Mar
11
Yankees will introduce Towers next week
ByThe Yankees will officially announce the hiring of former Padres’ general manager Kevin Towers next Tuesday, where he’ll be introduced as a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman. We first learned of the hire back in January, but at least now we know it’ll be absolutely official. Towers will be sort of a roving scout, get looks at both amateur and professional players as needed. He’s also going to be a sounding board for Cashman, a baseball guy to bounce ideas off of.
How much does a special assistant to the GM make? Well, the Yanks will pay Towers just $50,000 in 2010. Don’t feel bad for him though, San Diego still owes him over a million bucks.
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I wonder how much YES will pay him?
What’s Towers’ WAR?
Towers is good with young pitchers right? Maybe he can figure how what the hell happened to Joba? I have never seen someone lose so much “stff” in so little time. I hope Towers canhelp with this.
Kevin Towers is not a pitching coach, he’s primarily a talent evaluator as described in Mike’s post.
If you want to make this point about Joba so badly that you just can’t help yourself… Please make it in the off-topic thread (link in the menu bar at the top of the page). People post comments in there and have conversations, it’s not like nobody will see your comment over there. It’s off-topic here, no matter how hard you try to shoe-horn it in.
I think it is on topic Towers is a talent evaluator he must be able to look at a pitcher and know sonething about his mechanics and ability. Clearly Eiland is not getting through to him so maybe Towers can help.
Teams don’t hire talent evaluator’s to mainly observe and fix their own talent. They evaluate potential talent elsewhere and perhaps need to know a little about their own when trades are in order…but for the most party…what you’re asking him to do…isn’t anything he will ever do.
I think it is on topic
It’s not, though.
[adds mryankee to personal Operation: Shutdown list, regrets responding in the first place no matter how well-intentioned that response was]
Operation: Shutdown list? So this is for the annoying folks that try to hijack intelligent discourse? If so, seems like a good idea.
I think the Derek Bell Operation: SHUTDOWN list is currently:
Jake/Michael
SBGL
mryankee
Januz may or may not be on there… depends on the mood.
who is jake/michael? im not familiar with their (apparently stupid) comments and opinions
as for the other 2, im highly intrigued by an operation shutdown, which i assume means just ignoring them
who is jake/michael? im not familiar with their (apparently stupid) comments and opinions
Consider yourself lucky.
Jake was here a week ago; he was housed, disappeared, came back as Michael and was housed again. He’s the true impetus for Operation: SHUTDOWN, which is exactly what you think it is.
Michael still pops up; he appeared in yesterday’s posts (after the threads were largely dead, which is a trait he interestingly seems to share with SBGL despite them being two different people…)
Exactly. (There’s no actual list, obviously.)
Or… Apparently I should say… I wasn’t aware of any actual list, but you never know what sort of shenanigans TSJC is working on.
There’s no official list… there’s unofficial ones, though.
Preemptively on the unofficial list (in case they ever come back and start posting again):
Hitman
Robert Goulet
touchtoneterriost/Joba-or-Hughes-to-the-Pen/Adrian-Retire-21
Remember Brazilian Yankee during the 2009 playoffs? That dude’s definitely on there.
Sure, I’m down with that.
Remember Brazilian Yankee who incessantly ripped the Yankees during the 2009 playoffs in which the Yankee won the World Series? That dude’s definitely on there.
emac2 has to be on there
I was reading some of the old playoff posts and Brazilian Yankee was hilariously negative. Like, to the point where I thought it was a joke.
epic. fail.
i get annoyed by mryankee as much as the next guy… but this post comes off a little witch-huntish
It’s not witch huntish at all.
mryankee made an off-topic comment about Joba’s “diminishing stuff” in the previous post about leftfield. He then repeated it again in this post about Kevin Towers.
The fact that he futilely and superficially attempted to tie it to Kevin Towers does not change the fact that it’s off-topic and he’s attempting to insult our intelligence by shoehorning it in.
The worst part about it was his original post was deleted…but the conversation was still talked about regardless lol. And even though he was able to get his point across about his feelings on Joba’s spring training (throwing aside Joba last season or any other season)…he still brought it up again anyway.
i didnt realize he made a joba post in the last thread… i guess it had already been edited out so i never got a chance to read it
that does change the equation
What happened to Operation: Derek Lee, guys? C’mon now, you need resolve!
We slipped up with Januz and mryankee. All in the past few hours!
