Phil Nevin’s twisting road to becoming a Triple A manager
Phil Nevin was never an easy going guy in Major League Baseball. He was known to give his managers a hard time and he didn’t deny it either. For many it does seem ironic for a guy to go down a path his victims went down when they dealt with him. Phil is
now the Detroit Tigers’ triple A side, Toledo Mud Hens’ Manager and for a man who was one of the biggest prospects in history has now turned to a path which many had not seen coming over the recent years.
The Houston Astros signed the player after they picked him up in the first overall draft in 1992. He was a golden spikes winner and toppled the College World Series by becoming the Most Outstanding Player. He was picked over Derek Jeter who had been backed
by Hall of Famer Hal Newhouser. The hitter made a start for the Houston team but made his way to the Tigers, two months later.
Nevin finally became an everyday Major League player when he ended up at San Diego. The star batter was instrumental during the later years and was considered a late bloomer. By his retirement in 2007 he had played 1217 games and batted in 743 runs while
smashing out 208 homers.
Nevin talked about himself, recently, by saying, "I've kind of seen all angles from the position-player side. was a first overall pick, top prospect, came into the big leagues and I had some struggles, ended up being a utility player, was sent back down,
learned how to catch, came back up and I got another opportunity to play and had some good years as a player. Had a chance to go to the All – Star Game and go to the playoffs, and then I went back into kind of a utility role.
His credentials make him a formidable baseball figure. His role as a manager will be intriguing to look at. He further said, "I played for a heck of a lot of managers I have great respect for; never try to pattern yourself after anybody, but you take little
bits and pieces from all of them. For me, whether it was Sparky Anderson, Bruce Bochy or Buddy Bell, they're all special to me. I take little pieces from them, the relationships they built with the players and the trust. Just when they walked into a room,
it was something I'll never forget."
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