When the Los Angeles Dodgers hired Dave Roberts in December 2015, they moved to surround their rookie manager with an experienced coaching staff. The organization found a bench coach who’d previously served as a manager in Bob Geren.
Geren was lauded by former New York Mets skipper Terry Collins for his vast knowledge and preparation. After he was fired as manager of the Oakland Athletics a mere 63 games into the 2011 season, Geren joined Collins’ staff as a bench coach in October of that year.
He remained with the team until joining Roberts’ staff with the Dodgers. On Sunday, Collins resigned after seven seasons spent managing the Mets.
According to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, Geren is among the candidates the Mets will consider for their managerial vacancy:
#Dodgers bench coach (and former Mets coach) Bob Geren is on a long list of potential replacements. https://t.co/NZeOBMWkAI
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) October 1, 2017
In addition to managing the Athletics for four and a half seasons, Geren’s coaching experience includes time as Minor League manager in the Boston Red Sox organization in the 1990s, A’s Minor League manager and A’s bench coach.
Geren’s tenure in Oakland was said to come undone due to poor relationships with players. He never finished above .500 with the A’s, with his best season coming in 2010 when the club finished 81-81, good for second place in the American League West division.
The 54-year-old is a lifetime 334-376 as manager. Geren’s time with the A’s overlapped with that of Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi, who spent 10 seasons in the Oakland front office before joining Los Angeles.
Geren is said to be well-versed in the use of advanced stats, which coupled with his overall experience, made him an attractive hire for the Dodgers.
