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he New York Yankees began the off-season by overhauling their coaching staff. The Yankees announced that coaches Roy White (first base), Luis Sojo (third base), and Neil Allen (bullpen) would not be back in 2006. Those dismissals and the departures of pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, who decided not to return for an 11th season, and bench coach Joe Girardi, who left to manage the Florida Marlins, created five vacancies for the Yankees to fill. (Only Don Mattingly, now in his third year as the hitting coach, was kept.) By November, the Yankees finalized their coaching staff for 2006: Tony Pena (first base), Larry Bowa (third base), Lee Mazzil i (bench), Joe Kerrigan (bullpen), Ron Guidry (pitching), and Don Mattingly (hitting). The coaching staff includes four ex-managers: Pena, Bowa, Mazzil i, and Kerrigan. The mediocre 1089 Yankees under manager Dallas Green also had four ex-managers in coaching positions: Pat Corrales (first base), Lee Elia (third base), Charlie Fox (bench), and Frank Howard (hitting).
Tony Pena replaces Roy White at first base. In 1980, Pena made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a catcher. He soon developed into one of the best catchers in major league baseball. A five-time All-Star, Pena won the Gold Glove four times. Less than a week before the start of the 1987 season, the Pirates traded Pena to the St. Louis Cardinals. In his first year as a Cardinal, Pena got to play in his first World Series, but the Cardinals lost to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. From 1990 to 1993, Pena was the Red Sox's everyday catcher. He then spent 19941997 as a backup catcher with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Houston Astros before retiring. Pena resigned on May 10. The Yankees are also counting on Pena to act as a liaison to the Yankees' Latino players, a role previously played by Luis Sojo. Pena will also help out as a catching instructor. Larry Bowa, the new third base coach, has enjoyed success as both a player and a manager. Bowa spent 12 seasons (1970-1981) as a shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies. He made the NL All-Star team five times and won the Gold Glove in 1972 and 1978. In the 1980 World Series, Bowa

"THE YANKEES ARE ALSO COUNTING ON PENA TO ACT AS A LIASON TO THE YANKEES LATINO PLAYERS A ROLE PREVIOOSLY PLAYED RY LOIS SOJO."
For three years, 1999-2001, Pena managed the New Orleans Zephyrs, the Astros' Class AAA affiliate. In 2002, Pena began the season as the Astros' bench coach but was hired as the manager of the Kansas City Royals on May 15. In Pena's first full season as manager in 2003, the Royals got off to an impressive 17-4 start. The Royals, who played under .500 ball in the last months of the season, finished in third place with their first winning record, 8379, since the strike-shortened 1994 season. Pena's success in turning the Royals around earned him the AL Manager of the Year Award for 2003. Pena's success was short-lived. In 2004, the Royals lost 104 games. After the Royals got off to a disastrous 8-25 start in 2005,
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contributed nine hits as the Phillies defeated the Royals in six games. On January 27, 1982, the Phillies traded Bowa to the Chicago Cubs. Bowa's hitting and fielding gradually declined with age, and the Cubs released him on August 13, 1985. He then finished his career with the New York Mets. In 1986, Bowa became the manager of the then-Las Vegas Stars, the San Diego Padres Class-AAA affiliate, and guided the team to the Pacific Coast League championship. A year later, Bowa returned to the major

