Ron Wotus is terrific. And he deserves to be a big-league manager.
Now.
He was Manager of the Year in A-ball and AAA. His teams won consistently. He was the Giants’ bench coach for 18 years, under three managers.
He has run spring training for the Giants. He is organized and thorough.
His players rave about his skills as the Giants’ longtime infield coach. He has helped to develop Gold Glove winners Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Joe Panik.
When Bruce Bochy has had health issues or (ahem) disagreements with umpires, the Giants turned to Ron Wotus to keep things running smoothly. Make all the right moves.
And he does.
He has nothing left to prove.
Yet several times — with the Pirates, Dodgers, Mariners, Rays, Padres, and Nationals — he interviewed well by all accounts, yet never came away with the big prize.
That’s a shame. And some team(s) and organizations are weaker because of that.
I am a displaced Giants fan of long standing, who has lived in the Midwest most of my life. As such, I am often questioned about my loyalty:
Who’s your favorite team?
The Giants.
The Giants? Why?
Well, I like the organization. The way they do things.
And who is your favorite on the team?
Ron Wotus.
Who?
The bench coach. Now the infield coach.
Huh?
“He’s so smart. Listen to him in interviews. He’s articulate, and he is obviously a great teacher. He loves to win. He has a great track record as a manager and working with the infielders.”
I can understand why people think I’m crazy to like a coach more than the players. But the really crazy people are those who had a chance to hire Ron as a field manager and didn’t do it.
Here’s to you, Ron. I hope some organization wises up and hands you the reins soon.
See my “In Appreciation” story about Ron Wotus here.