3 coaches to get Extensions

[DBAHO]

From Joe Cowley of the Sun - Times;

 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Stability is important in Ozzie Guillen's life.

 

The White Sox manager likes to have his three sons around him as much as possible, and now he's pushing to make sure some of his coaches are going to be around for at least the next three years.

 

Guillen said Wednesday that third-base coach Joey Cora, pitching coach Don Cooper and hitting coach Greg Walker will be getting contract extensions to keep the staff intact "as long as I'm here.''

 

Guillen, coincidentally, is signed through 2008, with an option for 2009.

 

"[General manager] Kenny Williams has been talking with the coaches to see what our idea is about what we want, talking about the years and the money,'' Guillen said. "That's going to be up to Kenny.''

 

Williams said during spring training that he had delegated more responsibility to Guillen, putting him in charge of the futures of the coaching staff.

 

The idea was that once Guillen got a feel for what he wanted to do, Williams would handle the financial details. Guillen said those details are being finalized, and the Sox could be announcing the signings soon.

 

"Kenny just asked me what I think about my coaching staff, what I think about if a couple guys are or aren't coming back, and I told him I like all my coaches,'' Guillen said. "I know I definitely want a couple of guys back with me if they want.

 

"I want them to all stay with me as long as I'm here, but there's three guys I want to stick with me. Joey has always been sticking with me, and Cooper does a tremendous job with the pitching staff and then Walker. Those three guys are key people -- all my coaches are. I think we're close to getting something done with those three, but we'll see.''

 

Cora not only handles the third-base duties, he also puts together the spring-training program.

 

As for Cooper, the organization credits him for turning around the careers of pitchers Jon Garland, Esteban Loaiza and Jose Contreras, to name a few. While Williams denied that the New York Yankees contacted him about Cooper in the offseason, several New York media outlets have stated otherwise.

 

Walker, meanwhile, is climbing the ladder as an elite hitting coach and was a factor in Paul Konerko deciding to return to the South Side this winter.

 

As far as the other three coaches -- first-base coach Harold Baines, bullpen coach Art Kusnyer and bench coach Tim Raines -- Guillen said he's not sure of their future plans.

 

"I don't know what [baines] wants to do, and the same with 'Cave' [Kusnyer],'' Guillen said. "If they want to come back, they will be back. And then the bench with Raines, I don't know what we want to do there. That's why we'll probably wait on those guys.''

[Guest JimH]

Interesting comments in that article ... Cowley commenting that Walker is climbing the ladder as an elite hitting coach, hey, I wonder if he knows something this board doesn't know?

 

The other comment on Tim Raines is unclear, hard to tell if they're unhappy with him or if Raines isn't totally sure bench coach is what he wants to do.

[RockRaines]

I wouldnt mind getting rid of walker, but Cora and Coop have to stay. Also it appears that Baines may go get a chance to manage somewhere or move to a place where he has a chance for more responsibility. He would make a good hitting coach somewhere. IM almost positive Art will be back.

 

Oh, and I had no idea that Cora made up the ST program.

Edited May 18, 2006 by RockRaines

[Sox It To Em]

I'm very relieved Coop is receiving an extension. He is the man.

[greasywheels121]

I wouldnt mind getting rid of walker, but Cora and Coop have to stay. Also it appears that Baines may go get a chance to manage somewhere or move to a place where he has a chance for more responsibility. He would make a good hitting coach somewhere. IM almost positive Art will be back.

 

Oh, and I had no idea that Cora made up the ST program.

 

Baines is completely done after this season. He's only sticking around this year, because he wanted to honor the entire length of his contract.

 

It's interesting that they haven't come to a decision on Raines yet though.

[Balance]

More than any other coach, we need to make sure that Cooper stays with the Sox. Our pitching has been the most important part of our recent success.

[tealeafreaderii]

and like thyat my dream of being the 2007 pitching coach of the Chicago White Sox is shattered!

 

 

 

DAMN YOU OZZIE GUILLEN

 

 

[WilliamTell]

Joey Cora will be a manager someday I'm thinking.

[Milkman delivers]

Before the game yesterday, they interviewed Coop and there was an older guy sitting next to him. Does anyone know who that was? I didn't really pay attention to it, so I only so it in passing.

[RockRaines]

Before the game yesterday, they interviewed Coop and there was an older guy sitting next to him. Does anyone know who that was? I didn't really pay attention to it, so I only so it in passing.

that was big Art I believe.

[Balta1701]

You know, Walker sometimes just drives me nuts. He works with Uribe in 2004, Uribe goes insane. He works with Crede in 05, Crede goes insane, but Uribe and Rowand both fall apart. Works with Crede, but Anderson can't figure things out, and Uribe gets even worse.

 

Somehow he keeps having these hitters just suddenly make massive improvements, but he just can't keep them staying consistent. ARGH!

[The Critic]

I'm very relieved Coop is receiving an extension. He is the man.

Agreed.

The Don needs to stick around.

Besides being a damn good pitching coach, I absolutely LOVE to hear him interviewed!!!

He's very funny, level-headed and has that TREMENDOUS accent!!!!

