October 20, 200619 yr http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basebal...-sports-marlins MAJOR LEAGUE NOTEBOOK Marlins filling out staff By Juan C. Rodriguez South Florida Sun-Sentinel October 18, 2006 The Marlins and manager Fredi Gonzalez have all but finalized their 2007 coaching staff. Pitching coach Rick Kranitz and hitting coach Jim Presley are back. Former Marlins minor league manager Carlos Tosca will handle the bench coach duties. First-base coach Perry Hill is signed through 2007, but he remains in discussions with the team about an extension. If for some reason Hill does not return, minor league infield coordinator Ed Romero could take over. For third base and bullpen coach, the Marlins will promote from within. Short-season Class A Jamestown manager Bo Porter will coach third. The bullpen coach likely will come down to Triple-A Albuquerque manager Dean Treanor or Double-A Carolina manager Luis Dorante, who had the job in 2005.
October 20, 200619 yr i see Luis Dorante getting the job over Dean Treanor in the bullpen, haven't heard much about Bo Porter but everything is looking good.
October 20, 200619 yr Well when you promote from within, it enables more coaches to want to run to our minors with a chance to make the big league club earlier than in other clubs. Bo Porter should be cheap since he will probably make the same thing he was making in the minors, so yea. Definately cheaper than bringing from without! It also enables us to look at lots of talents before we settle for one like Perry Hill who is a monster coach.
October 20, 200619 yr Thats a pretty big promotion for Bo Porter, eh ? He must come on the cheap. There's one reason why they promoted Porter from within rather than going out and getting someone established... $$$$$$$$$$
October 20, 200619 yr Thats a pretty big promotion for Bo Porter, eh ? He must come on the cheap. There's one reason why they promoted Porter from within rather than going out and getting someone established... $$$$$$$$$$ an established 3b coach? lol
October 21, 200619 yr Marlins name 2007 coaching staff New group with mix of experience to support Gonzalez By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com MIAMI -- Some familiar faces and new additions make up manager Fredi Gonzalez's coaching staff. Seventeen days after naming Gonzalez manager, the Marlins finalized their staff for the 2007 season on Friday afternoon. Among the group are three holdovers from this past season: first base/infield coach Perry Hill, hitting coach Jim Presley and pitching coach Rick Kranitz. Also back is bullpen coordinator Pierre Arsenault. Joining the staff for the first time are bench coach and former Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca, third base/outfield coach Bo Porter and bullpen coach Steve Foster. "I'm extremely pleased with the quality of coaches we have assembled for our 2007 staff," Gonzalez said. "We have a nice balance with some very experienced new additions joining highly talented coaches returning from last year." Gonzalez replaced Joe Girardi as manager on Oct. 3 after he spent the past four seasons as the Braves third base coach. Tosca brings previous big-league managing experience to the staff. He heads to Florida after spending the past two seasons as the Diamondbacks third base coach. The 53-year-old managed the Blue Jays for parts of three seasons, 2002-2004, posting a 191-191 record. A native of Cuba, Tosca lives in the Tampa area, in Valrico, Fla. He also has 16 years of Minor League managing experience. The pitching staff retains some continuity, as Kranitz is back for his second season. In his first season coaching in the big leagues, Kranitz molded a rookie-filled rotation. The Marlins became the first team in Major League history to boast four rookie pitchers winning 10 or more games in the same season: Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, Scott Olsen and Anibal Sanchez, who also threw the only no-hitter in the big leagues since 2004. Toss in Dontrelle Willis, and the Marlins had five pitchers with double-digit wins for the first time in franchise history. The starting rotation's ERA was 4.22, third best in the National League. Back for his second season as hitting coach is Presley, who watched the 2006 Marlins set a franchise mark with 182 home runs, including 112 by rookies, a Major League high. Once again, the Marlins infielders will be in the capable hands of Hill, regarded as one of the best infield instructors around. The veteran first base coach will enter his sixth season with Florida and 15th working in the big leagues. Since 2002, Marlins infielders have won five Gold Glove Awards. Porter and Foster are being promoted from within the organization. A former big-league outfielder, Porter managed short-season Class A Jamestown last year. Along with coaching third, he will work with the outfielders defensively. Foster spent the past two years as the pitching coach for low Class A Greensboro. A 12th-round pick of Cincinnati in 1988, Foster appeared in 59 games with the Reds from 1991-93, going 3-3 with a 2.41 ERA. Arsenault is in his sixth season as bullpen coordinator. Previously, he was with the Montreal Expos organization from 1987-2001.
