Brooklyn State of Mind: New Bench Coach Expected To Bolster X Generation Development (2054.8)

[lordtoffee]

Oftentimes the new faces that an organization brings in aren't always players, and as we've seen before, staff signings can often help to add an extra couple of wins that can prove critical over the course of a long season. The Robins certainly made a ton of moves with a very aggressive offseason that ended up being ranked first in the Atlantic by WAR added, second in WAR added in the Johnson as a whole only behind Calgary's impressive free agency, and 5th in the BBA as a whole behind Calgary, Chicago, Sacramento, and Long Beach. But as I'm sure that all 4 other executives would tell you, coaches can develop players, and the Robins handpicked one coach in particular to be the bench coach, and his brief has been well-defined.

Nathan Ford was hired in the offseason as the bench coach for the Robins, and he was hired for a very specific reason. Ford's career in the minors at all levels has been defined by having good records, getting his teams to the playoffs, and strong reputation for developing players. Sure, one can argue that the minors isn't about winning. Though I can hear the outrage from a Dennys in the Phoenix area about how all the minor league championships that the Talons have won, player development is just as critical as winning is. Ford has done that at the Rookie, A, AA, and AAA levels. He's finished a season above .500 at every level, made the playoffs at the A, AA, and AAA levels. In giving Ford a chance to work at the BBA level, the Robins are betting that his track record will go to assist young phenom Emilio Morales Jr. in particular. All of the offensive acquisitions have been designed to protect Morales Jr. in the lineup, and Ford will be able to coach him up in addition to the Robins manager.


The Robins offseason has been designed around both improving the team now, and to take pressure off the X Generation. I wouldn't expect any more moves to be made by the Robins, as they have been busy scouting who to use the number 1 draft pick, as the Robins need to determine if they want to take the best player available, or focus on a position of need.