Royals Hire New Position Coaches

[phisherman]

Royals hire Seitzer, Gibbons as coaches
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

The Royals filled out their on-field staff Monday morning by hiring former Toronto manager John Gibbons as their bench coach and returning Kevin Seitzer to the organization as hitting coach.

The two hirings complete manager Trey Hillman’s 2009 staff. Pitching coach Bob McClure, first-base coach Rusty Kuntz, bullpen coach John Mizerock and Owen are returning to the staff.

“I’m very pleased with the amount of energy and overall baseball experience we’ve been able to add to our Major League staff with John Gibbons and Kevin Seitzer,” general manager Dayton Moore said. “John’s recent American League experience as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays will be a tremendous asset to Trey and the rest of the coaching staff.

“I’m also excited to bring Kevin into our organization. He was an exciting player and fan favorite during his days as a Royal, and possesses the same amount of passion and energy as a coach.”

Gibbons, 46, served 4½ years as the Blue Jays manager before his firing last June 20. He led the club to a 305-305 record in that time. Former bench coach Dave Owen will become the third-base coach on the reconstituted staff.

Seitzer, 46, spent the first six seasons of his 12-year playing career with the Royals. He batted .323 as a rookie in 1987 and finished second in balloting for American League Rookie of the Year.

Seitzer spent part of the 2007 season as the hitting coach at Arizona. He and former Royals teammate Mike Macfarlane operate a baseball-training facility in the Kansas City area.

The Royals also announced former third-base coach Luis Silverio would remain in the organization in the player-development department. His primary job will be to help young Latin players in their transition to professional baseball.

Silverio, 51, recently completed his 33rd year with the Royals. He spent the last six seasons as a coach on the big-league staff,

“I’m delighted that Luis has chosen to remain with our organization and serve in this newly-created position,” Moore said. “He will work with all of our young players as they come through the system, with an emphasis on communicating with the younger Latin kids as their skills develop and begin their professional careers.

“Luis has a terrific working knowledge of our organization and his ability to communicate our values to them will only make the player more comfortable as they grow within our system.”

http://www.kansascity.com/news/break...ry/838773.html

Man, Seitzer could be a great hitting coach!

[triple]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

Yes, but that would require spending real money. Not two-first-round-picks money. REAL money. Free agent & internal player retention money (see Beltran, Dye, and hopefully Greinke, with different results).

The kind of money that, despite Jackson county ponying up $250M (more ?) in a recession, the Glass family has yet to commit to the product on the field.

Apparently, in a recent questionnaire about improving fans' experience at the K, several options were listed. Noticeably absent? Better players/better team. Reason? It's cheaper to buy another hot dog stand, miniaturized field for 4-year-olds, or set of toilets than it is a power-hitting corner outfielder, another frontline starter, or anyone else who isn't Mark Teahen, Ross Gload or ....gulp....TPJ.

This is Missouri. SHOW ME.

kill yourself

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

Yes, but that would require spending real money. Not two-first-round-picks money. REAL money. Free agent & internal player retention money (see Beltran, Dye, and hopefully Greinke, with different results).

The kind of money that, despite Jackson county ponying up $250M (more ?) in a recession, the Glass family has yet to commit to the product on the field.

Apparently, in a recent questionnaire about improving fans' experience at the K, several options were listed. Noticeably absent? Better players/better team. Reason? It's cheaper to buy another hot dog stand, miniaturized field for 4-year-olds, or set of toilets than it is a power-hitting corner outfielder, another frontline starter, or anyone else who isn't Mark Teahen, Ross Gload or ....gulp....TPJ.

This is Missouri. SHOW ME.

There's no one on this board who has been more critical of the Glass family than me. That said, they spent real money in the draft--more than any other team if I'm remembering correctly--and they've been active in the off-season the last two years.

Let's see what happens this winter. This past draft gave me reason to be hopeful, and, as others well know, I was highly critical leading into it.

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

Yes, but that would require spending real money. Not two-first-round-picks money. REAL money. Free agent & internal player retention money (see Beltran, Dye, and hopefully Greinke, with different results).

The kind of money that, despite Jackson county ponying up $250M (more ?) in a recession, the Glass family has yet to commit to the product on the field.

Apparently, in a recent questionnaire about improving fans' experience at the K, several options were listed. Noticeably absent? Better players/better team. Reason? It's cheaper to buy another hot dog stand, miniaturized field for 4-year-olds, or set of toilets than it is a power-hitting corner outfielder, another frontline starter, or anyone else who isn't Mark Teahen, Ross Gload or ....gulp....TPJ.

This is Missouri. SHOW ME.

We spent more on this past year's draft than any other team in baseball.

