Bob Geren
Encyclopedia
Robert Peter Geren is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
and manager
. During a 5-year playing career, he played for the New York Yankees
(1988–1991) and the San Diego Padres
(1993). He managed the Oakland Athletics
from 2007 through 2011. Bob is currently the bench coach for the New York Mets
.
daytime version of Family Feud
hosted by Ray Combs
with other members of his family late in 1988. He spent the first two seasons backing up Don Slaught
. In 1990, he had his statistically best season as the starting Yankees' catcher. In 110 games, he had a .213 batting average
with 8 home run
s and 31 runs batted in. On July 1 of that year, he was the catcher when Andy Hawkins
no-hit
the Chicago White Sox
but lost 4–0, the White Sox scoring all four runs in the runs in the eighth courtesy of three Yankee errors. (With the change of the definition of a no-hitter the following year, this no-hitter would be taken off the record books.)
After spending 1992 in the minors with the Pawtucket Red Sox
, he played his final season of baseball in 1993 with the San Diego Padres, the team that originally drafted him.
director of player development Bob Schaefer
to manage in the Red Sox minor league system. He managed for them from 1995–1998 at the Rookie and Class A levels before leaving the organization over Schaefer's firing.
He next was the manager for the Oakland A's Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats
from 2000–2002. During this time he worked under A's General Manager Billy Beane
, a longtime friend and former high school baseball opponent.
During the winter, Geren managed the Tigres del Licey
in the Dominican Baseball League, winning the league championship in 2002.
Geren was eventually promoted to A's bench coach, a position he held through 2006.
, who was fired after disagreements with players and general manager
Billy Beane. In 2007, Geren led the A's to a 76–86 record and their first losing season since 1998.
In March 2009, the A's and Geren agreed to a contract extension for one year, with an additional options year. On September 11, 2010, MLB.com announced that Oakland had exercised Geren's option for 2011, assuring him another season in the green and gold.
In May 2011, Geren's managerial style came under scrutiny by Bay Area press after then-closer Brian Fuentes
criticized Geren's "unorthodox managing", handling of pitchers and "zero communication". The following day former A's closer and then-Colorado Rockie Huston Street
stated to a reporter Geren was the "least favorite person I have ever encountered in sports." Fuentes later apologized to Geren for going public with his comments, and A's owner Lew Wolff endorsed Geren as the A's manager. Geren was fired on June 9, 2011.
.
with their sons, Brett and Bobby.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. During a 5-year playing career, he played for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1988–1991) and the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(1993). He managed the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
from 2007 through 2011. Bob is currently the bench coach for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
Playing career
Geren was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round with the 24th pick of the 1979 draft. After spending ten years in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut for the New York Yankees in 1988, playing with New York through 1991. While with the Yankees, he appeared on the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
daytime version of Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
hosted by Ray Combs
Ray Combs
Raymond Neil "Ray" Combs, Jr. was an American comedian, actor, and host of the game show Family Feud on CBS and in syndication from 1988 to 1994.-Early life and career:...
with other members of his family late in 1988. He spent the first two seasons backing up Don Slaught
Don Slaught
Donald Martin Slaught is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who had a 16-year career from to...
. In 1990, he had his statistically best season as the starting Yankees' catcher. In 110 games, he had a .213 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 8 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 31 runs batted in. On July 1 of that year, he was the catcher when Andy Hawkins
Andy Hawkins
Melton Andrew "Andy" Hawkins is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.A right-handed starter, Hawkins spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres, and also played for the New York Yankees and briefly for the Oakland Athletics...
no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
but lost 4–0, the White Sox scoring all four runs in the runs in the eighth courtesy of three Yankee errors. (With the change of the definition of a no-hitter the following year, this no-hitter would be taken off the record books.)
After spending 1992 in the minors with the Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
, he played his final season of baseball in 1993 with the San Diego Padres, the team that originally drafted him.
Minor league manager
Geren was hired by then Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
director of player development Bob Schaefer
Bob Schaefer
Robert Walden Schaefer is a former interim manager, bench coach and farm system official in American Major League Baseball. He is currently the special assistant to the general manager with the Washington Nationals....
to manage in the Red Sox minor league system. He managed for them from 1995–1998 at the Rookie and Class A levels before leaving the organization over Schaefer's firing.
He next was the manager for the Oakland A's Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
from 2000–2002. During this time he worked under A's General Manager Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
, a longtime friend and former high school baseball opponent.
During the winter, Geren managed the Tigres del Licey
Tigres del Licey
Tigres del Licey is a professional baseball team founded in 1907 based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is one of the two franchises of the Capital city of the country, the oldest and one of the most successful teams in the Dominican league, having won 22 Dominican titles and 10 Caribbean...
in the Dominican Baseball League, winning the league championship in 2002.
Geren was eventually promoted to A's bench coach, a position he held through 2006.
Oakland A's manager
On November 17, 2006, Geren was promoted from his previous position as Athletics bench coach to the position of manager. He replaced Ken MachaKen Macha
Kenneth Edward Macha is a former Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During an 8-year managing career, he managed the Oakland Athletics , whom he guided to the American League's Western Division championship in both his first and final seasons with the team, and the Milwaukee Brewers...
, who was fired after disagreements with players and general manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
Billy Beane. In 2007, Geren led the A's to a 76–86 record and their first losing season since 1998.
In March 2009, the A's and Geren agreed to a contract extension for one year, with an additional options year. On September 11, 2010, MLB.com announced that Oakland had exercised Geren's option for 2011, assuring him another season in the green and gold.
In May 2011, Geren's managerial style came under scrutiny by Bay Area press after then-closer Brian Fuentes
Brian Fuentes
Brian Christopher Fuentes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics. Previously, he played for the Seattle Mariners, the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Minnesota Twins...
criticized Geren's "unorthodox managing", handling of pitchers and "zero communication". The following day former A's closer and then-Colorado Rockie Huston Street
Huston Street
Huston Lowell Street is an American baseball relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. His father is former University of Texas quarterback James Street, and his brother Juston Street is currently a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians....
stated to a reporter Geren was the "least favorite person I have ever encountered in sports." Fuentes later apologized to Geren for going public with his comments, and A's owner Lew Wolff endorsed Geren as the A's manager. Geren was fired on June 9, 2011.
New York Mets
On October 14, 2011, the Mets hired Geren to be the teams new bench coach replacing former bench coach Ken OberkfellKen Oberkfell
Kenneth Raymond Oberkfell is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman and ex-coach for the New York Mets. He played from 1977-1992 for six different teams. Oberkfell primarily played third base but was also known to play second base and both corner outfield positions...
.
Managerial record
| Team | |Regular Season | Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum.... |
2007 2007 Major League Baseball season The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1... |
162 | 76 | 86 | .469 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 Major League Baseball season The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the... |
161 | 75 | 86 | .466 | 3rd in AL West | – | – | – | ||||
| 2009 2009 Major League Baseball season The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to... |
162 | 75 | 87 | .463 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | ||||
| 2010 2010 Major League Baseball season The 2010 Major League Baseball season began Sunday, April 4, when the Boston Red Sox defeated their long-time rivals, the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park, 9–7; the regular season ended on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim... |
162 | 81 | 81 | .500 | 2nd in AL West | – | – | – | ||||
| 2011 2011 Major League Baseball season The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since , and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since... |
63 | 27 | 36 | .429 | – | – | – | |||||
| Total | 711 | 334 | 376 | .470 | 0 Division Championships | – | – | – | 0 Playoff Appearances | |||
Family
Geren and his wife, Pam, reside in the Bay Area suburb of DanvilleDanville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
with their sons, Brett and Bobby.