Written by Ian Casselberry at Bloguin
In the hours since the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly announced they were parting ways, five names have emerged as potential replacements.
The Los Angeles Times‘ Bill Shaikin lists Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez and former Padres skipper Bud Black, along with three who are currently in the Dodgers organization. Bench coach Tim Wallach and third base coach Ron Roenicke were on Mattingly’s staff, and Gabe Kapler is the team’s minor league director.
Roenicke would be a solid choice, and the Dodgers thought enough of him to add him to the coaching staff during the season, installing him as the third base coach in place of Lorenzo Bundy. He has major league managerial experience, which could be viewed as important for a largely veteran team expected to perennially contend for a World Series championship. During his five-season tenure as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers (well, four seasons and 25 games of a fifth season, if you want to get technical), his team finished over .500 three times, once winning 96 games and an NL Central title.
Wallach has regularly interviewed for openings around MLB — most recently with the Tigers, Mariners and Nationals — and it’s somewhat surprising that he hasn’t landed a manager job yet. He does have experience in that role, having led the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque in 2009 and being named Pacific Coast League manager of the year. He knows the players, who all reportedly love him because he’s a good teacher and communicator, and the organization. That might go a long way with veterans like Clayton Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Zack Greinke (if he returns), who don’t want a manager to play mind games and just let them know where they stand when they get to the ballpark.
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