| Bob Schaefer | |
|---|---|
_-_Memphis_Chicks_-_1987.jpg) Schaefer in 1987 | |
| Coach /Manager | |
| Born: (1944-05-22)May 22, 1944 (age 81) Putnam, Connecticut, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games managed | 18 |
| Managerial record | 6–12 |
| Winning percentage | .333 |
| Teams | |
| As manager As coach | |
Robert Walden Schaefer (born May 22, 1944) is an Americanbaseball executive andcoach. He is currently the special assistant to thegeneral manager for theWashington Nationals ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).
Schaefer attended theUniversity of Connecticut, graduating in 1966. He was a member of the UConnCollege World Series team in 1965, when he was the team captain and theNCAAhome run champion.
In 1965, Schaefer playedcollegiate summer baseball for theSagamore Clouters of theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), leading Sagamore to the league title under field managerLou Lamoriello. He returned to manage the CCBL'sBourne Canalmen in 1971 and 1972, andHyannis Mets in 1978 and 1979, winning league titles in both years with Hyannis. Schaefer was inducted into theCCBL Hall of Fame in 2007.[1]
He was drafted as ashortstop by theSt. Louis Cardinals in 1966, but never reached the major leagues in three seasons with the organization. He progressed as far asModesto in the High ACalifornia 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.
Twice, Schaefer has served as the interim pilot of theKansas City Royals. In 1991, he was interim manager during the period between managersJohn Wathan andHal McRae. In 2005, he succeededTony 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 theminor leagues, where he won numerous awards. He was twice named Manager of the Year (in 1980 and 1981) at Class AGreensboro, then a part of theNew York Yankees organization. He also managed theNew York Mets' Class AAA team inTidewater to anInternational League championship in 1985.
He first joined the Royals organization in 1987, managing the Class AAMemphis 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 theBoston 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 hiredBob Geren as a manager in the Boston farm system; a decade later, when Geren was named the 2007 manager of theOakland 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 withgeneral managerDan 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 theBaltimore 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 assignmentscout with theAtlanta Braves. He was bench coach for theOakland 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 managerDon Mattingly, saying that he thought Mattingly should pick a younger coach who could continue for a number of years.[2]
His career record as an MLB manager is 6–12 (.333), including his 5–12 mark during his 2005 tenure.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| KC | 1991 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 6th inAL West | – | – | – | – |
| KC | 2005 | 5 | 12 | .294 | 5th inAL Central | – | – | – | – |
| Preceded by | Los Angeles Dodgers Bench Coach 2008–2010 | Succeeded by |