OC Register: Billy Eppler begins search for next Angels manager

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — A day after Mike Scioscia’s 19-year tenure as the Angels manager officially ended, Billy Eppler drew a picture of the type of manager he’d like to hire.

Developing a rapport with players and comfort with analytics seem to be at the top of the list.

“What we’re looking for in that next manager is connectivity with the players,” the Angels general manager said. “We’re are looking at somebody who can think with a probability-based mindset. We are looking for someone who is eager to grow. Someone who can develop a culture that puts the welfare of the team ahead of any singular person. Those are the criteria.”

Eppler defined a “probability-based mindset” as a “making decisions in-game, tactically, to get the win expectancy or run expectancy in your favor.”

Eppler said he planned to immediately begin reaching out to the external candidates, and he’d already told the internal candidates who would get interviews.

The internal candidates most likely to be interviewed are special assistants Brad Ausmus and Eric Chavez, bench coach Josh Paul and third base coach Dino Ebel.

Eppler said there would be “more external candidates than internal candidates.”

Based on Eppler’s description, the Angels might be more focused on younger, analytically-inclined managers, as opposed to more traditional, experienced managers.

Eppler said prior managerial experience “is one factor, but it’s not necessary. … We’ve seen managers who had prior experience have a success, and we’ve seen managers that don’t have experience have success.”

Eppler also said he and his staff already have planned the type of interview that will help them find the right manager.

“It’s going to be a long one,” Eppler said. “It’s going to involve some quantitative aspects and some of it is going to involve qualitative aspects. We’re going to peel back the layers and identify the best candidate that we can.”

As Eppler begins the search for a new manager, he had nothing but positive words for Scioscia, who announced that he would not seek an extension upon completion of his 10-year contract. Eppler and Scioscia spent three seasons together.

“He’s been a lighthouse for this organization,” Eppler said. “He provided stability and direction when there was a lot of fog. That’s what lighthouses do.

“I’m glad that I got an opportunity to be around him, and what I think is a Hall of Fame career.”

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[Jobu]

12 hours ago, AngelsWin.com said:

Someone who can develop a culture that puts the welfare of the team ahead of any singular person.

That's an interesting comment.

[Blarg]

There's no Pujols in Team. 

[cez]

i'm an outsider, but is erstad interested i wonder?

[Blarg]

Eppler isn't interested in Erstad. He doesn't check any boxes.

[ukyah]

15 minutes ago, Jobu said:

That's an interesting comment.

 

extremely, and it has pujols name all over it, as i'm sure you're already aware.

[Jobu]

1 minute ago, ukyah said:

 

extremely, and it has pujols name all over it, as i'm sure you're already aware.

The fact that it was a listed qualification on a abbreviated list makes it seem that way. It's also, by itself, a pretty standard platitude - "team first rah rah rah"

 

[nando714]

Mr Girardi you have billy eppler on line 1! 

[Jobu]

3 minutes ago, nando714 said:

Mr Girardi you have billy eppler on line 1! 

It's weird that he makes his kids call him "Mr. Girardi"...

[Jeff Fletcher]

41 minutes ago, nando714 said:

Mr Girardi you have billy eppler on line 1! 

Based on what the word was about Girardi when the Yankees let him go, he doesn’t seem to fit the “rapport with players” part of the description. Not sure about analytics either. 

[ukyah]

somehow, i think i posted my prediction in the wrong thread.

anyways, here it is:

i'm going to say the next manager comes from outside the organization.

i'm going with joe espada, the astros bench coach. he's strong in analytics and he's coming from a premier franchise in eppler's stated mold.

my dark horse is carlos beltran.

[NorCal Halo]

Will Trout be on the hiring committee?

[T.G.]

I'm not even going to pretend like I have any idea who would be the ideal fit in Anaheim. All I will say is in my opinion, it is potentially more important than any FA signing from the stand point of how it impacts a possible Mike Trout extension. 

Seems like the "hot" young names were gobbled up last year in Cora and Kapler. I have no idea if there is another bunch like that.  I really don't know Josh Paul, but for some reason - my gut says "no" to him.

Tim Wallach was a "hot" name a few years back.  Is he still a name teams might consider?

[Broad Street]

It's gonna be Eric Chavez, there's no other explanation to sending him to manage the Bees that late in the season. The timing seems to match up with the Sosh decision timeline.

 

I'll put $1 on it.

[Broad Street]

12 hours ago, Jobu said:

That's an interesting comment.

That's the first thing that jumped out at me too.

[ten ocho recon scout]

12 hours ago, Jobu said:

It's weird that he makes his kids call him "Mr. Girardi"...

 

[stevestevens]

11 hours ago, ukyah said:

i'm going with joe espada, the astros bench coach. he's strong in analytics and he's coming from a premier franchise in eppler's stated mold.

 

they crossed paths in the Yankees org for a year before Eppler came to the Angels

[NorCal Halo]

I'm rooting for Pujols to be a throwback player/manager.  It will also kill two birds with the same stone.

[TroutBaseball]

Apparently if the Cubs don't advance Joe Maddon is on the hot seat. . . .

[T.G.]

On 10/1/2018 at 9:01 AM, AngelsWin.com said:

 Someone who can develop a culture that puts the welfare of the team ahead of any singular person. Those are the criteria.”

LIke others have said, that statement just jumps off the page.  It has to refer to playing Pujols, right?  There is so much we can read into that (and probably will).

[Troll Daddy]

 

[Jobu]

20 minutes ago, True Grich said:

LIke others have said, that statement just jumps off the page.  It has to refer to playing Pujols, right?  There is so much we can read into that (and probably will).

Big, if true.

 

I find it hard to believe he'd be so blatant, but maybe he stayed quiet out of deference to Scioscia. Now that he's unmuzzled it's time for that New York "Big Dick Baseball" (cc: @Dochalo)

[greginpsca]

Analytics are fine & dandy when used in the right way. i just hope we don't get a guy who goes 'fruit loops" with those analytics. No stupid platooning constantly.  And on the other hand, i hope we don't get a Dusty Baker type manager who is bad at pitching staff usage. And i hope this new guy brings with him an actual good hitting coach.

[Jeff Fletcher]

3 hours ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

We have all been told over and over again by the superfans that batting Pujols 3/4 came from the top, it wasn't just Scioscia being stubborn. Looks like that theory was just destroyed 

That is an Olympic size long jump 

[Puget Sound Angel]

Erstad would be a "warm fuzzy" hire. We don't need that.