April 2006

By Dimitri Cavalli

BByDDimilriCavallifriby Inez cPhotos

five leagues to manage the Padres. Bowa, however, was unable to manager Joe Torre for seasons.In his only All-Star Game appearance in 1979, Mazzilli slugged a pinch hit homerun to tie the duplicate the success he had with the Stars, and thePadres finished game and then walked in the winning run in the ninth inning. After in last place with a 65-97 record. going After 16-30 in 1988,the the 1981season, the Mets traded Mazzilli Texas Rangers to the for Padresfired Bowaon May 28. pitching prospects Ron Darling and Walt Terrell. OnAugust 8,1982, From 1988-2000, Bowa coached third base for the Phillies (1988the Yankees obtained Mazzilli the Rangers shortstop from for 1996), the Anaheim Angels (1997-1999), Seattle Mariners and (2000). Bucky Dent. After the season, the Yankees traded Mazzilli the to In 2001, Bowa returned to manage the Phillies. Under Bowa, the pinch hitte Phillies compiled a respectable 86-76 record, finishing in second Pirates, where he spent the next few seasons as a backup outfielder and baseman.On August first 3, 1986, Mazzilli, place behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL Bowa East. won the NL who had been previously released by the Pirates, returned to the Manager of theYear Award 2001. Despite high expectations for Mets, who went on to win their second World Series. Mazzilli over the next three seasons, Bowa's Phillies were unable to make remained with the Mets as a pinch hitter until 31, July 1989 when the postseason. Disappointment and frustration took their tollon the TorontoBlue Jays claimed off waivers. Mazzilli retired him from the team, andBowa hadfrequent run-ins with players. few his A baseballafter the season and spent the nextfew years pursuing days before the end of the 2004 season, the Phillies acting opportunities. dismissed Bowa. In 2005, he worked as a baseball analyst for ESPN. In his two seasons as the third base coach, was Sojo often criticized for being too aggressiveand getting runners thrown out at home plate. During his press conference, Bowa explained how he would coach. "You're going to get people thrown out Mazzillileft the Yankees 2003to becomethe after at home plate,"Bowa said, as quotedby Mark Orioles' manager.In Mazzilli's year, injury-plagued first the Feinsand, a writerfor MLB.com (November 1, 2005). "You'll make decisions that don't go Orioles finished in third place in the ALEast witha78-84 record. In 2005, the Orioles surprised boththe Yankees your way, but that's the way baseballis. I try to and Red Sox by gettingoff to a strong start leading and coach by the Scoreboard.If we're or tied, up I'll the AL East for nearly two months. The Orioles be aggressive. If we're down3-4 runs,you have collapsed over the summer,and the team Mazzilli fired to shut it down and run one baseat a time." As a player, coach, and manager, Bowa was on August 4. With the obvious exception of closer Mariano notorious for his fiery temper and often got Rivera, the Yankee bullpen struggled last season.The himself ejectedfrom ballgames. Should George Yankees hope that the experiencedJoe Kerrigancan Steinbrenner criticize the team during the improve the bullpen. Kerrigan, a former relief pitcher season, it is likely that the high-strung Bowa with the Montreal Expos and Orioles, spent 14years will speak up and publicly take on the Yankee owner. with the Exposand its minor league affiliatesas both a pitching and bullpen coach. In 1997, the Red Sox Lee Mazzilli returns to the Yankees a twoafter hired Kerrigan as their pitching coach. the After year absence, replacing Joe Girardi as theteam's Red Soxfired managerJimy Williams during the bench coach. From 2000-2003, Mazzilli coached 2001 season, Kerrigan was appointed the interim first base for the Yankees. He previously manager. He was let go during spring training in managed in the Yankees' minor league system 2002. For two seasons, 2003-2004, Kerrigan worked from 1997 to 1999. under Bowa as the Phillies' pitching coach. Like Mazzilli was a star outfielder with the New Bowa, Kerrigan often clashed withhis pitchers.At York Metsfrom 1976 to 1981,playing under then-

"ITRYSCOREBOARD. TOBY IF COACH THE WE'REBE OPI'LL OR TIED, AGRESSIVE."

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the end of one of his most difficult seasons of his coaching career, Kerrigan left the Phillies. On July 1, 2005, Kerrigan joined the Yankees as a special advisor to General Manager Brian Cashman. With no major or minor league experience as a coach, Ron Guidry is the only rookie on the 2006 Yankees coaching staff. Once regarded

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as a mediocre pitcher, he developed an effective slider and emerged as the surprise ace of the 1977 World Series champion Yankees. In 1978, Guidry won the Cy Young Award, posting an incredible 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA and 248 strikeouts. The Yankees, who came from 14 1/2 games back to win the AL East, won their second consecutive World Series title. Guidry remained the Yankees' ace until the mid-1980s, winning 21 games in 1983 and 22 games in 1985. Guidry's career declined with injuries and age, and he had losing records in his three final seasons, 1986-1988. In 1990, he began working for the Yankees as a spring training instructor. The' upcoming season will tell if the Yankees made the right moves in picking their new coaches.
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