New MLB Managers Entering the 2014 Season
By Loot, MLB Baseball Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Rick Renteria (Chicago Cubs): Renteria, 52, replaces Dale Sveum as the Cubs new skipper, accepting the job on November 7. Renteria played 5 seasons in the bigs, known as a good pinch-hitter during his limited playing time. Some of his recent work includes a 3-year run as Padres bench coach and a stint as Mexico’s manager during the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Renteria is the 8th different Cubs manager since 2000, with only Lou Piniella (2007-2010) able to register a winning record. Chicago has not been in the postseason since 2008. Last season, the Cubs finished 66-96 and were last in the NL Central.
Bryan Price (Cincinnati Reds): Replacing Dusty Baker, the 51-year old Price was hired on October 21 and takes over a team that finished third in the NL Central with a 90-72 record. A former minor-league pitcher, Price made his bones as a highly-regarded pitching coach. He first became noticed as he helped improve the Mariners’ staff, where he was a pitching coach from 2000-2006. He then moved to the Diamondbacks for 3 years, where he continued to make an impact. Beginning in the 2010 season, he was the Reds pitching coach and now has the chance to show what he has as a manager.
Ryne Sandberg (Philadelphia Phillies): One of the greatest players of the 80’s, Sandberg was named interim manager on August 16 of last season upon the firing of manager Charlie Manuel. The 54-year old Hall of Famer had an 18-16 record last season, good enough to lose the “interim” tag and get a 3-year deal. Sandberg has managed in the Chicago Cubs organization, before getting passed over for the managerial position of the big team, leading to him joining the team where he first came up as a young player. After a year managing AAA, Sandberg became the Phillies’ third base coach and now looks to get the 2008 World Series Champions on the right track after finishing 4th in the NL East last season with a 73-89 mark.
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Matt Williams (Washington Nationals): Hired on October 31, Williams gets his first MLB managing gig, looking to boost a team that finished 86-76 last season, good for 2nd in the NL East. The 48-year old Williams was a 5-time All-Star who hit 378 homers in a career that spanned from 1987-2003. He has spent the past several seasons as a base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. This will be his first managerial job and he is inheriting an 86-win team with talent. He is replacing Davey Johnson, who had managed the Nationals for the previous 3 seasons, winning the divisional title in 2012.
Brad Ausmus (Detroit Tigers): After 8 years with Jim Leyland as the skipper, Detroit hired the 44-year old Ausmus to become their new manager. Ausmus played in the majors for 18 seasons and as recently as 2010. That included a 2-year stint from 1999-2000 with the team he now manages. Known as a highly-capable defensive catcher, Ausmus’ only managerial experience came with the Israeli national team. A member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Ausmus is considered a bright baseball mind and will have a chance to prove it with a Tigers team that has made it to three consecutive postseasons and won three straight AL Central divisional titles. Ausmus accepted the job on November 12.
Lloyd McClendon (Seattle Mariners): Hired on November 7, McClendon replaced Eric Wedge, who managed the Mariners for the past three seasons. The 54-year old McClendon played for the Mets, Reds, and Pirates in an MLB career that spanned 1987-1994. This will be McClendon’s second MLB managerial gig, after being the Pirates skipper from 2001-2005, where he compiled a 336-446 mark. He spent recent years as a member of Jim Leyland’s coaching staff in Detroit. McClendon will attempt to get Seattle to its first postseason since 2001 and should have some better talent to work with this season than what Seattle has seen in recent campaigns. The Mariners are coming off a string of four consecutive 4th place finishes in the AL West division, including a 71-91 finish in 2013.
