Doug Brocail is the Pitching Coach

[weams]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t remember that at all.    He presided over the best staff (2014) the Orioles have had in 15 years.    Zach Britton swore by the guy.   When there were rumors he might leave after the 2015 season most posters were hoping he’d stay.  He did, for one more year.    I think he was clearly the best pitching coach we had while Buck was here.   

I thought Kranitz was the white whale.  I do remember a faction of anti 80 year olds beating Dave down. 

[Frobby]

Just now, interloper said:

I'm just trying to stay grounded. Brocail doesn't seem to have the unanimous support that Hyde did around the league. But I'm gonna read this article Frobby just posted and learn more.

I don’t think the article really tells us if he’ll be good or bad.    He did have deep roots with the Astros’ organization, well before Luhnow et al. arrived, and seems to have been a trusted guy even with the change in leadership there.    I’m sure he’s well known to Elias.    I’m taking a wait and see attitude.    Honestly, there’s almost nowhere to go but up.

[NCRaven]

29 minutes ago, AceKing said:

Slim pickings at this time of year, and he already knows what’s up with this system.  I am sure he has some redeeming qualities...

He was willing to say yes to the job.  That’s one.

[LookinUp]

16 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Here’s an interesting article from when Brocail was switched from being the Astros’ pitching coach to a special assistant helping Jeff Luhnow to oversee development of the pitchers:   https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/amp/Astros-make-changes-to-Porter-s-staff-4861523.php

Lol. Villar is everywhere...

Quote

Former Astros shortstop Adam Everett, who was a roving infield instructor throughout the farm system and at the major league level this year, is a candidate to keep an eye on moving forward because Luhnow wants a coach who can help nurture shortstop Jonathan Villar and second baseman Jose Altuve.

 

 

[sportsfan8703]

46 minutes ago, weams said:

We hated Rick Kranitz when he was here too.  And Dave Wallace.

Idk I thought a lot of us really liked Wallace and Chiti. Brocail is a guy that Elias knows. He’ll follow what Elias wants. He might just be a placeholder for the year. 

Everyone got a late start at all this. People know we’re going to lose a lot. It’s lead to a very hodge podge staff so far. People are probably here for two years and they’ll be fired. Bo Porter says hi. 

[Frobby]

Just now, weams said:

I thought Kranit was the white whale.  I do remember a faction of anti 80 year olds beating Dave down. 

The odd thing was how the 2010 staff performed far better the minute Buck arrived.    It was never clear to me if it was Kranitz’s teaching just kicking in around that time, or something Buck did that countermanded what Kranitz had been doing, or just an odd coincidence.   In any event, things went backwards under Kranitz’s successors, until Wallace came along.   

[scOtt]

55 minutes ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

The Rangers starting rotation has been absolutely awful the last few years. You can't blame that on Doug. He hasn't had much talent to work with. I have to trust Brandon and Mike here. They know what they are doing.

You have to figure he's at least down with the analytics or they wouldn't have hired him. Maybe Hyde worked with or played with him.

[Bradysburns]

24 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Here’s an interesting article from when Brocail was switched from being the Astros’ pitching coach to a special assistant helping Jeff Luhnow to oversee development of the pitchers:   https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/amp/Astros-make-changes-to-Porter-s-staff-4861523.php

This explains a ton... Luhnow loved Brocail in Houston. Apparently Brocail was outstanding, as Luhnow describes it. No indication that he was a bad pitching coach in his 2-year stint. Quite the opposite. He wanted him to promote Brocail to help oversee the whole pitching program, including developing guys like Lance McCullers.

Generally, I suspect many of us would agree that coaches tend to get too much blame and too much credit. There's only so much they can do. 

That said, this Luhnow quote tells me we might have just landed a great pitching mind (if not a great pitching coach): 

"Doug's done a tremendous job," Luhnow said of Brocail. "I had a long conversation with him. We both feel the best role for him is to help me oversee the whole pitching, top to bottom.

"We've got a couple No. 1s in our system, and we've got potentially another top pitcher coming in the draft. He's somebody who can oversee the whole pitching, top to bottom."

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, Bradysburns said:

This explains a ton... Luhnow loved Brocail in Houston. Apparently Brocail was outstanding, as Luhnow describes it. No indication that he was a bad pitching coach in his 2-year stint. Quite the opposite. He wanted him to promote Brocail to help oversee the whole pitching program, including developing guys like Lance McCullers.

Generally, I suspect many of us would agree that coaches tend to get too much blame and too much credit. There's only so much they can do. 

That said, this Luhnow quote tells me we might have just landed a great pitching mind (if not a great pitching coach): 

"Doug's done a tremendous job," Luhnow said of Brocail. "I had a long conversation with him. We both feel the best role for him is to help me oversee the whole pitching, top to bottom.

"We've got a couple No. 1s in our system, and we've got potentially another top pitcher coming in the draft. He's somebody who can oversee the whole pitching, top to bottom."

I can’t tell if Luhnow actually considered this a promotion, or was just giving the press some positive spin on a reassignment of the pitching coach.   While in the special assistant job, he eventually took over as interim pitching coach at AA Corpus Christi in 2014 and remained there for 2015.    That doesn’t exactly seem like a promotion from being the major league PC.    But in any event, it seems unlikely Elias would have hired Brocail if he thought he’d done a bad job in Houston.   

[weams]

18 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

He was willing to say yes to the job.  That’s one.

So was I. Though I said up front that I'd only do the one season.

[sportsfan8703]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I can’t tell if Luhnow actually considered this a promotion, or was just giving the press some positive spin on a reassignment of the pitching coach.   While in the special assistant job, he eventually took over as interim pitching coach at AA Corpus Christi in 2014 and remained there for 2015.    That doesn’t exactly seem like a promotion from being the major league PC.    But in any event, it seems unlikely Elias would have hired Brocail if he thought he’d done a bad job in Houston.   

Sounds like spin. Brocail is at least on board with the way of thinking or they would have just removed him from the organization completely. It’s going to take some time before Elias gets guys he really wants. 

[weams]

Quote

Doug Brocail has been hired as pitching coach, according to an industry source. He’s going to replace Roger McDowell, whose contract expired on Oct. 31.

Brocail, 51, spent the past three seasons as the Rangers pitching coach before his dismissal in November. He owns previous ties to executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, working as the Astros pitching coach from June 2011 through October 2013 and later as a special assistant.

....

The Padres drafted Brocail in the first round in 1986 out of Lamar Community College in Colorado, but injuries delayed his major league debut until six years later and cost him the entire 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Brocail inherits a staff that posted the worst ERA in the majors last season at 5.18. The rotation’s collective ERA has ranked last over the past two seasons.

Andrew Cashner pitched for Brocail during the 2017 season, providing a familiar face for the new coach.

...coaching staff is expected to include Tim Cossins, José Flores, Don Long and Arnie Beyeler. John Wasdin could transition from minor league pitching coordinator to bullpen coach.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/01/brocail-hired-as-orioles-pitching-coach.html

[wildcard]

43 minutes ago, weams said:

He was mocked here repeatedly. 

Name someone who isn't.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Name someone who isn't.

Tony Levin.

[weams]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Tony Levin.

He is outstanding.