October 21, 200619 yr FOSTER AND PORTER PACKING FOR THE BIGS October 20, 2006 (Miami, FL) The Florida Marlins have announced their 2007 coaching staff, which includes two former members of the Greensboro Grasshoppers field staff. Steve Foster and Bo Porter have been named to the staff under first-year manager Fredi Gonzalez and will serve as bullpen coach and third base/outfield coach, respectively. Foster, 40, joins the Marlins as bullpen coach for 2007, his third season in the Marlins organization and his first as a Major League coach. He spent the 2005-06 seasons as the pitching coach with Greensboro and this past season helped guide the five First-Round Draft Picks that made up the Hoppers starting rotation. Prior to joining the Marlins organization, Foster worked as a scout with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for three seasons (1996, 1999, 2000). In addition, Foster had stints with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1997-98 as the head coach and the University of Michigan in 2001-02 as pitching coach. A 12th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1988 June Draft, Foster made 59 ML appearances with the Reds from 1991-93, going 3-3 with a 2.41 ERA. Porter, 34, joins Florida as the club's third base and outfield coach and will also serve as the club?s base-running instructor. This season will be his first as a Major League coach, his third in the Marlins organization. Last year, Porter managed the single-A Jamestown Jammers and served as the organization?s outfield coordinator. In 2005, he worked as the Grasshoppers hitting coach. Prior to 2005, Porter had a 10-year playing career, including parts of three seasons in the Majors. Porter appeared in 89 games in the Majors with Chicago (NL), Oakland and Texas, hitting .214 with five doubles, two triples, two home runs and eight RBI. He played 1,064 games in the minors after being selected by the Cubs in the 40th round of the 1993 June Draft. Both coaches were part of the inaugural field staff for the Hoppers in 2005 and worked together under Manager Brandon Hyde. FYI, Brandon Hyde was promoted to manager of AA Carolina
October 21, 200619 yr Thats a pretty big promotion for Bo Porter, eh ? He must come on the cheap. There's one reason why they promoted Porter from within rather than going out and getting someone established... $$$$$$$$$$ an established 3b coach? lol They exist.... like Bobby Cox, Ozzy before he got the Sox job, etc.
October 21, 200619 yr Seems to me we heard alot of the same comments last fall. I have no idea how competent Foster and/or Porter are, but certainly having someone who can work (beside the Hawk) with the outfielders in itself is a good idea. And the guy is relatively young (young by my standards, perhaps not by yours ) and could be a good communicator. I say he couldn't be any worse than Bobby Meacham at third last summer, and it wouldn't take much to be an improvement.
October 21, 200619 yr Author Seems to me we heard alot of the same comments last fall. I have no idea how compentent Foster and/or Porter are, but certainly having someone who can work (beside the Hawk) with the outfielders in itself is a good idea. And the guy is relatively young (young by my standards, perhaps not by yours ) and could be a good communicator. I say he couldn't be any worse than Bobby Meacham at third last summer, and it wouldn't take much to be an improvement. Are we Meacham hating now????
October 21, 200619 yr Being critical and hating are two completely different things. Perhaps Meacham was just a victim to the happenings in September, and I'll be the first to say he is/was good enough to earn the job in the first place, but I felt he wasn't really in the game the down the stretch.
October 21, 200619 yr Seems to me we heard alot of the same comments last fall. I have no idea how competent Foster and/or Porter are, but certainly having someone who can work (beside the Hawk) with the outfielders in itself is a good idea. And the guy is relatively young (young by my standards, perhaps not by yours ) and could be a good communicator. I say he couldn't be any worse than Bobby Meacham at third last summer, and it wouldn't take much to be an improvement. I think Meacham was a huge improvement over Cox. I don't remember a single instance this season of one of our baserunners getting crucified at home by several feet. That was Cox's specialty. Maybe the new guy will be better but I thought Meacham was fine.
