Bob Schaefer
Encyclopedia
Robert Walden Schaefer is a former interim manager, bench coach
and farm system official in American Major League Baseball
. He is currently the special assistant to the general manager
with the Washington Nationals
.
, graduating in 1966. He was a member of the UConn College World Series
team in 1965, when he was the team captain and the NCAA home run
champion. He was drafted as a shortstop
by the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1966, but never reached the major leagues in three seasons with the organization. He progressed as far as Modesto
in the High A California League
. Schaefer batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
In 2005, Schaefer received the Distinguished Alumni Award from UConn, primarily for his achievements on that College World Series team.
. In 1991, he was interim manager during the period between managers John Wathan
and Hal McRae
. In 2005, he succeeded Tony Peña
on May 11 and served through May 30. On May 31, 2005, Buddy Bell
took the reins as permanent manager and Schaefer returned to the bench coach position. Schaefer's position with the Royals was terminated at the end of the 2005 season, the worst in Royals history.
He began his managerial career in the minor leagues
, where he won numerous awards. He was twice named Manager of the Year (in 1980 and 1981) at Class A Greensboro
, then a part of the New York Yankees
organization. He also managed the New York Mets
' Class AAA team in Tidewater
to an International League
championship in 1985.
He first joined the Royals organization in 1987, managing the Class AA Memphis Chicks
. His first major-league job was as the Royals' first base coach
from 1988 to 1990, then he was the Royals' bench coach in 1991. He worked as a special assignment scout with the Royals in 1992.
Schaefer then moved on to the Boston Red Sox
organization, serving as a special assignment scout and later the director of player development from 1994 to the midseason of 1998. During that time, he hired Bob Geren
as a manager in the Boston farm system; a decade later, when Geren was named the 2007 manager of the Oakland Athletics
, he brought Schaefer to Oakland as bench coach on his staff.
Although Schaefer received positive notices for his work as the Red Sox' player development chief, he clashed with general manager
Dan Duquette
and was fired during the summer of 1998; several minor league managers and coaches, including Geren, departed the organization with Schaefer, who spent the next three years as a special assistant to the general manager of the Baltimore Orioles
before returning to the Royals in 2001 as a bench coach and infielders coach.
After his 2005 departure from Kansas City, he spent 2006 as a special assignment scout with the Atlanta Braves
. He was bench coach for the Oakland Athletics
in 2007, and was named to the same role for the Dodgers and its new manager, Joe Torre
, for the 2008 season, a role he held through 2010. After Torre's retirement, Schaefer announced he would not return on the staff of incoming manager Don Mattingly
, saying that he thought Mattingly should pick a younger coach who could continue for a number of years.
His career record as an MLB manager is 6–12 (.333), including his 5–12 mark during his 2005 tenure.
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and farm system official in American Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He is currently the special assistant to the general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
Playing career
Schaefer attended the University of ConnecticutUniversity of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, graduating in 1966. He was a member of the UConn College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
team in 1965, when he was the team captain and the NCAA home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
champion. He was drafted as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 1966, but never reached the major leagues in three seasons with the organization. He progressed as far as Modesto
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
in the High A California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. Schaefer batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
In 2005, Schaefer received the Distinguished Alumni Award from UConn, primarily for his achievements on that College World Series team.
Coaching and managing career
Twice, Schaefer has served as the interim pilot of the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. In 1991, he was interim manager during the period between managers John Wathan
John Wathan
John David Wathan is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager for the Kansas City Royals. He was considered one of the rare catchers with speed, having 105 stolen bases during his career...
and Hal McRae
Hal McRae
Harold Abraham McRae is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals . Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRae batted and threw right-handed...
. In 2005, he succeeded Tony Peña
Tony Peña
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He...
on May 11 and served through May 30. On May 31, 2005, Buddy Bell
Buddy Bell
David Gus "Buddy" Bell is a former third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. After an 18-year career with four teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers, he managed the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals for three seasons each...
took the reins as permanent manager and Schaefer returned to the bench coach position. Schaefer's position with the Royals was terminated at the end of the 2005 season, the worst in Royals history.
He began his managerial career in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, where he won numerous awards. He was twice named Manager of the Year (in 1980 and 1981) at Class A Greensboro
Greensboro Grasshoppers
The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a minor league baseball team in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA...
, then a part of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
organization. He also managed the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' Class AAA team in Tidewater
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
to an International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
championship in 1985.
He first joined the Royals organization in 1987, managing the Class AA Memphis Chicks
Memphis Chicks
The Memphis Chicks were an American minor league baseball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Chicks were charter members of the Southern Association from 1901 until November 18, 1960, when the club folded and was transferred to Macon, Georgia for 1961.The Chicks suffered a...
. His first major-league job was as the Royals' first base coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
from 1988 to 1990, then he was the Royals' bench coach in 1991. He worked as a special assignment scout with the Royals in 1992.
Schaefer then moved on to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization, serving as a special assignment scout and later the director of player development from 1994 to the midseason of 1998. During that time, he hired Bob Geren
Bob Geren
Robert Peter Geren is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager. During a 5-year playing career, he played for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres . He managed the Oakland Athletics from 2007 through 2011...
as a manager in the Boston farm system; a decade later, when Geren was named the 2007 manager of the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, he brought Schaefer to Oakland as bench coach on his staff.
Although Schaefer received positive notices for his work as the Red Sox' player development chief, he clashed with general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Dan Duquette
Dan Duquette
Daniel F. Duquette is the Executive Vice-President of Baseball Operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the General Manager of the Montreal Expos from September through January and for the Boston Red Sox from through March...
and was fired during the summer of 1998; several minor league managers and coaches, including Geren, departed the organization with Schaefer, who spent the next three years as a special assistant to the general manager of the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
before returning to the Royals in 2001 as a bench coach and infielders coach.
After his 2005 departure from Kansas City, he spent 2006 as a special assignment scout with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. He was bench coach for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in 2007, and was named to the same role for the Dodgers and its new manager, Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
, for the 2008 season, a role he held through 2010. After Torre's retirement, Schaefer announced he would not return on the staff of incoming manager Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly
Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, saying that he thought Mattingly should pick a younger coach who could continue for a number of years.
His career record as an MLB manager is 6–12 (.333), including his 5–12 mark during his 2005 tenure.
Managerial records
| Team | |Regular Season | KC 1991 Kansas City Royals season The 1991 Kansas City Royals season involved the Royals finishing 6th in the American League West with a record of 82 wins and 80 losses.-Offseason:* October 4, 1990: Chris Codiroli was released by the Royals.... |
1991 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 6th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KC 2005 Kansas City Royals season The 2005 Kansas City Royals season involved the Royals finishing 5th in the American League Central with a record of 56 wins and 106 losses. The Royals had a very disappointing losing streak of 19 games that started from July 28 to August 19.-Offseason:... |
2005 | 5 | 12 | .294 | 5th in AL Central | – | – | – | – |