The Marlins have announced a press conference for tomorrow morning in which they’re expected to introduce manager Don Mattingly, reports Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Mattingly, 54, has agreed to a four-year deal with Miami. The financial terms remain unknown. We profiled the hire more fully last week.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Royals and Mets could look different when they meet to open the 2016 season, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Both clubs are expected to lose several key contributors to free agency including Alex Gordon, Ben Zobrist, Johnny Cueto, Greg Holland, Chris Young, Daniel Murphy, and Yoenis Cespedes. Three of those seven players were midseason mercenary acquisitions, but the Royals organization will certainly feel the loss of Gordon if he signs elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Mets are more likely to extend Murphy a qualifying offer after his huge NLCS performance.
- Much has been written about the Royals offensive approach, but more credit belongs to hitting coach Dale Sveum, writes David Laurila of FanGraphs. Sveum took over the role last May and transformed the team’s offensive profile. As you might expect, he’s a proponent of aggressive hitting with an emphasis on balls in play. When the Cubs fired Sveum in 2013, Royals manager Ned Yost “waited like two minutes” before offering him a job.
- The Padres have re-signed pitching coach Darren Balsley, reports MLB.com’s Corey Brock. Balsley was originally hired under Bruce Bochy’s regime and has been with the franchise for 13 seasons. He considered following Bud Black to the Nationals, but he opted to remain in San Diego. “There were a lot of opportunities to go elsewhere, but I let it be known to [general manager A.J. Preller] that this is where I wanted to stay,” Balsley told Brock. The longtime Padres coach explained that while he wasn’t born in San Diego, he was raised in the city and grew up rooting for the team. “I can’t personally think of a better job. My alliance is to the team,” said Balsley. New Padres skipper Andy Green met with Balsley over the weekend, and Balsley explained to Brock that the two meshed quickly.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many 2 strike hits a lot of them on 1-2, 0-2 counts, huge credit goes to the Giants and Royals two teams who still make the other teams play defense instead of relying on the 3 true outcomes like so many do today.
Scoring 51 runs in or after the 7th inning in an era where it’s never been more difficult to score runs in or after the 7th is an accomplishment.
Baseball tends to be black and white with the “three true outcomes” approach and the mentality that goes with it. It’s refreshing to see a team that can balance one principle against another rather than go all-in on one strategy. There’s an art to things like knowing the right time to stay on your base, and the right time to make the other guys make a good throw and a good tag, and the Royals sure had it down this postseason. They make the other team beat them and despite their overall lack of superstardom, they’re just plain good up and down the roster.
Congrats KC!!