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Historic Hiring
By JordanIkeda
Rafu Staff Writer
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008
Seattle Mariners’ Don Wakamatsu becomes the first Japanese American manager in major league baseball.
Associated Press
New Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu, right, poses with his new jersey and with general manager Jack Zduriencik at a news conference announcing his hiring Wednesday, in Seattle.
First there was Masanori Murakami. Thirty years later, Nomo Mania swept Los Angeles. Six years after him, Ichiro Suzuki won the AL MVP and AL Rookie of the Year.
From Takashi Saito to Dave Roberts to Kurt Suzuki to Chan Ho Park to Chien-Ming Wang, Asian and American faces have increasingly become more visible throughout major league baseball.
Wednesday afternoon, for the first time in major league baseball history, an Asian face joined the coaching ranks.
Don Wakamatsu became the first Asian American manager of the MLB, when he was officially introduced at a press conference at Safeco Field in Seattle as the new skipper for the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners’ 14th manager, Wakamatsu was bench coach for the Oakland Athletics last season. Before that he spent five years with the Texas Rangers.
“Someone with a fresh face,” said Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik when asked during Wednesday’s press conference how he came to choose Wakamatsu. “Someone who had experience, not necessarily as a Major League manager, but someone who had extensive experience in the minor leagues. Someone who I felt had the qualities of a leader. Someone who thought could be a face that this franchise could be proud of and follow. Someone who commanded respect.”
A former catcher, Wakamatsu spent almost his entire playing career in the minors, except for 18 games with the Chicago White Sox in 1991. His final season in the minors was in 1996 as player-coach of the Mariners’ Double-A Port City farm team. He managed four seasons in the minors but never higher than Double-before joining the Rangers’ bench in 2003.
The 45-year-old Wakamatsu was among a field of seven candidates interviewed by Zduriencik. None of the seven had previous major league managerial experience. Despite his relative anonymity and lack of experience, Wakamatsu’s hiring mirrors the blueprint of the Mariners’ main AL West competition.
Current manager Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels was hired as a young (he was 40), personable, low-key manager who had spent his playing days as a terrific backstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the past eight seasons under Scioscia, the Angels have an 803-655 record (55 percent), 4 division championships and a World Series ring.
The Angels’ stability is something the Mariners organization sorely needs and in fact is seeking. Wakamatsu will be the fifth manager in Seattle since the departure of Lou Piniella after the 2002 season. The Mariners have cycled through Bob Melvin, Mike Hargrove, John McLaren and Jim Riggleman since Pinella left, none of the four approaching Pinella’s success.
Wakamatsu replaces Riggleman, who took over in June when McLaren was fired after a 25-47 start to last season.
“This is something I’ve looked forward to for a long time,” Wakamatsu said at the press conference. “It is a tremendous opportunity and can’t wait to get going with Jack and his group as we start working on the 2009 team.”
Opportunity indeed. With legitimate World Series aspirations after trading for supposed ace pitcher, Erik Bedard, the Mariners lost 101 games this past season, their most since 1983, and became the first team to lose 100 with a $100 million payroll. Now they hope Wakamatsu can bring some stability and aid in the redevelopment of a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001.
“I thought it was important that chose someone who the players could relate to as a presence in the clubhouse as well as on the field,” continued Zduriencik. “Someone that would see not only the immediate but also the big picture of this organization.”
Wakamatsu, who was born in Hood River, Ore., says he knows only a little Japanese—always a consideration in Seattle, where All-Star Ichiro Suzuki is the franchise cornerstone—though it has improved recently with the A’s and Rangers.
“In general, it’s a young team that maybe with some prodding we can win right away,” Wakamatsu said.
Wakamatsu thanked his wife, his parents, kids and all the people who supported him before pulling out a crayon drawn sign from his daughter Jadyn that read, “Daddy, Knock em Dead!”
“This,” he said smiling, “just might be our theme for the whole year.”
—additional reporting by Associated Press |
