Flying The Coop
Redbirds replace Spencer; become first PCL team to switch skippers this season.

Jonathan Roybal
MinorLeagueNews.com

06.11.03 - Memphis TN-- Concerned with a team that has developed into a cellar dweller, St. Louis Cardinals Director of Player Development Bruce Manno felt it was time to make a move.

Usually that move means someone gets the ax, and usually that someone is the skipper.

The Memphis Redbirds have typically never precipitated such a move. It has been over a century since the Redbirds have made a managerial change midseason.

In this case, the bottom line - victories- proved to be of greater consequence than history, as former Redbirds player Danny Sheaffer was named as the new Memphis Redbirds manager yesterday, replacing Tom Spencer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Based on what our club has done here, we felt there was a need to make a change in leadership," Manno said.

Redbirds Director of Communications, John Lambert, agreed it was time for a change. He cited "basically our 22-41 record," as the motive for the change.

"Our victory last night marked the first time all season we have won three games in a row, so that's an indication of how bad it's been," Lambert admitted.

Sheaffer, 41, has managed in the St. Louis system for the last two years. This season, he was serving as the Cardinals' minor league catching instructor after guiding the Peoria Chiefs to the Class-A Midwest League title in 2002.

 

 

 

New Redbirds Skipper Danny Sheaffer
Courtesy: Memphis Redbirds

 

"This is something that I look forward to taking on and hopefully having some success here in Memphis," Sheaffer said. "I think that the direction that Bruce and St. Louis have taken to change some of the players in the clubhouse to give us a chance to win is an indication of how important it is to put a good ballclub in Memphis."

Although Spencer is only in his first year with the Cardinals farm system [see MLN article Spencer For Hire], the Redbirds were in last place of the PCL's East Division, 14 games back with a 22-41 record at the time of the switch.

Spencer was reassigned within the organization, and will now serve as the Cardinals' minor league outfield and baserunning instructor.

"These are tough decisions, and I will say that certainly Tom Spencer is a good baseball man," Manno said. "I'm thrilled that we're able to keep him in the organization and have him in a capacity that's he's very good at - as a teacher."

John Lambert believes that Manno's decision to replace Spencer had to do with the club's youth.

"We've always had a more experienced team here," Lambert stated. "This is the first year in a long time we have had a overwhelming amount of young position players."

"Bruce Manno really wants to give these kids a chance to win. I think he was worried about how the losses would affect their confidence," the Redbirds spokesman said.

Sheaffer brings plenty of experience and a great understanding of the game that this young team will benefit from being around.

A veteran of almost 400 major league games with the Red Sox, Indians, Rockies and Cardinals, Sheaffer spent his final season as a professional in Memphis with the Redbirds during their inaugural 1998 season.

Primarily a catcher, Sheaffer also played all three outfield positions as well as first, second and third base during his big-league career. He becomes the first former Memphis player to return to manage in Memphis during the city's modern era of professional baseball which began in 1968.

The 20th selection overall in the first round of the 1981 draft by the Boston Red Sox out of Clemson, Sheaffer began his major league career when he was briefly called up by Boston in 1987. After playing in the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Colorado systems, he spent three years as a Cardinal from 1995-1997. After his season with Memphis in 1998, Sheaffer retired as a player during the Cubs' spring training camp in 1999.

He began his managerial career in the Chicago Cubs organization with Class-A Eugene of the Northwest League in 1999. Sheaffer's career record is 201-231 (.466 winning percentage).

Current pitching coach Dyar Miller and hitting coach Tommy Gregg will maintain their positions with the Redbirds.

 

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