M's to Get a Melvin

Bob Melvin was named the successor to Lou Piniella in Seattle today. The former D-Backs bench coach started shouting and gesticulating wildly to prove that he can fill Piniella's rather oversized shoes.

Though Melvin has never managed other than one season (if you can call it that) in the Arizona Fall League, he was a backup catcher for 10 years, which makes him one of the more qualified managerial candidates this off-season. He also learned at the foot-it's as good as any other part-of Bob Brenly, one of the progenitors of the backup-catcher-cum-manager revolution. Also, current Mariner and ex-Brewer-even though the Mariners would prefer it the other way around-Jeff Cirillo kind of remembers him from his Milwaukee days (didn't he sit behind me in bio in 9th grade?): "I can't speak for the other candidates, although I remember Bob Melvin doing a good job as bench coach in 1999 in Milwaukee."

Melvin defended his lack of managerial experience when he interviewed for the Milwaukee managerial opening, "Nowadays you're seeing more managers who haven't managed. I've managed in the Fall League. That's where Davey Lopes managed. That's where Dusty Baker managed and so forth." Of course, it is never good etiquette or a good sell to compare yourself to a manager who was fired in the past season by the team with whom you are interviewing. Besides, we not only see "managers who haven't managed" before in the big leagues, we see managers who aren't even currently managing as well. However, the way that he worded that statement so awkwardly makes one wonder if he can deal with the rigors of dealing with, say, the New York press. But I think he lost the Milwaukee job because Brewers general manager Doug Melvin didn't want the office staff to get confused.

Meanwhile, Davey Johnson sits at home laughing his bee-hind off.