Trammel to interview for the D-Rays job

[RockSports17]

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Former Detroit Tigers manager Alan Trammell thinks he'd be a good fit to lead a young, improving team like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

"In my opinion, it's a sleeping giant," Trammell said Friday after interviewing for the opening created last month when the Devil Rays agreed to buy out the final season of Lou Piniella's contract.

Trammell, fired last week after managing the Tigers for three seasons, met with Devil Rays executives Matthew Silverman and Andrew Friedman for more than four hours.

He's the fifth candidate to receive a formal interview and the first outside the Tampa Bay organization. Trammell also interviewed this week with Los Angeles Dodgers, who are replacing Jim Tracy.

The Devil Rays have also talked to three members of Piniella's staff -- John McLaren, Billy Hatcher and Tom Foley -- as well as the club's Triple-A affiliate manager, Bill Evers.

The team has contacted New York Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi and Atlanta Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton and scheduled interviews with them, too. Ken Macha is no longer a candidate after returning to the Oakland Athletics on Friday.

Whoever is hired will inherit a promising nucleus that includes outfielders Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli and Jonny Gomes and pitchers Scott Kazmir and Seth McClung. The club's minor-league system is brimming with talent, too, led by top prospects Delmon Young and B.J. Upton.

Trammell likes the team's athleticism and was impressed with the 29-year-old Silverman and 28-year-old Friedman, who have taken on expanded roles since new principal owner Stuart Sternberg took over control of the team from Vince Naimoli last week.

"There's a lot of work to be done. They don't deny it," Trammell said, adding that the young Devil Rays executives have a plan to make the team successful and are confident it will work.

And Trammell, who was 186-300 in three seasons in Detroit, would like to be a part of it.

"They're a lot further along than the Tigers were when I took over in 2003. ... I'm not afraid to work," Trammell said. "I like working with young players."

Don't feel like arguing again, but in my opinion I just don't see it as a good idea for Trammel to go right into another manager job. He's young, he's got some experience now. It'd may be a better idea for him to just accept a position coach and work his self up again as a coach. He's a good guy and a smart baseball man. A break from managing may be a good thing for him. He tried his best with the Tigers. In the future he should get another chance at being a manager. But I just don't think it'd be the best choice for him to be a manager once again right after the Tigers. Just my .02.

[Saber]

At this point, shouldn't he seek to not manage a historically bad team?

[RockSports17]

Yah. But some people view the DRays as a very talented team. He probably thinks the Rays are just a few years away from contending. Which they are. As long as they get some better pitching.

[love_that_reefer]

WTF? They are interviewing Pendleton and Girardi who have no managing experience. Why not get the guy with actual experience? Trammell did a good job but didn't have the pitching and he team was hurt. He helped turn things around in Detroit and could be a good fit with all those young infielders on that team. Pitching is the key and the Drays have never had it. Hopefully the new owner addresses this.

[RockSports17]

Hopefully their owner dishes out the money and the new GM addresses their pitching problems.

[love_that_reefer]

I am starting the "TRADE HUFF FOR PITCHING" campaign and I am looking for volunteers to help get this passed.

[RockSports17]

Would they be able to get a decent pitcher for him? If yes, who would possibly give up that pitcher? White Sox come to my mind, but some others team may do a decent SP for Huff.

[love_that_reefer]

Huff has a low average but has good production. 92 RBI and 22 HR in '05 will help any team. Boston is a team that could use Huff's services as they stand to lose some production. Huff can play first, OF or DH in case Ortiz goes down. Arroyo could be a part of a any deal to get hitting and Arroyo would be a number two on the Drays staff but I doubt the Drays want to deal in the same division. The A's could dump Kennedy and Elerton on the Rays but that barely improves the rotation. Cubs could send Williams and Rusch for Huff. Its hard to say since we don't know what team's top priorites are.

[RockSports17]

Yah. We'll get more of a clue as to what teams are looking for after the world series ends and the offseason gets rolling. Definitely could see the scenarios you talked about happening.

[realmofotalk]

Hopefully the new owner addresses this.

Hopefully their owner dishes out the money and the new GM addresses their pitching problems.

Hopefully, the posters here can stop pretending to care about the Drays, Brewers, and other teams that have no diehard fans.

[RockSports17]

Actually, I like DRays and have a lot of respect for them. I can be a general fan of the MLB and generally care about the DRays.

[Slyder]

Management chased off the best manager on the market now because of their cheapness IMO. Trammel woudl be going into another historically bad team more so predetermined to stink. If I were him Id try and get on as a bench coach somewhere and wait and see what else opens up during the season and let someone else take the job.

[love_that_reefer]

Hopefully, the posters here can stop pretending to care about the Drays, Brewers, and other teams that have no diehard fans.

I want to see good baseball and these teams need to pick it up. I care about this game and hate to see failures year after year.