GaryMrMets
12-13-2001, 10:17 PM
http://reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cin/news/cin_news_story.jsp?article_id=cin_20011213_newcoac hes2_news&team_id=cin
News
12/13/2001 4:00 pm ET
LeFebvre, Knight: Reds are Bob Boone's team
Both coaches see talent, promise in 2002
By Rick Ferguson
MLB.com
It's a familiar ritual in baseball: new coaches and the manager who hired them effusively praise one another's baseball acumen, work habits and personal integrity. But in the case of Jim LeFebvre and Ray Knight, the two newest members of the Reds' 2002 coaching staff, there's more than lip service at work.
In fact, it may be karma that brought these two candidates to Bob Boone's door. When the Reds announced on Thursday that they had hired LeFebvre as their new hitting coach, and Knight to fill their final coaching vacancy, Destiny may have taken a hand.
"I'm very excited to have two coaches with managerial experience," said Bob Boone from the Winter Meetings in Boston. "I love Ray's passion, and I love Jim's passion."
Baseball is an insular world, and connections between the three men abound. Ray Knight and Bob Boone coached together for the Reds in 1994 under Davey Johnson. Ray then managed the Reds himself in 1996-97 before being replaced by Jack McKeon. LeFebvre and Boone are old friends who coached against each other in the American League when Boone managed the Kansas City Royals and LeFebvre coached for the Oakland A's. LeFebvre also managed rising young superstar Ken Griffey Jr. in Seattle from 1989-1991.
"The reason why I'm coming to the Reds is Bob Boone," said LeFebvre. "I always admired him as a player, and for the way he called the game as a catcher. We've kept up our friendship over the years. Bob convinced me, 'You gotta be there.'"
"I know a little bit about hitting," said Boone. "I talked to several candidates, and it became clear to me that Jimmy was the right guy."
Ray Knight's return, meanwhile, offers an object lesson in not burning bridges. Even though Knight was fired midway through the 1997 season, he harbored no ill will toward the organization. While working as an ESPN commentator, he kept in touch with Reds GM Jim Bowden, who encouraged him to consider getting back on the field if the opportunity arose. That the opportunity turned out to be from the same team that fired him gives Knight nothing but pleasure.
"I always wanted to be there," said Knight. "Cincinnati is my home. My career started there. My boy was born there. I'll always be a Red. When Bob called at the end of the season and asked if I'd be interested in a coaching job, I said, 'Absolutely.'"
While Boone likes the depth of experience that two prior managers bring to the table, will two such strong-willed coaches be able to subordinate their own managing styles to Boone's? The answer from both men is the same: this is Bob Boone's team.
"[Bob's] the manager," said LeFebvre. "I work for him. I have to compliment him. I have several coaching principles, but the foremost is to sit down with the players, because the answers lie with them. But as far as I'm concerned, the winning starts now."
"I have so much respect for [Bob]," said Knight. "I didn't know if I could work with a lot of people. He's a good, straightforward, honest guy. Besides, I'm a much better coach than I was a manager. I had no idea how tough the job was. Managing gave me a whole different perspective."
Both men also mentioned the cornucopia of talent in the Reds organization as a primary factor in choosing to coach in Cincinnati. The Reds' 2001 record notwithstanding, both men see a team on the rise.
"I thought that this could be a special group [of players]," said Knight. "They've made a big upgrade in talent [since I managed], and they have a lot of impact players. If the pitchers stay healthy and continue to mature, then there's no reason we can't win."
"This is a rare opportunity, to coach a team with this much talent," said LeFebvre. "I'm looking forward to coaching Barry Larkin, Aaron Boone, and some of these young guys coming up that I've read about. This is my opportunity to make a difference."
While LeFebvre has already been annointed as the Reds' new hitting coach, Knight's role has yet to be determined; Knight indicated on Thursday that he would "probably" be the new bench coach, but indicated that he'd take whatever role Boone deemed best for him. Boone, meanwhile, has a lot to think about between now and February. He's already certain of one thing, however.
"We'll have the hardest working coaching staff in baseball," he said.
