Andy Baggot Weighs in On Willie Randolph

Andy Baggot, the columnist from the Wisconsin State Journal who had the foresight to tell us that it would be a "profound disappointment" if the Brewers didn't make the World Series after the Sabathia trade, is all fired up about the Brewers hire of Willie Randolph as bench coach. ...

No matter what trades are made or who the Brewers sign as free agents, the acquisition of Willie Randolph as bench coach will go down as one of their top three offseason moves. …

Yes, the former Mets manager will make that much difference because he'll directly impact at least three major concerns heading into the 2009 season: Rickie Weeks, second base and leadoff hitter. …

This is shaping up to be a God-awful offseason for the Brewers if Willie Randolph ends up being one of the club's top 3 offseason moves. ... And is that 3 major concerns, or 1 major concern, Andy? ... And how is Randolph going to solve these 3 (or 1) major concerns? ...

Randolph was an all-star second baseman (a career .980 fielder) and a regular in the leadoff spot (a career .373 on-base average) whose ability to teach the game is highly regarded. If he can get Weeks to improve his offense and defense, just think of the possibilities. …

Just because Randolph was a great player doesn't mean he can heal the sick, turn water into wine, and turn Rickie Weeks into an all-star second baseman. ... Yeah, it would be great if Rickie Weeks became Willie Randolph. But there are lots of great players who weren't able to translate that into great coaching. ...

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Hat tip to Brad on the link - I don't read the Wisconsin State Journal ...

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