A pair of first-base coaches, Tim Bogar and Skip Schumaker, are the newest names thrown into the New York Mets’ managerial search.
There are two new names to add to the pool of New York Mets managerial candidates—Skip Schumaker and Tim Bogar.
Padres first-base coach Skip Schumaker has interviewed for the Mets’ managerial opening, sources tell The Athletic.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) October 18, 2019
Schumaker had an 11-year MLB career that included stops with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cincinnati Reds. He retired in 2016 and took over as Padres’ first-base coach for the last two seasons.
At the tender age of 39, Schumaker would normally seem far too young to take over a big-league club. However, young managers are a growing trend around baseball.
In addition to Schumaker, the Mets are expected to interview Tim Bogar, another first-base coach.
Tim Bogar is expected to get a Mets interview, bringing to 7 known candidates (Girardi, Eduardo Perez, Mike Bell, Shelton, Beltran, Luis Rojas). Plan is for 2nd in-person interviews w/selectees. Girardi, Bell, Shelton are candidates elsewhere, Perez, Beltran only interested in NY
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 18, 2019
Bogar is an interesting candidate. He was a minor league manager from 2004-2007. In his four years as a minor league manager, Bogar won manager of the year in his league three times.
Bogar also has deep Mets ties. He was drafted by New York in 1988 and played for the team from 1993-1996. Bogar was also a coach for the Red Sox from 2009-2012, where Mets assistant general manager Allard Baird was a key decision-maker.
Outside of Joe Girardi, Bogar is the most experienced candidate. He took over as the Texas Rangers manager in 2014 for 22 games. The Rangers went 14-8 during that stretch.
It’s also notable that Heyman reports the Mets are planning to bring some candidates back for a second interview so this search seems to be far from over. Additionally, MLB frowns on teams making major announcements during the World Series.
The Mets have been methodical in their process to this point. It doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be making a hasty decision. Sorry Mets fans, it seems likely that you’ll have to wait a few more weeks before this drama ends.