We need Axisa to do some image embedding to really drive the point home. All I can do is hyperlink:
http://riveraveblues.com/wp-co.....utdown.jpg
dude that is an epic picture
You’re welcome.
(The Operation: SHUTDOWN™ image is a registered trademark of Archimedes Torquemada, 2010. Operation: SHUTDOWN is a registered wordmark of Derek Bell and The Honorable Congressman Mondesi. All rights reserved by the respective trademark/wordmark owners.)
The idea belongs to the RAB commentariat. My brilliant mind was just the vessel.
Fine… I’ll happily accept your royalty checks on your behalf.
Heh, deal.
anyone else see the irony of taking up an entire thread to bitch about people taking up entire threads about off-topic subjects?
This, thank you.
Slugger27… He just wants to bitch about Joba, he’s not trying to contribute to a conversation. He tried to shoe-horn it in here even though it’s not on-topic, he tried to do the same thing in the last thread. It’s off-topic, and he doesn’t care, he just wants to say what he wants when and where he wants to. There’s an off-topic post for that kind of comment, and he should use it just like the RAB administrators want us to and just like everyone else does. I actually tried to be nice and helpful about it, I don’t think my original response unfairly picked on him or was witch-hunt-ish in any way whatsoever.
I would absolutely agree with you…but in the last thread he brought up the same thing (without the Kevin Towers addition) and it was talked about even though it was originally removed.
I have never seen someone lose so much “stuff” in so little time.
Getting to the point of your comment… I point you towards Justin Verlander. He had a year and a half period where his velocity and performance fell off. Then he recovered. I expect the same with Joba. He was fine through the end of July last year, so now it’s just a matter of maintaining that through a full season.
OH SHIT YOU SAID VERLANDER NOW YOU DID IT
Justin Verlander is like catnip to mryankee. This will end badly.
Operation: SHUTDOWN
I haven’t seen the effect that Verlander has on mryankee before… What’s his issue with comparing Joba to other similar pitchers?
He doesn’t have an issue comparing Joba to other similar pitchers…
He has an issue comparing things to other things. In general.
I find it funny that the original off-topic comment led to a much more elaborate off-topic discussion about Op:SD.
True, but while that elaborate discussion about the Derek Bell Plan may be off-topic to this particular convo, it’s on-topic in a general in that the request to keep things on-topic is always an on-topic convo.
And Operation: SHUTDOWN will surely spawn some pointless conversations early on, but once it spreads through the commentariat and takes hold that should dissipate a good deal.
Commentariat™: also an excellent addition to the lexicon.
I give it Five Slaps.
I don’t think I can take credit for that one, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it used elsewhere.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/.....p-com3.htm
There you go. It shall be used, credit shall not be given as if it was an original idea or anything like that.
Deal… fatty.
:: burps ::
you had me at “True”
“stuff”
So if San Diego is still paying him his salary…that would mean he’s not technically in the Yankees Organization but rather a consultant of sorts until his contract over there is up?
Probably. Special Assistant=Counsultant, why not.
However it sounds like Towers could be beneficial in adding input to Yankees future prospects especially pitchers which is never a bad thing. Love the move.
Didn’t they already introduce Josh Towers?
Yup, when he threw a gem last year with the A’s against us.
youre thinking of tomko i think
Oops. You’re exactly right. Nice catch there. Sorry about that. haha
You have shamed us all.
http://tinyurl.com/PinstripeDFAIPA
No, that’s Tomko. This is Towers: http://bit.ly/aJeNn5
That was the game Roid Ruiz absolutely smoked a ball but it was juuuuust foul. We ended up losing and, as I recall, our whole pitching staff struggled.
“Roid Ruiz”… heh.
Fun Fact (that’s only really fun for me, I guess): Randy Ruiz was born in the Bronx (where my dad grew up) on my dad’s 30th birthday.
The signing of Towers is not exactly a vote of confidence for Damon Oppenheimer. I speculate that someone in the front office wants a second opinion on the draft. Does Towers get involved in the draft? Does anyone have an opinion on how well Oppenheimer is doing? Will Oppenheimer be pushed out?
I’m not an expert on this stuff, but I don’t think this has much, if anything, to do with Oppenheimer’s performance. I’m pretty sure the intent is for Towers to work more as a pro/minors scout, I don’t think he’s going to be heavily involved in draft preparation.
