IN DECEMBER the
Cardinals announced
a new position on
their coaching staff:
DC9ÊjÓijkÇdXafi
league internal
player strategist.”
If you have no idea
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who had worked
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down video and data
for players and the
rest of the staff.
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was to create an
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we realized we
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So the title of
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internal player
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unworn. Elkins
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another way of
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that he’d work on
offensive strategy
for individual players.
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Over the last
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survey of MLB staffs
shows everything
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of specialized
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coordinator.” (Thank
the Marlins—
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NFL with offensive
and defensive
coordinators.)
Coaching staffs
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of the sprawl of
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there’s an even wider
variety of creative
titles there: vice
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education and
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of leadership
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It’s worth noting
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variety here is driven
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it’s hard to lure a
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(This trend appears
at the top: While
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used as shorthand
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vice president.)
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there are people
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doing drastically
different work; there
are people with
different titles doing
functionally the
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are people whose
title has stayed the
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differently.
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says Rays senior
vice president of
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They represent
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ask an internal player
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run production
coach. —E.B.18
Because...
BANNERS WILL
BE HOISTED IN
NOVEL PLACESThe ’10s were
a drought-
busting decade,
with four
championship
dry spells
of 50-plus
seasons
ending.
The ’20s put
Cleveland
(71 years),
Texas (59),
Milwaukee (51),
San Diego (51)
and Seattle (43)
on the clock.
The Brewers
might be
closest, but
don’t be
surprised if
the Padres and
Mariners, flush
with prospects,
reach the ’30s
with shiny new
rings. —C.G.
AF?EN%D:;FEFL>?(TROPHY) 2 D8KKK?FD8J&J8E;@<>FG8;I<JBE C A USE...THE CARDINALS
NOW HAVE A
RUN PRODUCTION
COACH
19