Jamie Quirk is off to Chicago, where he will be new manager Dale Sveum's bench coach.
Quirk:
"It was too good to turn down. I wanted to get back to the bench and get more involved. They've got new ownership and a new general manager and they're kind of like the Astros are, lot of changes going on and it's kind of exciting to see what's going to happen."
This larger story has another quote from Quirk, mainly about how he wanted to have responsibilities between the hours of 7pm and 10pm:
"Pretty much, once the game started I was out of it."
What does this mean for the Astros? Well, they need a bench coach, and to hear Jamie Quirk tell it, it's more of a planning job than anything else. Yet, as in most things, the longer the GM search takes, the longer it takes Mills' situation to get resolved, the longer it takes to find a new bullpen coach.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Jamie Quirk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jamie Quirk. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Everyone will come back in 2012!
Everybody on the Astros' coaching staff will return in 2012, according to Ed Wade - even if he doesn't.
Wade:
"We think they’ve done a really solid job when you take into consideration that we have so many different developing players on this team."
The only one who hasn't accepted is pitching coach Doug Brocail, who needs to check with his wife:
“Right now, I just have to sit down with Mama (his wife) and the kids. Everybody knows I love the job and big league jobs don’t come every day, but I told her I’d sit down with her and we’d figure out something that’s hopefully compatible and go from there.”
Thoughts?
Wade:
"We think they’ve done a really solid job when you take into consideration that we have so many different developing players on this team."
The only one who hasn't accepted is pitching coach Doug Brocail, who needs to check with his wife:
“Right now, I just have to sit down with Mama (his wife) and the kids. Everybody knows I love the job and big league jobs don’t come every day, but I told her I’d sit down with her and we’d figure out something that’s hopefully compatible and go from there.”
Thoughts?
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Even Dierker can't explain Martinez
Larry Dierker spent some time thinking about J.D. Martinez:
Watching him, I can't explain it. Martinez has an odd stutter step in his swing. And he takes it when the pitcher starts his delivery -- too soon. What's more, he holds his hands too far from his right shoulder, which elongates his swing. He shouldn't be able to hit like that. But I guess nobody told him.
Still, haters gon hate:
There is just one thing that's bothered me. As a former pitcher, I wondered why Martinez is playing in the outfield. He'll never be better than average out there.
Jamie Quirk said Martinez is not playing the infield because the Astros are concerned about his knee, and Dierker seems to like the idea of Martinez taking over the 3B spot from Paredes/Johnson, with Paredes moving to the outfield, thanks to his speed. What do you think?
Watching him, I can't explain it. Martinez has an odd stutter step in his swing. And he takes it when the pitcher starts his delivery -- too soon. What's more, he holds his hands too far from his right shoulder, which elongates his swing. He shouldn't be able to hit like that. But I guess nobody told him.
Still, haters gon hate:
There is just one thing that's bothered me. As a former pitcher, I wondered why Martinez is playing in the outfield. He'll never be better than average out there.
Jamie Quirk said Martinez is not playing the infield because the Astros are concerned about his knee, and Dierker seems to like the idea of Martinez taking over the 3B spot from Paredes/Johnson, with Paredes moving to the outfield, thanks to his speed. What do you think?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Everyone loves Jason Castro!
Last year? Don't worry about last year. So says everyone concerned about Jason Castro.
Jamie Quirk:
"There's a reason he's a No. 1 pick. He's got the great mental makeup and really picked things up well. We expect him to get better and better."
Ed Wade:
"He has to figure out the strength and weaknesses of the staff he's catching. You put all that stuff on a guy's plate at the same time, and his own personal statistics become somewhat secondary."
Mike Barnett:
"He's a much better hitter than what he showed last year. He had a lot to be accountable for. His mind is relaxed. He knows what he needs to do mechanically. It's just a matter of time. He's got the intangibles. He knows the strike zone. He doesn't swing at a lot of bad pitches. Now it's just a matter of smoothing him out."
Do the numbers agree with Barnett? Well, sort of, yeah.