October 22, 200619 yr It's easy to notice when a third base coach gets it wrong and equally easy to miss it when he gets a call right. Take the aforementioned Jeff Cox, for one: Pirates Notebook: Cox nearly perfect as third base coach Saturday, September 02, 2006 By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ST. LOUIS -- It happened July 14. With the Pirates up by two runs on the Washington Nationals at PNC Park, Freddy Sanchez stroked a single up the middle. Jack Wilson was waved home by third base coach Jeff Cox, and Wilson was thrown out at the plate. Why is that noteworthy? It marked the only time all season a runner waved home by Cox failed to score. "Amazing," third baseman Joe Randa said. "Yeah, that's pretty good, huh?" Wilson said. One other runner was thrown out at the plate on a ball struck to the outfield this season, but that happened when Sanchez ran through Cox's stop sign April 23 in Houston and was nailed by 15 feet. No other player has run through a stop sign. And this might be the most impressive aspect of Cox's performance: He tends to employ an aggressive approach in waving runners, and he hardly is blessed with a speedy roster that can negate his mistakes. "It's about how hard he studies and works at it," bench coach Jim Lett said. "He's really prepared, from knowing all the outfielders' arms to understanding all the situations even before they play out." Lett shook his head. "That's a tough job over there. What he's doing there is incredible." "He's one of the best I've ever had," Randa said. "In addition to being prepared, he has a sense for the game. He sees how hard the ball is hit, thinks about how slow the grass might be, the instinct of the runner, the outfielders' positioning ... this is all going on in his head at the same time." Cox, 50, is in his 34th year of professional baseball and was the Florida Marlins' third base coach in 2004-05. His enthusiasm is palpable. On the field, he can be seen standing in his box during batting practice leaping as he waves home phantom runners. Off the field, his mannerisms are akin to a cartoon character, his hands clapping, feet tapping and mouth moving at a manic pace in incessant cheerleading. "He's completely passionate about the game," manager Jim Tracy said. "And when you have someone like that and he's done that kind of job, what more could you ask?" Cox has heard the tales of previous third base coaches getting jeered in Pittsburgh. It is safe to say they have not fazed him much. "The job? Oh, I love it. Love it!" he said with the trademark clap. "My gosh, I love the action. Getting the signs from the dugout, relaying them, going on contact, what to do if the ball clears the mound, if it sits in front of the plate, thinking about the outfielders. I just ... I just love the action!" And of his success? "It's a thankless job. But you've got to love it!" http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06245/718525-63.stm
October 22, 200619 yr Well d'uh that Jeff Cox'll only have one or two runners thrown out at home...he isn't called the "stop sign" for nothing. :whistle
October 22, 200619 yr I don't remember a single instance this season of one of our baserunners getting crucified at home by several feet. I do. And I also remember him holding a Marlins runner at 3B when the right fielder who caught the ball fell over. The runner on third would've scored standing up. Meacham got booed loudly by the crowd on his way back to the dugout. But, you're right about Cox -- no one is worse than him.
October 22, 200619 yr I don't remember a single instance this season of one of our baserunners getting crucified at home by several feet. I do. And I also remember him holding a Marlins runner at 3B when the right fielder who caught the ball fell over. The runner on third would've scored standing up. Meacham got booed loudly by the crowd on his way back to the dugout. But, you're right about Cox -- no one is worse than him. yea, I think Hammer was gunned down by a few feet atleast 5 or 6 times
October 22, 200619 yr geez, you guys are tough critics.. Yea they are. 3rd base coach takes alot of criticism. What alot of people either fail to see or refuse to say is that alot of times the runners were being thrown out at home last year they never once looked to Cox to see what he wanted them to do. They were running on their own. And other times he sent guys to test an OFers arm that we either had little scouting on or we heard he was injured a bit. Or he would get the blame for sending a guy and he was out because of a great, perfect throw and tag and then all of a sudden the guy was "out by several feet." Exagerration is a great weapon to use against a player or coach that a person dosen't like. Also notice how no one is saying anything about all the times Cox sent a guy and he was safe on a close play? I thought Meacham did a fine job this year. But he was a Girardi guy.
October 22, 200619 yr I think Tosca was a great choice. Fredi knows him, likes him, and respects him. They should work well together. Perry Hill is simply the best IF coach in baseball. Bar none. I was pleasantly surprised Kranitz came back. That decision could have gone either way, for him or the FO. He was one that Girardi fought for last fall because the FO really wanted Wiley back. I would have been happy with either one on the "new and improved" coaching line up but I believe Kranitz is the better choice because of his familiarity and communication skills with this particular pitching staff. And at $110K he is a steal. Presley did a fine job as the season wore on. I'm happy to have him back. I would like to see some numbers on how many times players were called out looking in the first half of the season compared to the second half. That's an out that really bugs me. But just watching it seemed as if that number drastically reduced. And now he gets a second chance to teach some bunting skills. That can be an awesome weapon in the right circumstances. (Just ask the Mets.) But bottom line is that he did a fine job. Harkey had to go as BP coach. Something wasn't right out there. Either he couldn't evalute a pitcher as he was warming up or his communication skills with the dugout were lacking. Good luck to Foster. Unless a couple of those older vets come back he is going to have a job on his hands. Since when is a bull pen catcher called a coordinator? And exactly how do you evaluate a bull pen catcher? If he dosen't bean a couple of the guys warming up then he gets a call back? In any case, Arsenalt seemed fine to me the past few years. Never saw him trip over the pitchers mound out there or make a fool out of himself in any way. I hope Porter is thick skinned. He's going to take some criticism no matter what he does. But I'm with Marlins2003 on this one. It's good to have someone besides just Hawk working with the OFers. Oh well. Just my opinions. Don't really mean much. And they are suject to change as ST wears on. LOL
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.