Yankees Should Inject Ex-Players Into Their Coaching Ranks

Before the Yankees home opener today against the Rays, the team will honor a trio of former employees who were an integral part of Team USA’s gold medal win at the World Baseball Classic.

I’ve often wondered why the Yankees don’t keep more ex-players within the organization upon their retirement. Sure, a few litter the broadcast booth for the YES Network — namely Paul O’Neill, John Flaherty, Al Leiter and David Cone — but not one of these gentlemen is in a position of authority.

Why wouldn’t the club want these fantastic baseball minds down on the field — in the dugout — where they can directly influence the next crop of potential Yankee greats?

Perhaps the powers that be are waiting until after this season — when current manager Joe Girardi‘s contract is set to expire, to implement such a plan.

Though the team has been understandably tight-lipped about its plans for a potential successor to Girardi’s tenure — should the Yankees decide to go in a different direction following this season (or sooner), it’s likely a clean sweep of the coaching staff will take place.

Before the Yankees take on the Rays this afternoon from the Bronx — Tino Martinez, Willie Randolph and Joe Torre will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to commemorate Team USA’s gold medal victory in the WBC.

Martinez was the team’s hitting coach — Randolph its third base coach — and Torre its general manager. As Randolph recently expressed to NJ Advance Media, he still has a keen interest in making a full-time return to coaching.

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"“I just know I would be really good at it again,” he said while serving as a Yankees spring training guest instructor in Tampa two weeks ago.“I’ve made no secrets about my desire to manage,” Randolph said.“I’m in good shape,” he added. “I’m still young. I understand the culture. I have children this age and all that stuff. All I can do is stay ready and keep my finger on the pulse of it. That’s all I can do. There’s a big changing of the guards, if you will, with all the new general managers that are coming in. I don’t know. Like I said, without standing on a soap box, without yelling and screaming, ‘I want to manage,’ that’s not my style. I think I’ve made it known pretty much that I would love another opportunity. But there’s a lot of guys who would like opportunities. A lot of other managers out there, a lot of guys who would love opportunities. So I don’t look at it as all about me.”"

Well, now that we know where Willie stands, how ’bout the other names I’ve mentioned.

Last we saw Tino in the bigs, he was getting fired by the Marlins as their hitting coach because his personality clashed with their young players. Derek Jeter‘s favorite manager, Mr. Torre, is MLBs chief baseball officer — which basically sees him dole out punishment to players.

Last summer, I wrote a piece on why Cone would make an excellent pitching coach for the Yankees, and I still feel this holds true. I have no idea if he’d be interested in the job, but when the hiring process begins, to find Larry Rothschild‘s replacement, Cone should be the first person the organizational brass give a call.

By trying to bring familiar faces back into the fold, people will say that I’m simply longing for the days when the Yankees were great. And while some of that may be true — considering these men shouldn’t be dismissed because of favoritism.

The names above are winners. More importantly, with the exception of Leiter, they won wearing Yankee pinstripes. They’ll bring that warrior mindset with them and instill it in a group of players that have yet to be part of a consistently competitive culture.

I don’t care that O’Neill, Flaherty or Leiter haven’t coached a day in their lives. Neither did Mike Matheny, Brad Ausmus or Dave Roberts — and they’ve done pretty well for themselves.

Brian Cashman has done a wonderful job recreating the farm system in his likeness, but he too is unsigned after 2017. Should the team struggle to stay afloat and the Steinbrenner boys become fed up with missing the playoffs (though they say they are committed to the rebuild), a change could begin from the top on down.

My dream organization hierarchy looks something like this:

General Manager: Joe Torre

Manager: Willie Randolph

Bench coach: Al Leiter

Hitting coach: Tino Martinez

Pitching coach: David Cone

First base coach: John Flaherty

Third base coach: Paul O’Neill

With this setup, the Yankees get an old school mentality, turned new school approach to the game in Torre as GM. Randolph gets a chance to prove his time with the crosstown Mets wasn’t for naught. Now that Martinez has learned to play nice with others, the professional left-handed hitter would be a huge benefit to Greg Bird and company.

Next: Higashioka Gets Called Up to the Show

Leiter and his infinite wisdom is the perfect counterbalance for Randolph’s fiery personality. Cone can motivate both stubborn vets and impressionable young arms. Flaherty picks up where Tony Pena left off by working with the catchers and being an overall mentor. And who better than O’Neill to be unafraid to send runners home in a close game?

Fire and ice — that’s what the Yankees need.

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