MLB Notebook: Francona's influence strong on former players-turned-managers; Giants bet on veterans and more

In the NFL, “coaching trees’’ are a popular concept. Hall of Famer Bill Parcells is often cited as someone who has had a number of former assistant and coordinators – including Sean Payton, Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin -- go on to become successful, Super Bowl-winning head coaches in their own right.

In baseball, for whatever reason, there haven’t been as many.

One may be forming now, however, with something of a twist. It involves former players, not coaches. Currently, there are three MLB managers who played for Terry Francona’s Red Sox in 2005-07: the Phillies’ Gabe Kapler, the Rays’ Kevin Cash and, of course, the Red Sox’ Alex Cora.

And that doesn’t count current MLB coaches like Eric Hinske (Angels hitting coach) and Ramon Vazquez (Red Sox quality control coach)

“One guy should get the bulk of the credit (for everyone going into managing and coaching),’’ said Cash, “and that’s Tito. Now, we’ve all gone our separate ways. I know Alex has coached (in Houston) and Hinske has, too. But the way Tito and the staff treated the players, I think it was so appreciated. It allowed us to be ourselves. And I think it convinced all of us that, if we ever got the opportunity to do something similar, we would follow in his footsteps.’’

“I think certain guys’ personalities just match-up,’’ said Dustin Pedroia, who was a rookie playing for Francona in 2005. “All of those guys you’ve mentioned are sort of similar to Tito in the way they see the game and view the game. I’m sure he had a big impact on all of them’’

Francona, who began managing in the majors in 1997 in Philadelphia, was known as a player’s manager at a time when others were still seen as disciplinarians.

“I think Tito was ahead of his time,’’ said Cash. “A lot of managers now say, ‘Players, go play. You guys should be yourselves, do whatever you have to do. But when we compete, it’s time to go.’ It wasn’t always the way at the time. It was more regimented.  Tito was ahead of his time and the players responded. You don’t see those regimented guys anymore.’’

“To do that,’’ added Pedroia, “you have to have teams where you trust your players. Tito understood what type of teams he had, and he gave his players the freedom to act professionally and trust that, performance-wise, their ability will come out if you give them time to let that happen and you just let that be. I think that’s why he was so successful (in Boston).’’

Even as he continues as a successful manager in Cleveland, the roots of Francona’s managerial tree continue to spread throughout the game.

“There are guys everywhere,’’ said Pedroia. “Every team we play, there’s some guys who Tito had (either as coaches or players). You know what they think and how they approach the game because you’ve been in it with them. It’s pretty cool to see.’’

Pedroia says Francona’s enduring legacy as a manager is establishing a level of trust with his players and keeping the clubhouse on an even emotional keel.

“There was never any panic out of Tito or the coaches,’’ recalled Pedroia. “It seems like we always started out slow, but we always ended up where we should be. And that was a credit to him and his coaches. What he brought was (a message of): “You’re our guy and we’re sticking with you through anything. And in the end, you’ll be the player that you are.’

“And to this day, if I see DeMarlo (Hale, former Red Sox coach, now the bench coach for the Blue Jays) and I’m struggling, he’s like, ‘You’ll be fine. It’s a long year. Just stay with the process.’  Every one of his coaches is like that. That’s a pretty good trait to have in this game.’’

That calmness is especially important in a market like Boston, where a three-game losing streak can turn into a full-blown crisis if the perspective isn’t maintained.

“It wears on you, and you start focusing on things that don’t help you get better,’’ said Pedroia.

Even after a few years as a scout and coach and three years as a major league manager, Cash finds himself turning to his mentor.

“There are things throughout a given day, that resurface, and I find myself saying, ‘I remember how Tito handled that,’" said Cash. “There are times when I still call Tito and ask him (for advice).’’

Meanwhile, Cash isn’t surprised to watch Cora’s career path lead him to the dugout.

“No, God, no,’’ said Cash with a chuckle. “He was managing games as a player, maybe more so than anybody. We spent a lot of time on the bench together and his perspective was very advanced. One year, we had Alex, Sean Casey and Mike Lowell was hurt. I’m sitting there, like a sponge. There was a lot to learn.’’

