Goldeyes hire manager out of left field

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This article was published 01/11/2023 (725 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes will be led by a new manager for the second season in a row.

Former major leaguer Logan Watkins was named the fifth skipper in franchise history on Wednesday. He replaces Greg Tagert, who lasted one season in Winnipeg, leading the Fish to a dismal 43-57 record and last-place finish in the West Division.

“We thought it was something that needed a change after last season,” Goldeyes general manager Andrew Collier told the Free Press Wednesday. “At the end of the season, actually, another team asked us for permission to speak with Greg and we granted it so we looked in another direction.”

It’s certainly a change in gears, as the club goes from 61-year-old Tagert, one of the most experienced managers in independent baseball, to 34-year-old, unproven Watkins.

A product of Wichita, Kan., Watkins spent parts of the last three seasons in the East Division of the American Association as manager of the Cleburne Railroaders, where he compiled a 130-132 record and made the playoffs in both of his full seasons at the helm.

As a player, Watkins debuted for the Chicago Cubs in 2013 and went on to play 53 games for the club — even cranking out a home run off former all-star pitcher Justin Masterson in St. Louis — over the next two seasons.

He enjoyed an 11-year playing career between the majors, minor leagues, American Association and Mexican League before retiring after the 2019 season. Watkins broke into the coaching ranks in April 2021 as a hitting coach with the Railroaders, where he earned his first managing gig just two months later after Mike Jeffcoat announced his retirement.

“I kind of got kicked out of the nest,” Watkins said by phone from his home in Wichita. “They asked if I would take over and obviously I was a little hesitant about it just because I had never managed, let alone coached — it was my first year coaching.

“But I felt like I had a pretty good pulse of the clubhouse, I was close with a lot of the guys, I felt like they’d play for me. Getting a job managing in the American Association isn’t something that just happens, you got to be in the right place at the right time and fortunately for me, I was.”

Cleburne’s new ownership cleaned house after the 2023 campaign.

Watkins’ phone was quiet until former Railroaders owner John Junker reached out to Goldeyes owner Sam Katz and sang the praises of the young skipper. It took a few phone calls for Katz and Watkins to hash out what a partnership might look like but the two agreed last week Watkins would become the next manager of the Goldeyes.

“I knew, obviously, that Winnipeg is a great franchise with a lot of success in this league — great fans, great stadium, great experience — the only negative I have to say about Winnipeg is it was such a long bus trip from Cleburne, Texas to get there,” he said.

“I knew it was a job that definitely interested me and thankfully the interest was mutual with Sam and we got on the same page.”

Watkins’ managing experience, or lack thereof, could raise some questions. A lengthy resume has never been a driving factor in the hiring of a Goldeyes manager, though.

Perhaps some will remember the last time the Goldeyes gave a young coach a crack at managing the ball club: A 35-year-old Rick Forney went on to lead the club to 887 regular-season wins, 10 playoff berths and three championships over 17 seasons.

Despite his short track record, Watkins is confident that he’s suited for the job and believes his age will bode well for him as he tries to get players to buy into his philosophy.

“This will be my 15th year in professional baseball, so yeah, I’m young, but I’ve got a lot of experience,” Watkins said. “I’ve played at every single level from rookie ball all the way up to the big leagues, I made a lot of connections… the younger side is pretty advantageous as far as relating to players and understanding the things the modern-day baseball player is going through mentally and just the way the climate of professional baseball is now so I understand where they’re coming from.

“But then, also, I have started to gain quite a bit of experience coaching since 2021.”

Collier echoed Watkins’ sentiments, adding the new skipper should be able to get the most out of his players, being just four years removed from his playing days.

“I can’t speak for Sam, but I think it’s the combination of a couple of years managing but also a couple of years playing at the highest level — being around MLB players every day for almost two full seasons — having that experience and knowing what it takes to get to that next level, he’ll be able to communicate that to the players.

“He was the minor league player of the year in the Cubs’ system so they should listen to what he has to say. He certainly has the experience.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

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