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Old-School Manager Stays Out Of Order
Halfway through last season, Frank Robinson handed one of the most cherished of all managerial duties -- the writing of the lineup -- to his bench coach, Eddie Rodriguez, above.
(John McDonnell - The Washington Post)
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"Eddie wants to do that left-right, left-right, left-right thing," he says. "I explained to him that's nice if you can do it, but you have to think about the seniority of everyone. You can't have a rookie hitting in front of a guy you have hitting seventh or eighth but who has 10 years in the league. You have to be conscious of that. That guy has been around, he has earned the right to be hitting up there.'
Rodriguez listens and takes notes. They sit together a lot in Robinson's office talking not just about the lineups but about game situations, baseball history, sometimes even life.
"I don't get offended when he wants to change something," Rodriguez says. "He's always thinking three innings ahead. I say 'Skip, I'm trying to learn all this.' As a young man learning, you can't have a better teacher. He tells you what he's doing. He doesn't give you a ton of education at once, but he gives you just enough so you can handle it."
Of course, these days any new or old lessons would be immediately amended if it meant the Nationals could score more runs. Tom McCraw, the team's hitting coach, shrugs when he talks about the ideal batting order because it's something Washington does not have. Ever since they gave up on Endy Chavez in spring training, the Nats have been looking for the perfect leadoff hitter, someone with speed who can get on base. Robinson has reluctantly used his star second baseman Jose Vidro in the No. 2 hole because he doesn't have anyone else. And despite the pleadings of many who remember currently injured first baseman Nick Johnson as a solid No. 2 hitter with the Yankees, Robinson has resisted the urge to use Johnson in the same role, figuring him too important a run producer to bat him so high in the order.
For McCraw, the ideal lineup is Florida's, with the skittering center fielder Juan Pierre leading off, the consistent Luis Castillo batting second, Miguel Cabrera and his .350 average and 23 home runs hitting third, followed by Carlos Delgado, the perfect No. 4 hitter.
He sighs because the Nationals' lineup is nothing like the Marlins'.
Robinson doesn't want to hear about it.
"I don't like to waste my time thinking about what I don't have," Robinson says.
So instead they try to make do with what is here, with what Rodriguez faithfully pieces together each day.
