Shortly after pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training, the Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed back a familiar face in Ron Roenicke, who accepted a special assistant position within the front office.
He most recently served as manager of the Boston Red Sox last season. Roenicke’s ties to the Dodgers date back to the 1977 MLB Draft when the organization selected him with the No. 17 overall pick.
“He brings a wealth of knowledge, a lot of energy, and eagerness to teach and learn,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said. “He is a Dodger. Came up with the Dodgers, so to get him back home in this organization, I know he’s excited. Get him and Dino Ebel reunited.
“He’s going to do a lot of things, whether it’s on the outfield baserunning with coordinator Jason Bourgeois, he’s going to coach the coaches, he’s going to help us on the big league staff, he’s going to do some eye in the sky for the front office.
“We’re just lucky to have him. He’s going to wear a lot of hats. There’s just a wealth of knowledge that I’m excited for myself and the players to tap into.”
Roenicke spent parts of the first three seasons of his big league career with L.A. before later rejoining the club as a coach in 1992. He held various coaching roles at both the Major League and Minor League level before departing the Dodgers in 1999.
Roenicke returned to the club midway through the 2015 season to accept a position as their third base coach.
It was reported that Roenicke’s official title with the Dodgers will be special assistant to the general manager. However, that the GM position remains vacant, and he presumably is reporting to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Dodgers front office changes
Prior to Roenicke being hired as a special assistant, the Dodgers front office lost Raul Ibañez, who held the same role. He was hired by MLB as senior vice president of on-field operations.
Ibañez had been a special assistant with the Dodgers since being hired in 2016 and previously rejected overtures to potentially take on a managerial role.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, participate in our shows and giveaways, and more!
