New pitching coach at State College for 2008....

[81omar]

....is Brian Tracy,son of Jim, who pitched for State College last year....seriously,no joke! How many things wrong with that can you think of?

[magnumo]

Since I don't know Brian Tracy, nor do I know anything about his coaching skills, I can think of nothing wrong with the hiring.  I can think of nothing right with it, either.  Time will tell.

[81omar]

  Brian is 24 now and was still in college less than a year ago. He was a very poor pitcher for a bad team,all 4 college seasons he finished with an ERA over 5.00. He was drafted but that was obviously because his father was the team's manager and he pitched ok/poor at State College last year. He's going to be barely older than most players on the team with no prior success to look back on,he had control issues but wasnt a strikeout pitcher. He may know how to coach,and might be a decent baseball mind but at his age and experience,who else could've been in line for the job that they couldnt beat him out? Theyre basically leaving him in charge of the top tier draft picks from this upcoming class as well as the better ones from last years draft that didnt make the Hickory team. Wouldnt you want a guy with more experience in that position? These guys are early in their careers and this very poor pitcher whos father was fired from our major league team is now in charge of helping their developement at one of the lowest levels...I think only Jim Tracy himself would be a worse choice

[WTM]

I agree, it's a bizarre decision.  How could they possibly know he's capable of coaching in the pros?  Most guys would at least coach some in college first, especially when they have no meaningful track record as a player in the pros.  It sounds like this was his golden parachute when they cut him at the end of camp.  Isn't enough that they've got to pay his dad all year?

[magnumo]

I see it a little differently, guys. 

It seems inappropriate for the team to arbitrarily eliminate a guy from consideration based upon who his father is.  And all coaches need to start somewhere.  Sometimes players who aren't so hot as players make the best coaches.  I admit that none of this indicates that Brian Tracy is necessarily a GOOD candidate for the job

On the other hand, Huntington and company are supposed to have a talent for recognizing..... talent.  Hopefully, that extends beyond playing talent to include scouting talent and coaching talent.  Apparently, they saw something they liked in the guy.  Besides, it's probably not easy to get top-notch, experienced coaches who are willing to ride the bus and to get paid peanuts to coach in short-season ball.

Bottom line:  There's no way for us fans to know whether or not Brian Tracy will be a good pitching coach.  So, I'm willing to trust the new management and give him a chance.

[81omar]

   I also have no idea of his coaching abilities but(and i meant to write this above) Id rather have the better coaches lower in the minors and pay them more to do it if I need to. By AAA you have a bunch of former major leaguers,guys who have topped out at AAA and top tier prospects who usually have a good idea what theyre doing and wont be there too long anyway. Guys who are lower in the minors really need to know what theyre doing and he cant know that by now,he has no experience and no success even in college. I dont think its too hard to find a pitching coach at some small college or independant ball or even a former player(Wilson Alvarez did it last year) that would've more qualified and more than happy to ride the bus all year to get a foot in the door,one look at minor league coaching staffs listed in baseball america proves that.

Basically,I dont care how good of a coach they think he is right now,his first coaching job shouldnt be in A ball and because of his fathers recent past with us,it makes it an odd pick,it really doesnt make it a worse choice,I dont think thats possible. Chances are the pitchers they leave him with from last years draft wont be a good way to measure how good of a coach he is anyway.

[WTM]

It seems inappropriate for the team to arbitrarily eliminate a guy from consideration based upon who his father is.

Let's not be too naive here.  He got the job based upon who his father is.  They draft guys all the time and then release them a year or two later, but Tracy is the first one to step into a coaching job so quickly.  They've had other minor leaguers move into coaching jobs, but every one I can think of had far more experience than Tracy.  This is a very unusual move and it's awfully far-fetched to suppose he'd have gotten the job if he had no MLB connection.

[MAL]

It seems inappropriate for the team to arbitrarily eliminate a guy from consideration based upon who his father is.

Let's not be too naive here.  He got the job based upon who his father is.  They draft guys all the time and then release them a year or two later, but Tracy is the first one to step into a coaching job so quickly.  They've had other minor leaguers move into coaching jobs, but every one I can think of had far more experience than Tracy.  This is a very unusual move and it's awfully far-fetched to suppose he'd have gotten the job if he had no MLB connection.

Granted Tracy is an interesting choice but this explanation makes no sense at all.  His name might have got him an interview but that is about it.  Coonelly and Huntington don’t strike me as men who hire based on nepotism.  Tracy is a coach’s son so he has been around the game his whole life.  The more likely scenario….Tracy is a sharp guy and obviously with no future playing career to look forward to he was looking to break into coaching.  The Pirates saw coaching potential and hired him. 

[WTM]

Coonelly and Huntington don’t strike me as men who hire based on nepotism.

And we know this because . . . Huntington keeps signing guys who played with the Indians??