Also… The Yankees don’t seem to have gone out searching for another voice to bring into the organization because they’re unhappy with anyone, they seem to have just hired Towers because he happens to be a very smart guy who they are familiar/friendly with and who happened to become available and have an interest in taking a relatively minor role in the Yankees’ F.O. It’s not like they were unhappy with someone so they searched for a replacement or anything like that.
Meh, I don’t read that much into it. I don’t think Towers is there to replace Oppenheimer (which would be a demotion for him), I think Towers is there to help Oppenheimer because Towers is interested in a paycheck from a good team doing the thing that he enjoys doing, which is scouting players.
The Yankees signing Towers is, IMO, akin to the Vikings interest in signing LaDanian Tomlinson. It’s not that they don’t have confidence in Adrian Peterson’s abilities, it’s simply that they respect Tomlinson’s ability and want to use him in the small, specific third down passing situation role because he’d be really awesome in that role.
Low-hanging fruit.
I don’t think that at all. Oppenheimer actually had a very solid draft in 2009 and would have had in 2008 if Cole did not back out. However Towers is there for the second opinion maybe on pitchers not neccesarily only for the draft, but other teams in trade situations. A second opinion Towers on pitching prospects whether it is to Oppenheimer or to Cashman will only contribute to the Yankees and not to be taken as a threat to someone’s job.
Towers’s job isn’t to do Oppenheimer’s job, it’s to provide Oppenheimer with better, more detailed, smarter scouting information to make Oppenheimer’s job easier and more fruitful.
Yeah, I suspect Towers will basically be the team’s “super scout,” so to speak. Once they narrow down their targets for the draft, they’ll send him to look at the players to get his opinion. If they’re discussing a trade, they’ll send him to watch the players, etc.
That should be interesting to watch. If we see reports of “Kevin Towers was spotted at whatever team’s game,” we’ll know something’s up.
Yup.
Sending Towers to scout draft prospects isn’t exactly the definition of flying under the radar. But when you pick last in the first round, I guess it doesn’t really matter all that much.
Isnt Gene Michael a “super scout” ? I have kind of lost track of what Gene is doing, but i guess it cant hurt to have 1 more super scout.
is he still even really involved? i mean he is an older dude
I saw him on Francesa a week or two ago. He was asked about one of our prospects, I can’t remember who but he was a young kid we all know about, Stick replied that he wasn’t too familiar with him. I wouldn’t say he’s quite entrenched in our farm as he once was.
I saw him on Francesa a week or two ago. He was asked about one of our prospects, I can’t remember who but he was a young kid we all know about, Stick replied that he wasn’t too familiar with him.
Perchance, was it Jason Hirsh?
Oppenheimer only handles the amateur scouting side, while Towers will be working on both amateur and pro scouting. This really sound like it’s basically just an extra pair of eyes, and it gives Towers an excuse to travel around the country watching baseball games.
and it gives Towers an excuse to travel around the country watching baseball games.
And living fat on a hefty per-diem and expense account… possibly banging anonymous road skanks at small-town Perkinses, Tiger-style.
Plus, there has been some lamenting that Cash doesn’t have a go-to-person to bounce ideas off of and Towers certainly gives him one.
And they can get together over beers and laugh at the stupidity of the ‘baseball’ ideas the Tampa faction passes along.
Yup.
Pinstripe Beers™.
this is me rethinking my career.
Remember: It’s not cheating if you don’t get caught.
Meh, I agree with Opp’s decision to take Cole. I think you almost always take the best talent available and deal with the other stuff later…but 2008 hasn’t looked great so far. His next few picks were Bleich at 44 (was thought of as an overdraft then and hasn’t had a great show yet…still, he’s a fairly talented lefty), Bittle at 75 (whom we never signed because of serious injuries) and David Adams at 106 (likely utility player that can’t play SS). The next two picks were Corban Joseph, a good-hitting infielder with defensive concerns, and CHRIS SMITH, who was so terrible, he hit .127! You read that correctly.
There were some quality picks like Marshall and DJ Mitchell, maybe Higashioka turns into something.
Still, it does not appear to have been a good draft.
I think 2008 could turn out fairly well in the long run.
Really? Please elaborate.
Adams, Joseph, Marshall, Higashioka, Mitchell, Phelps, Richardson, and Turley are all decent prospects with upside. One or two of them will probably be at least fringy big leaguers (solid bench guys or non-elite setup men), possibly more. There’s talent there.
