages against lefties and righties. For me that’s just a good sign in a manager, knowing his own players, and that’s what he said from the beginning; he wants to get to know us and you can tell throughout the day he tries to make a conversation with you. That’s a special trait as a leader.”
“I think he’s also just observant,” said 1st baseman Brett Wallace. “He likes to get a chance to talk to you, sit down, look you in the eyes and see what you’re about.”
Green also knows about guys who are new to the Padres, like infielder (and Francis Parker High School alum) Nick Noonan, a non-roster invitee.
“Very steady-handed at shortstop, former first-rounder so there’s a lot of stuff you can like. He’s a guy coming out of the draft who a lot of people considered a possibility to have some power as part of his game.”
Noonan only hit one home run in 76 games with the Giants so the Padres are hoping to unlock that potential pop. Noonan is already impressed with his new manager.
“He seems very acclimated to what I’ve done and who I am as a player so I’m excited to talk with him more and have him see me play a little bit,” said Noonan.
Green’s power of recollection extends to guys who have never even spent a day in The Show, or even been a member of a franchise where Green has worked.
On 24-year-old catcher Christian Bethancourt, who’s played 80 games with the Braves:
“We identified four or five areas of improvement. This guy’s got a ton of raw ability. You look back on prospect lists; he was on the top half of prospect lists in all of baseball for a number of years. He has a ton of upside but also a ton of work ahead of him.”
On Manuel Margot, an outfielder who came over from Boston in the Craig Kimbrel trade and has never played above AA:
“Manny Margot is really exciting. I mean you watch him run around the outfield drills it’s a ton of athleticism. He’s got a lot of whip in his bat. He’s had a real good track record at a very young age at a high level and we’re excited to have him.”
On about Jabari Blash, a Rule V draftee from the Mariners who’s still looking for his first MLB call-up:
“He’s got all the potential in the world. You look at what he did in the minor leagues last year; it was 32 home runs, a very impressive walk rate. Strikeout rate might be up but that’s not any cause for concern. He gets on base and drives guys in.”
Green is a baseball junkie, pure and simple. He came in to his interviews with General Manager A.J. Preller with plenty of plans for the MLB club. All of this knowledge about organizational depth has come in just a couple of months.
“I think most of the interview process was a lot more about leadership and how you draw things out of people, not necessarily trying to figure out what you know about the High-A 1st baseman and what brings to the table. You rely on the people in the organization to fill you in. Since then it’s been a crash course.”
One that, so far, he’s passing with flying colors.
