Continuing a theme that has seen several of their minor-league staffers promoted year-to-year, the Nationals have named Tony Beasley their new manager at Class AAA Syracuse and Matthew LeCroy skipper at Class AA Harrisburg.
Beasley spent this season managing at Harrisburg, where he led the Senators to an 80-62 record and first-place finish in the Eastern League's Western division. The 45-year-old Virginia native coached third base for the Nationals at the big-league level in 2006, then spent the next four seasons in the Pirates organization before returning this year.In Harrisburg, Beasley was charged with managing top prospect Bryce Harper during the season's second half, and there's a good chance the two will be paired up again at Syracuse for at least part of the 2012 season.
Beasley takes the position previously held by Randy Knorr, who after managing at ever level of the Nationals' farm system was recently promoted to serve as Davey Johnson's bench coach.
LeCroy gets promoted a level for the second straight year. The former big-league catcher and DH started his managerial career at low-Class A Hagerstown in 2010, then moved up this season to high-Class A Potomac where he guided the P-Nats to a 68-71 overall record and a first-half division title.
18 comments:
It'll be an interesting year in Syracuse and Potomac I wager.
Rizzo is apparently looking at more than one Cuban according to Kilgore. Apparently they really like 19 year old Jorge Soler.
I like this move. I think they are showing that they want to build continuity in the minors and build a consistent message through out.
Would love to see LeCroy get a shot up the chain. I still remember Frank getting all choked up when he had to pull him.
I still cringe every time I read Matt LeCroy's name. Bad enough to make grown men cry...
I like to see in-house promotions. It indicates we have good people in place.
According to Kilgore, LeCroy has been named manager at Harrisburg. I like the move - but don't tell Frank - he's cried enough :-)
Just wild speculation on my part, but I wouldn't be suprised to see either Gary Cathcart or Brian Daubach jump to the MGR spot in Harrisburg. LeCroy lost parts of the Potomac team late in the year, imho.
Good for Matt!!!!
Congrats to Beasley, and I'm with Michele in liking the theme. Congrats to LeCroy, too (boo hoo).
Our minor league coaches have done a very fine job the last few years bringing along our renewed farm system. It's a huge responsibility in the organization. It's nice to see them being rewarded and it's even nicer to have continuity for the players.
Beasley was the right choice for SYR in 2012, but I'm a little dissapointed in the promotion of LeCroy to HAR, as I've posted previously.
Michelle I remember the same thing. It chokes ME up to think of it. I'm glad for them both, and for the babies they are bringing along.
Not a big thing, but am I the only one squicked out by calling grown men "babies"?
I like Bo Porter, but the other third base coach we had who routinely made aggressive and correct decisions on sending runners was Beasley. I was disappointed when he left.
I love that the Nats are executing a "coach and follow" model throughout the system. Good for the players, good for the coaches.
I know there are anti eckstieneople out there who blame the Nats hitting woes on the. Coach but I think they are confused about who is lacking focus. That Eck could not help Stairs, Werth, Espinosa, LaRoche, Desmond, etc make contact says more about the playersa than it does about the approach. Players with a history of better contact would likely yield better results.
Is "Big Boy Nats" also squick-worthy? Because I've been known to use that term to distinguish from "Baby Nats," which I also use. Um, oops? In my defense, Mae West used "Big Boy," too. :-)
I'm delighted at LeCroy's promotion. Maybe someday I will overcome my chagrin for having yelled "We want Fick" on that memorable day in RFK in 2006. Speaking of that, where is Robert these days?
Why does LeCroy deserve a promotion, he hurt the Potomac team last year especially in the second half when he obviously played favorites with certain team members, while neglecting others who had a higher ceiling. This is not good news for those prospects moving from Potomac to Harrisburg, who thought they would be getting away from a bad manager! BOOO!
Harper ROY..
I would give him the benefit of the doubt. A minor league manager is more likely to be subjected to interference from the Front Office on who to play. Maybe he was told to play the other guys to figure out if any of them had an potential at all.
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