Arizona Sports Report saying Grace will retire after Sunday

[Lefty]

ASR just mentioned that Grace will be calling it a career after Sunday's game.

 

[BC867]

Well, we could use a new Hitting Coach.

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by BC867
Well, we could use a new Hitting Coach.

And what on earth makes you think he could do a good job at it? His work with Overbay (who you wanted to send down 1/2 way through the season) or his work with Mr .265 AVG ".300 hitter" Hillenbrand?

 

[unc84steve]

Most should know I don't care for many aspects of Mark Grace blocking other 1B on the club in 2002 & 2003. However, he MIGHT be a good hitting coach.

Pluses:

1. He was a good on-base pct hitter, with a decent walk rate.
2. He's described the importance of having a plan when going to the plate.
3. His ablility to relate to people might give the right interventions (either tell hitters to focus or loosen up).

Minuses:

1. He's never done this job before.
2. I'd worry about possible favoritism with teammates, especially veterans.

If he were really that interested in coaching or managing, I'd send him to Tucson or El Paso as a coach to see how motivated he really is.

 

[AZZenny]

Actually, that's my bet - Bickley suggested there may be several coaching staff changes, perhaps bringing up current minor league coaches who have worked so well with the kids, esp. since there will likely be a few more of them up here next year. I think Al Pedrique is auditioning for some role on Brenly's staff, and in that case, Grace might be given Tucson as a trial run. He's already said he'd like a Minor League gig if it wasn't terribly far from home.

 

[arthurracoon]

1060 had his press confrence on the radio.

 

[schillingfan]

If Grace wants to manage in the future, he would be better served to manage in the minors. I think that's a better road than hitting coach.

Whether he could be a good manager or not, who knows? It's different from player, requires a different skill set. He seems to have what I consider some prime rerequisites for managing - good people skills and a good equilibrium. I can't see him being bi-polar. I think he would be able to keep things in perspective to last through a long season. Whether he is tough enough is another matter.

 

[FanOfTheGame1]

I can't believe they ran the little tug-at-the-heartstrings video tribute DURING THE GAME (middle of the first). I'm surprised the umpires allowed it... seems like it went on longer than a usual break between innings.

Exactly what sort of deal-with-the-devil does Grace have with JC? He stays (at least) a year too long and is given a big going-away hug, while Williams (who made a much bigger contribution to the franchise) got the Big Shaft.

I was generally a fan of Grace's through 2001 and early 2002, but since then he's really destroyed his credibility in my eyes.

 

[BC867]

Originally posted by DWKB
And what on earth makes you think he could do a good job at it? His work with Overbay (who you wanted to send down 1/2 way through the season) or his work with Mr .265 AVG ".300 hitter" Hillenbrand?

There's quite a difference between "his work with . . ." and being accountable for the entire offense.

I don't know how good Mark would be if he were Hitting Coach. But I would expect his leadership to produce better results than that of Dwayne Murphy. Wouldn't you?

As far as Mark's managing aspirations, wouldn't coaching in the Bigs, then managing in the Minors, be good preparation for ultimately managing in the Majors?

 

[schillingfan]

D-Backs just playing to their fan base.

Mark Grace is hugely popular with the fans. He has the charm. Matt Williams never was.

What's wrong with making the fans happy. It isn't always about truly objective measurements. Fan support is totally subjective. If the fans like Gracie, then make them happy. Most fans like "feel good" stuff.

 

[FanOfTheGame1]

I think the team (and their mouthpiece, the Republic) wildly underestimate the intelligence of the fans.

Although of course, wasn't it P.T. Barnum that said "no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public" or words to that effect.

Bestowing sainthood on Grace for 1 useful, 1 semi-useful and 1 useless season, while cutting Williams at mid-season (after 5.5 seasons, anchoring the franchise for at least the first 3 or 4)? Surely players everywhere are taking note of this. Maybe the D-backs aren't the "wonderful organization" that everyone thought they were.

Unless there's a story we're not being told. If so, I wish someone would have the spine to tell it.