[RJ]

John Gibbons, huh? Wonder how long it takes him to get in a fight with one of the players.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by RJ

John Gibbons, huh? Wonder how long it takes him to get in a fight with one of the players.

maybe HE can straighten out guillen....

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by RJ

John Gibbons, huh? Wonder how long it takes him to get in a fight with one of the players.

I'm going with Jose Guillen sometime in early/mid April.

[CarolinaChiefz]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

We spent more on this past year's draft than any other team in baseball.

Right....and how many years has David Glass been in charge?

Look, I'm glad he opened his checkbook for the draft. It's a step in the right direction. But this franchise has been SO poorly run for soooo long (and again...he's been running it, no?) that it's going to take more than a draft to get this team back to where it could/should be, especially in light of the commitment the community has made to it.

You can boil down what I'm saying to this: the Glass family has yet to be reciprocal in its spending on this franchise to what the community has been towards it. One draft...the kind they should have been having ALL ALONG (if you aren't going to spend in the FA market, you freakin' well better spend in scouting development; the R's did NEITHER) is what it is:

One step in the right direction. About 50 more are needed.

SHOW. ME.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

Right....and how many years has David Glass been in charge?

Look, I'm glad he opened his checkbook for the draft. It's a step in the right direction. But this franchise has been SO poorly run for soooo long (and again...he's been running it, no?) that it's going to take more than a draft to get this team back to where it could/should be, especially in light of the commitment the community has made to it.

You can boil down what I'm saying to this: the Glass family has yet to be reciprocal in its spending on this franchise to what the community has been towards it. One draft...the kind they should have been having ALL ALONG (if you aren't going to spend in the FA market, you freakin' well better spend in scouting development; the R's did NEITHER) is what it is:

One step in the right direction. About 50 more are needed.

KILL. ME.

FYP

[Rausch]

Gonzo doesn't need any help but I'm wondering about our O line and QB. We could...wait...this ISN'T the Chiefs thread?

My bad.

What's the difference?...

[triple]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

Right....and how many years has David Glass been in charge?

Look, I'm glad he opened his checkbook for the draft. It's a step in the right direction. But this franchise has been SO poorly run for soooo long (and again...he's been running it, no?) that it's going to take more than a draft to get this team back to where it could/should be, especially in light of the commitment the community has made to it.

You can boil down what I'm saying to this: the Glass family has yet to be reciprocal in its spending on this franchise to what the community has been towards it. One draft...the kind they should have been having ALL ALONG (if you aren't going to spend in the FA market, you freakin' well better spend in scouting development; the R's did NEITHER) is what it is:

One step in the right direction. About 50 more are needed.

SHOW. ME.

most of the people who know little about baseball to say things like this don't come out anyway. but it's good to know the fairweather fans are still restless

[CarolinaChiefz]

Originally Posted by triple

most of the people who know little about baseball to say things like this don't come out anyway. but it's good to know the fairweather fans are still restless

First off, there's no such thing as a "fair weather" Royals fan. When you haven't won anything in 23 years, and you still have the energy to even care, that's the very definition of not being "fair weather".

If you'd like to compare baseball knowledge, that's another topic. But the simple fact is, this team has been not just bad, but historically bad for most of the past 10 years, and the owner finally doing what he should have been doing all along for ONE year doesn't mask this fact.

Do you work for the Royals? There seems to be an elevated sense of hostility in even discussing this...especially about a franchise that's been less successful the past 20 years than the LA Clippers, the previous benchmark for pro sports futility.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

First off, there's no such thing as a "fair weather" Royals fan. When you haven't won anything in 23 years, and you still have the energy to even care, that's the very definition of not being "fair weather".

If you'd like to compare baseball knowledge, that's another topic. But the simple fact is, this team has been not just bad, but historically bad for most of the past 10 years, and the owner finally doing what he should have been doing all along for ONE year doesn't mask this fact.

Do you work for the Royals? There seems to be an elevated sense of hostility in even discussing this...especially about a franchise that's been less successful the past 20 years than the LA Clippers, the previous benchmark for pro sports futility.

No argument with this. Defending Glass's past "approach" would be a joke. But continuing to bitch about it is equally futile.

Things seem to be going in the right direction now, so get over it.

[beavis]

Love the Seitzer hire. I think he was a scapegoat in AZ.

[tomahawk kid]

Originally Posted by beavis

Love the Seitzer hire. I think he was a scapegoat in AZ.

Me too.

Great to get someone in the clubhouse who remembers what a proud franchise this used to be.

[whoman69]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Do position coaches in baseball really make all that much a difference??

How about some better talent??

Not going to get better talent unless they can keep the promising stars they have. This franchise is designed like a farm team.