Report: Padres to name Andy Green as their next manager
The San Diego Padres have found what they hope to be their long-term answer at manager. The franchise will reportedly announce Arizona Diamondbacks third-base coach Andy Green as the team’s new manager Thursday, according to Scott Miller of Bleacher Report.
The Padres have not officially confirmed the hire, but have announced a press conference at 3 p.m. PT where they will present their new manager.
Green beat out Ron Gardenhire and Rick Sofield for the position. Gardenhire was considered the favorite in some circles due to his prior experience managing the Minnesota Twins, while Sofield, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ third-base coach, made a late push for the job, according to Miller.
In the end, the team opted for the relatively unknown Green. The former utility infielder played four seasons in the majors, three of which came with the Diamondbacks. After spending a few seasons in Japan, Green returned to the majors in 2009 briefly with the New York Mets. Green wasn’t a standout player at the plate, hitting just .200 over 265 plate appearances.
Shortly after his playing career ended, Green went into coaching. He led the Diamondbacks’ rookie team, the Missoula Osprey, to a title in 2012. Green was then named the Southern League Manager of the Year in both 2013 and 2014 while leading the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the D-Backs. In four seasons as a manager in the minors, Green compiled a .537 winning percentage.
In September 2014, Green was promoted to the major-league staff. He became the club’s third-base coach heading into the 2015 season.
Green’s hiring continues the trend of teams bringing in managers with no prior major-league experience. Green was a manager in the minors, however, so he’s not as inexperienced as guys like Walt Weiss or Robin Ventura. Still, it’s unclear how much that experience makes a difference. Green has been in the role before, and has had success, but he’s never done so at the highest level.
The Padres may have looked at some of his strategic trends as a manager, and may have an idea what they are getting, but Green is an unknown to the public.
More should be revealed at the Padres news conference. Assuming Green is the man the club introduces, fans should get a better idea of what he brings to the club. Is he an old-school manager? Will he embrace new statistical concepts? Will he employ shifts?
While the introduction should provide piece of mind, the real test will begin once the 2016 season starts. Any manager can manufacture a strong audio clip, but their true tendencies are revealed during games, where they have to make snap decisions.
We won’t have a great grasp on Green as a manager until then, and it’s possible the Padres won’t either. That’s the risk a club runs when it hires someone who hasn’t been in the role before.
At the same time, new blood isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Every great manager needs to start somewhere, and perhaps Green will prove to be fantastic in the role. The Padres clearly saw enough to choose him over Gardenhire, who spent 13 seasons in Minnesota after he was hired in 2002.
If Green lasts even half that long in San Diego, the Padres will wind up more than happy with that decision.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
