Mike Bates has been very concerned about the recently decreasing number of non-white Field Managers in baseball. Specifically, he's been very concerned that the increasing trend of General Managers hiring young, analytic-minded managers over experienced, old-school managers means (and I really resent the insinuation here) that non-white managers will be subject too an increasing disadvantage at getting hired as Field Managers.

Did you catch that? Non-white managers don't do all that thinky stuff. Only white people. So non-white managers won't be able to get a job in the new, white-thinky world order in baseball. Disgusting.

Of course, this is all based on the Dan Jennings experiment in Florida, where the press lambasted the installation of non-baseball-playing Jennings as the interim manager; and Jerry Dipoto's hiring of catcher-turned-front-office talent evaluator Scott Servais for manager in Seattle. (The latter was offensive because, by all appearances, Dipoto didn't actually make much of an effort to interview or even consider anyone other than the all-white Servais.)

There is one area where Bates *does* have a point: non-whites are under-represented at the top echelon jobs of Team Owner, Team President, Vice President/President of Baseball Operations, and General/Assistant General Managers. If the trend of GMs hiring other Front Office guys to be Field Managers continues...well, there aren't very many non-white people available. Never mind that more non-white's may start appearing in the front office: It's been pretty clear that what most General Managers are looking for are an adherence to advanced analysis and a background in player development. That's not a white thing, that's a *young* thing. And it's why some of the premier Manager and front office candidates the past few years have been Dave Martinez, Alex Cora, Fredi Gonzalez and Dave Roberts.

The Dave Roberts who, Bates notes with relief, has been hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers as Manager to replace noted white man Don Mattingly.

Mike Bates is thankful that the Dodgers didn't rush to a decision, allowing the hiring process to matriculate the best candidate for the job.

Well, no...not actually. Bates is thankful that the Dodgers made sure they didn't "just hand [the reins] over to the nearest white guy the GM is comfortable with (like the Marinersand the Brewers did)." Bates explicitly leaves out the part about hiring the best person for the job. Thankfully, everything I know about Roberts suggests he's going to be a great manager and partner with Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi (another noted white man). Roberts is reported to be analytically-minded, and has spent the last several years working for various front offices as an assistant.

Mike Bates seems desperate to try to demonstrate a new era of racism is dawning in Major League Baseball.  Instead, maybe he should focus on how "the youth movement" going on right now isn't all about the players on the field.

Posted by: Ben at 12:25 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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