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Around Baseball: Mariners Hire Oakland Bench Coach Wakamatsu To Be Next Manager
By Administrator | November 19, 2008
The Seattle Mariners have named Oakland A’s bench coach Don Wakamatsu as their new manager, making the 45-year-old native of Hood River, OR, the first Asian-American manager in Major League Baseball history. Prior to serving as the bench coach in Oakland last season, he spent five years on the coaching staff of the Texas Rangers.
He was one of seven candidates interviewed by the Mariners last week, including Red Sox coaches DeMarlo Hale and Brad Mills, none of whom had previous managerial experience at the major league level. Among those interviewed, the overwhelming fan favorite was former Seattle 2B and current Chicago White Sox bench coach Joey Cora… but the ballclub went in another direction.
In a statement, Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said: “When we started this process, there were some key attributes we were looking for. We wanted energy, passion and the skills to translate that passion to the players. We wanted leadership, a presence that could help us define the ‘Mariners Way’ to win. We wanted someone that both the community and the players could embrace. And we wanted someone who sees the big picture and cares about the players and wants to win. Don embodies all of those traits”.
Wakamatsu will be the fifth Mariners manager since the departure of Lou Piniella after the ‘02 season (Bob Melvin, Mike Hargrove, John McLaren, Jim Riggleman and, now, Wakamatsu).
Wakamatsu, a former catcher who spent his entire career in the minor except for eighteen games in 1991 (Chicago White Sox), said: “This is something I’ve looked forward to for a long time. It is a tremendous opportunity and I can’t wait to get going with Jack and his group as we start working on the 2009 team”.
Topics: Around Baseball |