 

[wierwolf]

Either way... I feel Bad about Williams.. But Grace Was a contributor not only to our team but to the sport of baseball with his career as a player with us and his previous team. So lay off the guy already. I would have waited until the 7th inning stretch though.

 

[wierwolf]

By the way... How much money would he free up?

 

[FanOfTheGame1]

Not much. They claimed that he shopped himself around after last season, but then re-signed here for very little. Was that the full story? Someone (unc84steve?) seemed to think not.

I agree that Grace had a long distinguished (not quite HOF-level) career. But things were so odd this year (he'd plant jokes in the media about how he didn't deserve a roster spot, but yet he didn't step aside, and the team would say bizarre things like "he'd be welcome to play again next year") that it really knocked him down a few pegs in my eyes. (I guess I have probably already said that.)

 

[schillingfan]

Well, while you may not appreciate Grace, you are quite wrong if you think most of the fans don't. He has a charm that appeals in different ways to both men and women.

I agree that the media and teams generally do underestimate their fan base. But from what I heard the fans loved the recognition for Gracie. Why does it bother you? As I said, just playing to the audience. Plus Grace will have a job with the organization after this year, so it doesn't hurt the organization to play him up either.

 

[FanOfTheGame1]

Believe me when I say that I usually get pretty sentimental when a longtime star retires, when an old ballpark closes, when they rip out artificial turf and put in grass, etc.

If Grace had held his news conference at this time last year - or even at the all-star break this year - I would have been right there to applaud him.

But everything that happened during the last half of this year (it's all in this thread already; no point in repeating it) has left me really disappointed, and really questioning the "class" of the Dback organization.

I'm not fooled by "charm" or the completely transparent D-back/Republic PR machine.

 

[schillingfan]

Originally posted by FanOfTheGame1
I'm not fooled by "charm" or the completely transparent D-back/Republic PR machine.

They have nothing on the Phillies when it comes to attempts to manipulate the fan base. Phillies deliberately plant stories and articles in attempts to sway fan opinions pro or con on certain players. D-Backs are novices. When the Phillies traded Curt Schilling and Scott Rolen, they went to great lengths to poison the fans against them so that we wouldn't backlash the team for trading their stars. They weren't able to succeed with Curt because fans here have always loved him, but Scotty is roundly hated.

The day after Curt was traded to Arizona, the Philly Inquirer quoted an "anonymous clubhouse source" as saying that "while Curt is our horse every fifth day, the other days he's a horse's ass". Later our GM admitted that he was the anonymous source. How ridiculous is that?

 

[Mark Grace]

So sad grace retired

 

[AZZenny]

It was sad, sentimentally speaking, but it was definitely time. I was there for all 3 games, and was pleased to see Grace get his hits and make a stellar nab as in days of old, and was very happy he got lots of applause - even from the Cardinals. Last day of the baseball season always makes me a bit teary-eyed, anyhow, and I shed a couple to see that funny, classy guy step off the field for the last time.

Best Gracie memory for me will of course be:
"TROPHY! ....and RING!!"

I am really eager to hear what kind of role he takes with the Team. On the one hand, I personally wouldn't object one bit to seeing the baby blues and bad-boy smile on TV next year - but I really hope they promote Al Pedrique and let Grace manage the Sidewinders. Now if THAT doesn't give a boost to Tucson attendance, nothing will.

 

[FanOfTheGame1]

Is that fair to the managers in El Paso, South Bend, etc.?

 

[AZZenny]

While it might be a more sensible move from a skills perspective, do you really think having Scott Coolbaugh manage will attract more fans to the Sidewinders' games than Mark Grace? He's the only minor league manager I see with the organizational credits to make your argument work. Tucson is apparently a financially shaky franchise and can use all the help it can get just to survive. Would I drive down to some games to see Grace manage up close? You bet... with a carful of friends.

Besides, what does "Fair" have to do with the way the world works? If Grace moves into the booth, you can dredge up guys who have paid more dues there, too. There are going to be all kinds of maneuvers involving personnel and players - no doubt most of them won't seem "fair" to somebody. We'll all just have to wait and see what happens, because nobody consults the fans anyhow.