FanPost

Who should round out the coaching staff?

Now that Brad Mills was named the 18th manager of our precious Stros there is still work to do. We have to build a staff. So lets throw out some names and share some thoughts on the matter.

Dave Clark and Sean Berry are in still in place at their respective positions of third base coach and hitting coach, but there is still much to be done. The Stros have to add a bench coach, pitching coach, first-base coach and bullpen coach. Berry and Mills live near each other in California so at least going in Mills has someone he knows. Of course it would be good to get more guys that Mills is comfortable with, and the front office is going to want input likely meaning that they'll take guys who are affiliated to the organization.

According to Brian McTaggart, Mills mentioned after his press conference that he has already talked to Terry Francona about members of his Boston coaching staff. There's obviously one person who comes to mind in that regard, Tim Bogar. Many people were hoping Bogar would get the job as manager so it'd be pretty sweet having him the bench coach. There is another person to consider who knows Mills well and has ties to the organization and that's Gary Tuck, Boston's current bullpen coach. Tuck spent eight years as a coach in the Astros organization, including managing the AA Columbus Astros in 1986 to a league championship and Manager of the Year honors. Both would be excellent gets, but can we get them away from Boston? Would he accept a lateral move to bullpen coach of the Stros? Who knows. Maybe first base coach. I'm sure there are more guys who have ties to both Mills and the Astros but I just took a look at the surface.

In my opinion we should add one of the above mentioned Red Sox and as good as both of those additions would be I have one concern regarding the possibility of bringing in both or even one of them. With a new manager who spent his last 6 years in the AL I think he needs someone who has been in the NL in the past year or two who knows the tendencies of the younger players on opposing teams. We could land that with an NL pitching coach and be fine with him, Clark and Berry, but it's hard to say for numerous reasons.

It's hard to find articles regarding the addition of a bench coach and pitching coach because it's not huge new, but lets talk. Since we have very knowledgeable and thorough fans on here lets put our heads together and come up with who we think will be the other members of the coaching staff who will be trying to lead our Stros back to the playoffs.