Angels fire Butcher, Baylor
Mike Scioscia said last week that he will return for his 17th season as Angels manager, but it will be with several new coaches.
In his first major move since being named general manager on Oct. 5, Billy Eppler announced late Tuesday night that longtime pitching coach Mike Butcher and hitting coach Don Baylor will not return in 2016.
There was no mention of whether Scioscia, who has remained fiercely loyal to his coaches and fumed when former GM Jerry Dipoto fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher in May of 2012, approved the changes.
“These are good baseball men and individuals who have a deep passion and focus toward their craft,” Eppler said in a statement. “I am both respectful and appreciative of the many contributions Don and Mike have made to this organization during their careers here.”
Butcher, 50, just completed his ninth season with the Angels, who had a 3.94 earned-run average this season, sixth-best in the American League. The Angels, picked by many to win the AL West, finished one game out of the playoffs. A former big league pitcher, he said in the statement that after a lengthy conversation with Eppler and team president John Carpino this past weekend, “We mutually agreed this might be a good time for a change.”
Baylor, 66, who won AL most valuable player honors with the Angels in 1979, joined the team as hitting coach in 2014. The team finished 12th in the AL in runs this past season, and Baylor struggled to recover from the broken leg he suffered while catching a ceremonial first pitch before the 2014 season opener.
No replacements were named in the release, but assistant hitting coach Dave Hansen is expected to be a candidate for the lead job.
“Don’s career with the Angels is one that has embodied commit ment, dedication and leadership,” Eppler said of Baylor, who has served as either a manager or hitting coach for the past 23 seasons. “From his MVP season, subsequent induction into the Angels Hall of Fame and eventual return as hitting coach, Don will always remain synonymous with Angels baseball.”
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The Kansas City Royals traded away three top prospects to acquire Johnny Cueto for the playoffs, even though his winning pedigree has been established almost entirely in the regular season.
He’ll have an opportunity to change that Wednesday night. The right-hander, who is 0-2 with a 5.52 earned-run average in four postseason starts, will take the mound for Kansas City in Game 5 of the American League division series against the Houston Astros. The Astros will counter with Collin McHugh, who threw a gem in winning the series opener. In Game 2 of the series, Cueto gave up four runs, seven hits and three walks in six innings as he got no decision in a 5-4 victory that evened the series.
The Texas Rangers have won their last 11 games started by Cole Hamels. They needed each of those victories to get this far, and their season will be over without another one Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Game 5 of this AL division series.
Hamels, the 2008 World Series most valuable player, will be pitching in a winner-take-all game for the first time when he goes against Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman in a rematch of Game 2 of the ALDS. The Rangers won 6-4 in 14 innings Friday when both starters pitched seven innings and departed with the score 4-4.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has undergone surgery to address core muscle injuries and is expected to be OK for spring training. The surgery was done in Philadelphia to fix injuries on Cano’s left and right sides. Recovery time is expected to be six weeks.
Dave Dombrowski, the new Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations, said that the team is committed to playing Hanley Ramirez at first base next season. Dombrowski said that for next season he will be looking for a front of the rotation starter and some arms for the bullpen.