Also, there’s a bit of a philosophical argument in play as well: If you’re docking the 2008 draft for the Cole and Bittle non-signs, does the team get any credit for the Heathcott and Murphy signs? Those picks wouldn’t exist in the 2009 draft if not for the Cole/Bittle issue. What draft class should those guys be credited to?
Those picks wouldn’t exist in the 2009 draft if not for the Cole/Bittle issue.
Sort of true, assuming the signings of the Type-A free agents.
Still, I’d much rather have Cole and B(r)ittle than Heathcott and Murphy. In fact, it’s not even close.
The Type A free agents are irrelevant to that convo. If we hadn’t lost picks due to the CC/AJ/Tex signings, we’d have Heathcott/Murphy + three other guys as well.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Cole and Brittle had signed, we could have also had Slade and J.R. since we’d have had our 2009 draft picks, yes?
So…Type-A’s are irrelevant?
No. We lost our 2009 first, second, and third rounders for signing CC, AJ, and Tex.
Slade and Murphy were drafted with the picks given to us for not signing Cole or Bittle. Had we signed Cole and Bittle AND signed CC, AJ, and Tex, we wouldn’t have had a 2009 draft pick until the 4th round. Our first pick would have been Adam Warren.
Right. What I’d been thinking is Cole and Bittle sign and and we don’t get the Type-A free agents, then the signing of those two doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t get Heathcott and Murphy.
As it happened, Cole and Bittle not signing seems to have turned out pretty well.
Not one Outfielder in this group. In fact, our entire US amateur draft system has produced very few outfield prospects in the last few years. If not for the Latin kids, things would be even worse. And while Adams and Joseph are in your group, neither is expected to be more than a fringy Major League player. Our entire system is practically devoid of any good infield prospects. Again, thank god for the Latin kids. Yes, we have catching and pitching well in hand, but there needs to be more draft balance. Or does there? Overall, I disagree with the 2008 class being a win. We should of and could have done better.
Not one Outfielder in this group. In fact, our entire US amateur draft system has produced very few outfield prospects in the last few years… Yes, we have catching and pitching well in hand, but there needs to be more draft balance.
That’s not the way you evaluate drafts. You take what comes to you.
just wondering why you said “should of” which is incorrect, then one word later said “could have” which is the proper way.
/grammar nazi
A play on coulda woulda shoulda. My bad.
no worries! didn’t mean to come off as a dick. just a huge pet peeve of mine haha.
Are you serious? You take what comes at you? With that kind of draft strategy, we might as well hire the Knicks GM, and give up our first round pick every year for a bag of balls.
Are you serious? You take what comes at you? With that kind of draft strategy, we might as well hire the Knicks GM, and give up our first round pick every year for a bag of balls.
/boversimplified
Seriously, the reason our farm system is generally pitcher and catcher heavy is because that’s what falls to you in the bottom of the round. The good outfielders and infielders are generally gone when we pick. Pitchers and catchers slide because there’s more boom-bust potential.
Drafting for need instead of taking best player available is a horrible baseball draft strategy. Doing that is what caused our nuclear winter of failed drafts of the late ’90s/early ’00s.
You take what comes to you.
With that kind of draft strategy, we might as well hire the Knicks GM, and give up our first round pick every year for a bag of balls.
Oh, and ironically, one of the few things that Isiah Thomas did well: pick draft choices.
I respectfully disagree – After the first and second round of the draft, things tend to level off. The better scouting teams that draft always find good players later on. Always! As much as I hate to admit it, the Sawx have us beat here. The Angels too. There are lots of examples, and I do not need to go over it, as it pains me to open thw door for the Red Sox trolls to jump in. Let’s just say that the hiring of Towers makes sense. I for one, have had enough of the Chris Smith jokes.
As for Isiah Thomas being a good talent evaluator. Ha! Ha! Ha! The only thing he was good at, was chasing down tail in the front office.
Didn’t they bring in Bill Livesey recently in a similar scout advisor role? I’m not into conspiracy theories, but there seems to be a lot of overlap.
Hey… Just FYI, there are little “reply” buttons in the comments. If you use those to reply to particular comments instead of putting your new comment at the bottom of the thread, it makes the conversation much easier to follow.
still can’t get over how great the addition of k. towers could be for the yankees.
Great hire.