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As baseball tries to modernize itself for the 21^st century, attract more young fans and improve the pace of play, plenty of suggestions are being thrown around.

Some are common sense initiatives, like limiting mound visits to six per nine innings. Some are a bit more radical, like installing a pitch clock.

And some are, frankly, just plain moronic.

In the latter category, file this crackpot idea, leaked this past week: enabling the trailing team to utilize its best hitters in the ninth inning, regardless of batting order.

Rich Eisen, of the NFL Network, said an MLB executive told him: “Best argument is that no other sport has its best players sitting on the bench in the final minutes of the game. Imagine LeBron, Tom Brady, or Sidney Crosby or Ronaldo watching on the sideline.’’

Where to begin? First of all, it’s a slippery slope to begin comparing vastly different sports. Baseball, basketball and hockey don’t have players who play on offense or defense exclusively. Baseball is the only sport in which the two teams have an unequal number of players on the field at the same time.

The list could go on and on.

It’s one thing to strive for shorter games and less downtime. But to fundamentally alter the nature of the game itself – as batting out of order would do, or the similarly strange proposal to place a baserunner at second base to start extra-innings – goes well beyond that mission.

Some of these proposals strike me as being the result of MLB trying too hard to be creative. Some tweaks and adjustments would be welcome, but changing the complexion of the game with major rules overhauls isn’t warranted or the least bit necessary.

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The San Francisco Giants have never been afraid to go against the grain. They won three World Series in the span of five years by largely eschewing the trend toward analytics, preferring to rely far more on traditional scouting methods to evaluate personnel.

Now, it’s happening again.

With the rest of baseball enthralled with young talent at the expense of established veterans, the Giants have added Evan Longoria, 32, and Andrew McCutchen, 31 as their biggest off-season pieces and are counting on them to revitalize an offense that was the worst in baseball last season.

Thirty-one (thirty-two) years of age doesn't qualify as ancient. But with scores of 30-something players still unsigned as March approaches, any player with a “3” as part of his age is being viewed with some form of distrust and skepticism.

Giants vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean doesn’t understand why players in their early 30s have become so devalued, especially with so much now available to teams to combat the aging process.

“I don’t think the industry gives itself enough credit with the initiatives we’ve taken with sports science, rest and recovery, nutrition, off-season conditioning, in-season conditioning, the new off-days built into the schedule and the new ways to travel that are more elite and more first class,’’ Sabean told ESPN.com. “You would think we would have the ingenuity of continuing to get more and more out of that player who’s getting into X age.’’

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One major league talent evaluator predicts a long season for the Orioles.

Even after signing free agents Andrew Cashner and bringing back Chris Tillman, the O’s currently lack an established starter for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Then there are the uncertain futures of both GM Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, each of whom is in the final year of his deal.

Finally, said the evaluator, watch for the possibility of heightened tension between Showalter and free-agent-in-waiting Manny Machado.

“They despise each other,’’ said the evaluator. “I mean, it’s really, really bad.’’

The O’s entertained offers for Machado all winter but didn’t find anything to tempt them. Given that the Orioles are almost certain to be out of contention, they’ll likely move him at the trade deadline rather than risk getting nothing but a draft pick.

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When Bryce Brentz was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in the week for cash considerations, it seemed to be a break for the outfielder.

After not being promoted in September when rosters expanded, Brentz was bracing for minor-league free agency when, for the postseason, the Sox reversed field and added him to the 40-man roster. Out of options this spring, it appeared Brentz was a lock to make the team as the fourth outfielder.

But the signing of J.D. Martinez squeezed Brentz out of a roster spot. The Sox seemed to do Brentz a favor with the trade, since it put him in competition for significant playing time in left. But two days later, the Pirates signed Corey Dickerson, who had been DFA’d by the Rays days earlier. Coming off a 27-homer season, Dickerson is now the likely starter in left, with Brentz competing – along with former Sox outfielder Daniel Nava – for a bench spot.