 

THE DON!!!!

 

that was big Art I believe.

Yep, that was Hard Art aka Caveman aka Cave.

[heirdog]

You know, Walker sometimes just drives me nuts. He works with Uribe in 2004, Uribe goes insane. He works with Crede in 05, Crede goes insane, but Uribe and Rowand both fall apart. Works with Crede, but Anderson can't figure things out, and Uribe gets even worse.

 

Somehow he keeps having these hitters just suddenly make massive improvements, but he just can't keep them staying consistent. ARGH!

 

 

The hitting coach can only do so much. If he helps people figure it out once, then its their responsibility to keep it up with minor tweaks here and there. He has to work with a whole team and so if Uribe performs inconsistently, its because he is an inconsistent hitter...not because the hitting coach is inconsistent. Maybe Uribe will become more consistent but that will take time. Walt Hriniak helped many players figure it out and has influences on many (Frank Thomas) but in the end Thomas was a great hitter that was given minor tweaks here or there by Walt....Walt didn't make him the prolific hitter he was.

 

Again, give Anderson some time. Hopefully, Walker is working with him to shorten up his swing. In his place in the line-up with his speed, I would settle for singles and doubles in the gap, which he can turn into SBs and runs scored. His early count swings are too long as he tries to hit it so hard out of the stadium. His two strike swings are so defensive that he looks like a little leaguer off of the "big kid" that could grow a full mustache at age 11.

[greasywheels121]

You know, Walker sometimes just drives me nuts. He works with Uribe in 2004, Uribe goes insane. He works with Crede in 05, Crede goes insane, but Uribe and Rowand both fall apart. Works with Crede, but Anderson can't figure things out, and Uribe gets even worse.

 

Somehow he keeps having these hitters just suddenly make massive improvements, but he just can't keep them staying consistent. ARGH!

 

I just think our expectations are the problem. There's too much blame being placed on the hitting coach IMO. I can't think of a team that's knocking on all cylinders for an entire season. The season's long, and unless your name is Albert Pujols, you're going to have slumps to go with the good times.

[3RDBASE]

^^^yup

[Balta1701]

I just think our expectations are the problem. There's too much blame being placed on the hitting coach IMO. I can't think of a team that's knocking on all cylinders for an entire season. The season's long, and unless your name is Albert Pujols, you're going to have slumps to go with the good times.

Yeah, but you can't tell me that some of these slumps aren't overdone. A slump is something like what Pods went through to start this season or what Konerko and Dye went through to start last season. But Uribe and Anderson struggling like they are right now, that's a little more frustrating. We're talking about 100+ at bats, instead of the 50 or so for the other guys that really slowed them down.

[hammerhead johnson]

But Uribe and Anderson struggling like they are right now, that's a little more frustrating. We're talking about 100+ at bats, instead of the 50 or so for the other guys that really slowed them down.

 

Those guys just ain't cut out to be effective hitters at the major league level. I mean, Anderson might be able to hit for a decent average one of these years, but he doesn't have much upside.

 

But I will take their prolific defense at arguably the two most important positions on the field outside of catcher. We can't even begin to imagine how many runs these guys can/will save over the course of an entire season.

 

So yeah, back to the point: I'm not looking for a scapegoat (Greg Walker). I might reside on the NW side, but that doesn't mean that I should start thinking like a Cubs fan. And I'm not referring to you, Balta. I actually had Rock Raines in mind, the pathological liar & spam artist.

 

I'm just kidding, Rock.

[LosMediasBlancas]

SSI71 has been petitioning to get Walker signed for life.

Edited May 18, 2006 by LosMediasBlancas

[RockRaines]

Hey, I live on the west side biatch.

 

Interesting fact from that interview yesterday, Art has caught 2 no hitters.

[southsider2k5]

You know, Walker sometimes just drives me nuts. He works with Uribe in 2004, Uribe goes insane. He works with Crede in 05, Crede goes insane, but Uribe and Rowand both fall apart. Works with Crede, but Anderson can't figure things out, and Uribe gets even worse.

 

Somehow he keeps having these hitters just suddenly make massive improvements, but he just can't keep them staying consistent. ARGH!

 

I would say they can't keep themselves consistant. Its obvious Walk knows what he is doing, because he fixes people, but then they lapse back into their bad habits, which are not being taught by Greg.

[Whitewashed in '05]

Coop coming back is bad ass as well as Cora whose been doing a great job too. GREAT news!

 

2,000!

Edited May 18, 2006 by Whitewashed in '05

[Dick Allen]

All the coaches except for Raines signed extensions. Harold must really like dodging balls over at first base.

[RME JICO]

All the coaches except for Raines signed extensions. Harold must really like dodging balls over at first base.

I read that as well. I thought Baines was leaving after his contract was up? I also wonder what is wrong with Raines, whether he wants to move on or the team wants to.

[Rowand44]

Obviously the big deal here is coop, he needs to stay here forever. As far as Walker, in recent years we've went through a number of hitting coaches and eventually you got to start dealing the blame to the hitters. Anyways, Greg is fine and Joey has some sort of magic at 3rd, so it's nice to have him here as well.