Ron Roenicke, Tim Wallach could head list of potential managers for Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for a new manager and there is no clear-cut favorite for the job in the immediate aftermath of the team parting ways with Don Mattingly.
Considering the team has a massive payroll and has been in the postseason for three straight seasons, it would seem unlikely that owner Mark Walter, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi would be willing to take a chance on an unproven candidate to get them over the top.
[Look: Real hope for the future cushions the Cubs’ fall in the NLCS]
That said, an argument might be made within the organization that it’s time to shake things up a bit and inject some new life and fresh ideas into the day-to-day management on the field, opening the door to any number of possibilities.
Tommy Lasorda held the job for 21 seasons (1976-96), and since his departure, the club hasn’t kept a manager longer than five seasons. The next man up will be the seventh full-time manager the franchise has had since Lasorda.
Several in-house candidates are obvious possibilities who should at least get to sit down with management and make a case for why they’re the man for the job.
Bench coach Tim Wallach has reportedly interviewed for the Washington Nationals’ manager position. If the Dodgers want to keep him, they might have to move quickly. Wallach managed the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque in 2009 and 2010 and was named the Pacific Coast League manager of the year in his first season there.
[Check out Big League Stew on Tumblr for more cool stuff from the MLB postseason]
The Dodgers took the unusual step of replacing third-base coach Lorenzo Bundy in August with former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. The fact that he was hired in the middle of the season by Friedman and not Mattingly seems to give Roenicke, 58, a good chance at the job. He was fired in Milwaukee in May after leading the Brewers to one playoff appearance and a 342-331 record since 2011.
Los Angeles named Gabe Kapler director of player development less than a year ago, but he might embody a new style and fresh ideas well. He managed in the Boston farm system for one season and served as a television analyst before joining the Dodgers. He is a fitness and nutrition enthusiast and might connect well with players, given that he is only 40.
Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, former Padres manager Bud Black and former Texas Rangers interim manager Tim Bogar also could be candidates.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
