As we reported last week, Ron Wotus would be interviewed by Rizzo and that should happen on Monday as we reported earlier today. If you have been reading our posts on the search for the new Manager, you read the quote from Mike Rizzo who is looking for a tactical manager who can communicate and be a leader.
Here is the quote from Rizzo about his candidates, “As we go through our laundry list of things that we look for in our [new] manager, the perfect leader of the ballclub on the field with leadership qualities and knowledge of x’s and o’s are all important. Communication in the clubhouse and communication within the coaching staff is vital. Experience is always helpful. It always adds a layer of expertise to anybody’s résumé.”
Ron Wotus is such a good communicator that he speaks so often you would think he is the Manager. He is regularly on a radio show on KNBR and here he is with Chris Russo for a long interview during the World Series of 2014: VIDEO OF RON WOTUS Hopefully that gives you an idea of that charismatic side of Ron Wotus. How many bench coaches can you name that have radio shows and give regular interviews?
As far as being a tactician with the x’s and o’s, that is more difficult to say about a long-term bench coach who hasn’t managed in the Majors, only the Minors, and Rizzo will have to figure out those questions and his leadership abilities. Wotus does have the impressive résumé as he has 3 World Series rings and lots of other baseball accomplishments. Wotus has apprenticed under one of the best—Bruce Bochy. Wotus was a Manager in the Minor Leagues for the Giants from from 1991 to 1997 and his W/L record was 554-412 (.574 win %) and he won the Manager of the Year award twice. Wotus became the Giants 3rd base coach under Dusty Baker in 1998 and was promoted to bench coach in 1999 where he has served over 2,750 games to present.
WOTUS rhymes with POTUS and that is a Washington DC thing and if Ronny gets the job you can expect some fun memes. How coincidental is it that the last great communicator in Washington was named Ronny and he was the 40th POTUS and coincidentally Ron Wotus had 40 Plate Appearances in his career on games started by RHPs. Wotus also had 2 terms in the Major Leagues lasting just 2 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Reagan did the same as a 2 term POTUS. Also like Reagan, Wotus has spent most of his time in California and the East Coast. What airport do you think Wotus will be flying into? Thinking that might be Reagan National.
Wotus was born in Connecticut and grew up there and seems more New Yorker than New Englander. He has interviewed for Manager jobs before and was considered a favorite for the Seattle job in 2013 but the job went to Lloyd McClendon. As a young ballplayer, Wotus was drafted straight out of his High School in Colchester, CT by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 16th round of the 1979 amateur draft. He was a middle infielder who had no pop and little bite and his MLB career ended quickly. Debuted at 23 and done at 24. Wotus has been a career baseball man and is highly regarded.
This is a chance of a lifetime and Wotus is the underdog as everyone is behind Bud Black. Can Wotus do enough to impress Rizzo in The Interview?
This is a great video with Ron Wotus and at the end he talks about instincts and the eye test vs Sabremetrics as well as his job as the Bench Coach:
