Miguel Cairo hired as bench coach

[thomas35forever]

Most recently worked in the Yankees' system.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1329244210516664320

[Krs1]

Wonder if he is the heir apparent. McEwing out or shuffled around?

[Chez]

Wonder if he is the heir apparent. McEwing out or shuffled around?

My guess is that McEwing will either leave the Sox or accept another position within the organization. I doubt he will be part of the Sox major league staff in 2021.

[FourGoldGloves]

My guess is that McEwing will either leave the Sox or accept another position within the organization. I doubt he will be part of the Sox major league staff in 2021.

Well, there goes my theory that McEwing was the next manager -- and with it a good part of my support for the hiring of LaRussa. That is back to making no sense to me.

[vegandork]

I don't know much about Cairo coaching...he was a decent player. Seems unqualified for the role based on his experience. But he played for La Russa. And we all know that Jerry values political patronage above all else.

[voodoochile]

I don't know much about Cairo coaching...he was a decent player. Seems unqualified for the role based on his experience. But he played for La Russa. And we all know that Jerry values political patronage above all else.

But he has no ties to JR, right? So maybe LaRussa wanted Cairo in that role?

[ChiSoxNationPres]

I don't know much about Cairo coaching...he was a decent player. Seems unqualified for the role based on his experience. But he played for La Russa. And we all know that Jerry values political patronage above all else.

How is he unqualified for bench coach? The guy played in the majors for parts of 17 seasons with lots of playoff appearances, and has recently been working with minor leaguers on infield with NYY. He isn't managing.... he obviously knows tons about the game and will be useful to have on the bench.

Were you not expecting LaRussa's bench coach to not have a previous relationship with him? Call me crazy, but it is probably a good idea for them to have already liked each other and worked well with one another before.

[vegandork]

How is he unqualified for bench coach? The guy played in the majors for parts of 17 seasons with lots of playoff appearances, and has recently been working with minor leaguers on infield with NYY. He isn't managing.... he obviously knows tons about the game and will be useful to have on the bench.

Were you not expecting LaRussa's bench coach to not have a previous relationship with him? Call me crazy, but it is probably a good idea for them to have already liked each other and worked well with one another before.

I'd expect a major league bench coach to have managing experience at a different level, or at the very least bench coaching experience. Not a non-position instructional role.

There's a difference between working with someone then hiring them and giving someone unqualified a job because he's your friend. The latter is patronage, and it's unethical. This is the latter.

[vegandork]

But he has no ties to JR, right? So maybe LaRussa wanted Cairo in that role?

It's LaRussa that's guilty of patronage here. Jerry wouldn't do anything about it because he comes from the same philosophy of management. In that you hire your friends, results be damned.

[voodoochile]

It's LaRussa that's guilty of patronage here. Jerry wouldn't do anything about it because he comes from the same philosophy of management. In that you hire your friends, results be damned.

Yes but it's you assuming this is a bad move. How much bench coach help does a guy like TLR need anyway? This isn't Robin Ventura. If TLR trusts Cairo, then he should get to work with Cairo.

You've jumped way past I'm skeptical of this move to "this move sucks and will hurt the team" with nothing to support your position.

[vegandork]

Yes but it's you assuming this is a bad move. How much bench coach help does a guy like TLR need anyway? This isn't Robin Ventura. If TLR trusts Cairo, then he should get to work with Cairo.

You've jumped way past I'm skeptical of this move to "this move sucks and will hurt the team" with nothing to support your position.

It's easy to make the assumption that this will hurt the team when they hire unqualified personnel in high level management roles. He has no management experience to speak of. In an ethical business, an HR manager would dismiss his resume before it even got to LaRussa. Especially because they're friends.

[ChiSoxNationPres]

I'd expect a major league bench coach to have managing experience at a different level, or at the very least bench coaching experience. Not a non-position instructional role.

There's a difference between working with someone then hiring them and giving someone unqualified a job because he's your friend. The latter is patronage, and it's unethical. This is the latter.

What you expect and what goes on in the majors are 2 different things. There are teams that hire their managers with no coaching experience at all, bench coaches I'm sure as well.

A lot of times people know that guys when they are even still playing will be a good coach when they are done playing based on how they play the game.

[ChiSoxNationPres]

It's easy to make the assumption that this will hurt the team when they hire unqualified personnel in high level management roles. He has no management experience to speak of. In an ethical business, an HR manager would dismiss his resume before it even got to LaRussa. Especially because they're friends.

This is not corporate America. LaRussa has been around him for years and seen how he plays and talked baseball with him for an uncountable amount of time.

This literally happens with every coaching hire.

[vegandork]

What you expect and what goes on in the majors are 2 different things. There are teams that hire their managers with no coaching experience at all, bench coaches I'm sure as well.

A lot of times people know that guys when they are even still playing will be a good coach when they are done playing based on how they play the game.

It happens, but it isn't rampant. It happens more in organizations like ours, or with guys like LaRussa. Patronage is toxic. It holds organizations back because the best hires are eliminated. Instead, you have yes men who are just loyal to the people that put them in position. You don't have outside thinking or empowered managers, you have lackeys and cronies.

[Frater Perdurabo]

I’m not going to assume - yet - that McEwing is gone. There are still many moving pieces to the coaching staff to assemble, both at the major league level and among the minor league affiliates.