The Dodgers are hiring former Rangers manager Chris Woodward as a special assistant in their front office, reports Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He returns to the Los Angeles organization, where he spent three years as a member of Dave Roberts’ coaching staff before landing the top dugout job in Arlington.
Woodward, 46, played parts of 12 MLB seasons as a depth infielder. After retiring in 2012, he transitioned into his post-playing career. Woodward joined the Mariners as a minor league infield coordinator and was promoted to the big league coaching staff the next season. He spent two years on staff in Seattle before joining the Dodgers as third base coach over the 2015-16 offseason.
That experience set the stage for Woodward to receive a fair bit of managerial attention. He was mentioned as part of the Yankees’ search that went to Aaron Boone and the Blue Jays’ process that eventually led to Charlie Montoyo. Woodward landed the top gig for the first time during the 2018-19 offseason, tabbed to lead a rebuilding Rangers club on a three-year contract.
Texas signed him to an extension after two seasons, guaranteeing his contract through 2023. That was the opening move of an active offseason for the Rangers, one they hoped would result in a notable step forward in the on-field results. Full-fledged contention in 2022 wasn’t likely, but Texas brass surely anticipated laying the foundation for a postseason-caliber team by 2023.
That didn’t pan out. With the club carrying a 51-63 record in the middle of August, the Rangers fired Woodward. President of baseball operations Jon Daniels was himself dismissed not long thereafter. Texas turned to Tony Beasley as skipper on an interim basis for the stretch run and hired Bruce Bochy to permanently lead the charge this offseason. The Rangers went 211-287 over Woodward’s tenure, though they anticipated a fair number of losses early on.
Rangers fans hated this guy because of their 15-35 record in 1 run games. The next guy wasn’t much better. He’s probably decent.
He’s back to the super team the Dodgers.
Again, how are they a super team? They’ll probably be third in the west.
Lol… 3rd? Put the crack pipe down.
Neon Cop literally just comes on this site to troll the Dodgers. He should show his therapist on the doll where the Dodgers have hurt him.
You sound like somebody who’s mad his team will be third place…
Who’s 2nd?
SF or AZ
As a Giants fan, I can assure you your record for 1-run games will get a lot better with Bochy at the helm.
Thank god u assured us because bochy has that magic
Probably a better spot for him. Maybe he’ll get another shot in 5-10 years. Still a young guy in coach years
Looks like he’s aiming for a front office job now. Not sure he’ll be back coaching anytime soon.
Could be burnt out on the prospect of coaching. He had a rough time in Arlington. What I will say in his defense, is that he was always 100% invested during the game. He was very intense. Maybe too much so, from the armchair perspective.
A couple decades experience as player, coach and skipper in MLB should serve him well in the front office, and I’m sure his future options won’t be limited.
Well said!
Failing upward
It’s like a corporation. Those who do, do. Those who don’t, get promoted.
Players like him. Corey Seager mentioned his relationship with woody as a reason he felt comfortable in Arlington
325 million dollars didn’t hurt I’m sure
The Rangers under Woodward were not good. Now the Rangers still are not good only more expensive.
Since they have played zero games under Bochy, we really don’t know how good they are, do we?
Let’s see… historically bad record in 1 run games, 77-85 expected W-L last year, new manager with 3 WS, 3 new starters with 5+ K/BB ratios, same guys as last year, Jung for a full year, prospects who can debut, and not everyone will be injured at the same time. Jealousy makes people insane. Just follow another sport if your team isn’t doing well instead of spreading your misery with baseless claims.
A manager is only as good as his players.
My biggest complaint with Woody is that it never seemed like the players were scared of failure.
ETA: My other complaint is that it seemed like he was clueless with the pitching staff.
Players are supposed to be scared, and this leads to success? Now there’s an unusual concept.
Professional athletes are only good because they’re afraid of getting yelled at, duh
Do you think guys enjoyed walking back to a Billy Martin dugout or an Earl Weaver dugout after making an error?
My favorite all-time manager of the Rangers was Billy Hunter. He preached fundamentals, and would not accept mental errors. The team performed under him. They won games.
We could come up with a long list of hotheaded managers. John McGraw, Leo Durocher, Sparky Anderson, Tommy Lasorda, just to name a few. But that’s a long way from saying they ruled by fear. Not a technique that would work today anyway.
Welcome to Los Karens
And now Dave Roberts knows who the replacement in waiting is if they go through another fumbled post season.
You mean if that happens Andy Friedman is going to fire himself?
The front office is running the team in a way that we haven’t seen in generations, or, ever. That’s actually a pretty broad statement that applies to all of sports these days, for better or for worse.
That’s the very definition of a commitment. Some commitments go awry and you have to rethink. If anything, bringing another former player with recent managerial experience into the FO may be a sign of just that.
Last year didn’t end right. All of baseball could see the story writing itself, and then unwrite itself in typical Dodger fashion. I’m reminded of my Uncle, who said of our team some 30 years ago…..there they go snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. That also applies to a last place team about to scratch off their first win in a month and fumbling a routine play to give up the win.
We’re a big market team. No, we’re a MASSIVE market team. These results will not stand and they will not last. Andy Friedman stays, and so does Doc I imagine.
Roberts is Friedman’s man in the dugout. He implements the Friedman game plan. It’s why he has his job, and why he keeps it. But when the Friedman game plan doesn’t work out, who do most fans blame? The guy with the number on this back. He’s the one who has to explain what went wrong after every loss. Friedman we hear from maybe twice a year, and even then he says virtually nothing. He sure doesn’t say “I take responsibility for this.”
Here’s the big irony. I think it’s fair to say that the commenters on these boards are mostly huge fans of analytics. And baseball is really their game now. Numbers rule. So when a manager pulls a starter after five innings, why is he doing that? Because the numbers say it’s the best probability play, and those numbers aren’t being invented by the manager but by the FO. So maybe we should love analytics a little less, and hold the stat heads more accountable when things go wrong?
Nah, never gonna happen.
I didn’t disagree with you, and I agree with your response.
I really liked the idea of having Gabe Kapler as manager, but yes, ultimately Roberts was selected as a yes man who’s a hell of a lot better at making excuses on camera than Don Mattingly, whose honest eyes told the entire story. And now, Dave’s poker face is wearing like that of a two term President.
I alluded to and acknowledged your position completely in my original response and added that this season might just be the one where more on the field decisions are made, and FO decisions might be a little more player/manager sided.
The Dodgers know what kind of times we’re living in. One 3rd place finish and attendance will drop significantly. Losing in the postseason to a 2nd or 3rd place team isn’t supposed to happen, but it does.
Maybe we should start a #cancelanalytics banner campaign and roll them out in the pavilion whenever Roberts pulls a guy early. That’ll make it on TV for sure.
I admire your wishful thinking but I’m not seeing any indication that management sees any problems with their current thinking. Kasten made it perfectly clear that his definition of success for the Dodgers is backsides in the seats. And when Friedman was asked how he explained the Dodgers sleepwalking through the postseason he admitted he had no answers, as if that was answer enough. So I don’t know what changes the plan.
Big fan of Woody since he managed New Zealand’s baseball team a few years ago. Honorary Kiwi!
I don’t follow the Rangers closely but Woodward always seems to be whining about something, he got really annoying.
It’s amazing to hear guys like Seager go into Texas (yes, a ton of money helps) because they enjoy playing for a guy like Woody, but where does that leave them now? Still wealthy, I suppose.