The Yankee coaching staff for the 2008 season is slated to be:
Manager - Joe Girardi (1 year managing and 2 years coaching experience)
Bench Coach - Rob Thompson (0 years major league coaching experience)
1st Base coach - Tony Pena (4 years managing experience, including Manager of the Year 2003)
3rd Base coach - Bobby Meacham (0 years major league coaching experience)
Batting Coach - Kevin Long (1 year major league coaching experience)
Pitching Coach - Dave Eiland (0 years major league coaching experience)
I was (and remain) 100% behind both letting Torre go, and bringing JG in as manager; I believe General Joe will add some much needed energy to the Yanks' clubhouse and also some way overdue sanity to the Yanks' bullpen.
Where I have a problem is with the wholesale lack of experience throughout the rest of the Yanks' coaching staff. I completely understand wanting to give JG the utmost comfort in his first year. Couldn't we find a Zimmer-type, though, who has no real designs on managing but has 'seen it all?'
99% of all of the big league experience will be shaking Derek Jeter's hand at first base when strategy decisions need to be made in the dugout. Rob Thompson may be a baseball genius; Dave Eiland might be the next coming of Leo Mazzone (don't get me started on why Leo should be pitching coach!), and Bobby Meacham may be channelling Windmill Willie over at third, but why take the chance?
While I am glad General Joe got his choice of lieutenants, for a team expecting to win the World Series every year a little experience would have been nice.
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