Milwaukee Brewers announce Ron Roenicke as new manager
The Milwaukee Brewers have found their new manager. The club announced Thursday morning that Ron Roenicke will lead the team in 2011. Roenicke signed a two-year contract with a club option for the 2013 season.
"Ron brings to the Brewers the skill set needed to maintain high standards of professional excellence and success," said general manager Doug Melvin. "I am extremely confident that he will develop an organizational culture that fosters teamwork. Ron projects
self-confidence, authority and enthusiasm, which will inspire performance."
Roenicke has been the bench coach for the Los Angeles Angels since 2006. This will be his first opportunity to manage a team, although he does have four games under his belt as acting manager for the Angels. In 2006 a brawl between The Angels and the Texas
Rangers resulted in a four-game suspension for manager, Mike Scioscia. Roenicke went 4-0 in those games.
He also has 775 games of experience managing in the Minors for the Dodgers and Giants. In that time he earned a record of 404-371.
Many former colleagues have said very positive things about Roenicke which made the decision easier for the Brewers.
“Believe me, you're getting a really bright baseball person, and one of the most honest people I've met in my life,” said Tampa Bay’s manager Joe Maddon. “That's a real good thing when talking to Major League players. He's going to talk to those guys straight-up.”
The Brewers at first were more interested in someone who already had managerial experience, but Roenicke’s interviews went so well that they ended up passing on Bob Melvin and Bobby Valentine in favour of Roenicke.
He’ll be put to the test right away as he tries right the ship in Milwaukee. In 2008 the team earned a berth in the postseason as the National League’s Wild Card team, but in the two seasons since then the team has failed to play .500 baseball.
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