FanGraphs says Castro swung at 27.4% of pitches outside the strike zone. Chris Johnson took a hack at 43.1% of pitches outside the zone, and Humberto Quintero came in at 44.2%. The only everyday players with lower O-Swing% were Keppinger (20.8%), Berkman (21.2%) and Bourn (23.8%). It's not like the Astros have much of a choice besides giving Castro a season-long look, anyway.
Jamie Quirk:
"There's a reason he's a No. 1 pick. He's got the great mental makeup and really picked things up well. We expect him to get better and better."
Ed Wade:
"He has to figure out the strength and weaknesses of the staff he's catching. You put all that stuff on a guy's plate at the same time, and his own personal statistics become somewhat secondary."
Mike Barnett:
"He's a much better hitter than what he showed last year. He had a lot to be accountable for. His mind is relaxed. He knows what he needs to do mechanically. It's just a matter of time. He's got the intangibles. He knows the strike zone. He doesn't swing at a lot of bad pitches. Now it's just a matter of smoothing him out."
Do the numbers agree with Barnett? Well, sort of, yeah.
FanGraphs says Castro swung at 27.4% of pitches outside the strike zone. Chris Johnson took a hack at 43.1% of pitches outside the zone, and Humberto Quintero came in at 44.2%. The only everyday players with lower O-Swing% were Keppinger (20.8%), Berkman (21.2%) and Bourn (23.8%). It's not like the Astros have much of a choice besides giving Castro a season-long look, anyway.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Astros extend Mills, other coaches
The Astros have extended the contracts of Brad Mills, Brad Arnsberg, Dave Clark, Bobby Meacham, Al Pedrique, and Jamie Quirk to a two-year extension.
Wade:
"We are extremely pleased with the jobs that all of our coaches have done this year. Brad Mills has set a great tone and the coaches have worked hand-in-hand with Millsie to make sure that the structure works, that the players are well-prepared and that we are taking advantage of every opportunity to get better. They all are true professionals."
Perhaps you noticed one prominent name missing: that of hitting coach Jeff Bagwell. What about it, Wade?
"When Jeff accepted the hitting coach's job during the season, he did so with an understanding that we would both have a chance to reassess the situation at season's end. We have clearly stated to Baggy that we want him to continue in the job and he wants to make sure that his family is on board before committing."
We couldn't be happier about this.
Wade:
"We are extremely pleased with the jobs that all of our coaches have done this year. Brad Mills has set a great tone and the coaches have worked hand-in-hand with Millsie to make sure that the structure works, that the players are well-prepared and that we are taking advantage of every opportunity to get better. They all are true professionals."
Perhaps you noticed one prominent name missing: that of hitting coach Jeff Bagwell. What about it, Wade?
"When Jeff accepted the hitting coach's job during the season, he did so with an understanding that we would both have a chance to reassess the situation at season's end. We have clearly stated to Baggy that we want him to continue in the job and he wants to make sure that his family is on board before committing."
We couldn't be happier about this.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Okay. Now the staff has been finalized
The Astros have hired Jamie Quirk as the bullpen coach. Alyson Footer notes that he spent 2009 as a scout for the Reds, and 2003-2008 as the Rockies' bench coach.
525 of Quirk's 741 career starts in the field were at catcher as he spent parts of 18 seasons with the Royals, Cardinals, White Sox, Indians, Yankees, A's, and Orioles.
Wade:
"Jamie has a wealth of experience and comes highly recommended...He had a long playing career and spent 15 seasons as a Major League coach. He’s another solid addition to our staff."
Brad Mills:
"I'm excited to add such an experienced and knowledgeable coach like Jamie. He'll bring a lot to our club. Overall, I feel we have an outstanding big league coaching staff."
525 of Quirk's 741 career starts in the field were at catcher as he spent parts of 18 seasons with the Royals, Cardinals, White Sox, Indians, Yankees, A's, and Orioles.
Wade:
"Jamie has a wealth of experience and comes highly recommended...He had a long playing career and spent 15 seasons as a Major League coach. He’s another solid addition to our staff."
Brad Mills:
"I'm excited to add such an experienced and knowledgeable coach like Jamie. He'll bring a lot to our club. Overall, I feel we have an outstanding big league coaching staff."
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