Rick Ferguson is the site manager for Cincinnatireds.com. The Reds' media relations staff contributed to this report.
News
12/13/2001 4:00 pm ET
LeFebvre, Knight: Reds are Bob Boone's team
Both coaches see talent, promise in 2002
By Rick Ferguson
MLB.com
It's a familiar ritual in baseball: new coaches and the manager who hired them effusively praise one another's baseball acumen, work habits and personal integrity. But in the case of Jim LeFebvre and Ray Knight, the two newest members of the Reds' 2002 coaching staff, there's more than lip service at work.
In fact, it may be karma that brought these two candidates to Bob Boone's door. When the Reds announced on Thursday that they had hired LeFebvre as their new hitting coach, and Knight to fill their final coaching vacancy, Destiny may have taken a hand.
"I'm very excited to have two coaches with managerial experience," said Bob Boone from the Winter Meetings in Boston. "I love Ray's passion, and I love Jim's passion."
Baseball is an insular world, and connections between the three men abound. Ray Knight and Bob Boone coached together for the Reds in 1994 under Davey Johnson. Ray then managed the Reds himself in 1996-97 before being replaced by Jack McKeon. LeFebvre and Boone are old friends who coached against each other in the American League when Boone managed the Kansas City Royals and LeFebvre coached for the Oakland A's. LeFebvre also managed rising young superstar Ken Griffey Jr. in Seattle from 1989-1991.
"The reason why I'm coming to the Reds is Bob Boone," said LeFebvre. "I always admired him as a player, and for the way he called the game as a catcher. We've kept up our friendship over the years. Bob convinced me, 'You gotta be there.'"
"I know a little bit about hitting," said Boone. "I talked to several candidates, and it became clear to me that Jimmy was the right guy."
Ray Knight's return, meanwhile, offers an object lesson in not burning bridges. Even though Knight was fired midway through the 1997 season, he harbored no ill will toward the organization. While working as an ESPN commentator, he kept in touch with Reds GM Jim Bowden, who encouraged him to consider getting back on the field if the opportunity arose. That the opportunity turned out to be from the same team that fired him gives Knight nothing but pleasure.
"I always wanted to be there," said Knight. "Cincinnati is my home. My career started there. My boy was born there. I'll always be a Red. When Bob called at the end of the season and asked if I'd be interested in a coaching job, I said, 'Absolutely.'"
While Boone likes the depth of experience that two prior managers bring to the table, will two such strong-willed coaches be able to subordinate their own managing styles to Boone's? The answer from both men is the same: this is Bob Boone's team.
"[Bob's] the manager," said LeFebvre. "I work for him. I have to compliment him. I have several coaching principles, but the foremost is to sit down with the players, because the answers lie with them. But as far as I'm concerned, the winning starts now."
"I have so much respect for [Bob]," said Knight. "I didn't know if I could work with a lot of people. He's a good, straightforward, honest guy. Besides, I'm a much better coach than I was a manager. I had no idea how tough the job was. Managing gave me a whole different perspective."
Both men also mentioned the cornucopia of talent in the Reds organization as a primary factor in choosing to coach in Cincinnati. The Reds' 2001 record notwithstanding, both men see a team on the rise.
"I thought that this could be a special group [of players]," said Knight. "They've made a big upgrade in talent [since I managed], and they have a lot of impact players. If the pitchers stay healthy and continue to mature, then there's no reason we can't win."
"This is a rare opportunity, to coach a team with this much talent," said LeFebvre. "I'm looking forward to coaching Barry Larkin, Aaron Boone, and some of these young guys coming up that I've read about. This is my opportunity to make a difference."
While LeFebvre has already been annointed as the Reds' new hitting coach, Knight's role has yet to be determined; Knight indicated on Thursday that he would "probably" be the new bench coach, but indicated that he'd take whatever role Boone deemed best for him. Boone, meanwhile, has a lot to think about between now and February. He's already certain of one thing, however.
"We'll have the hardest working coaching staff in baseball," he said.
Rick Ferguson is the site manager for Cincinnatireds.com. The Reds' media relations staff contributed to this report.