Bob Engle moves on plus news and notes
Oct 5, 2012, 1:09 PM | Updated: 1:28 pm
By Shannon Drayer
Many of you have asked what I will do during the offseason so I thought I would take a minute to let you know what to expect from me this fall and winter. Yes, I will take some time off, but that doesn’t mean there will not be blog posts. I just so happen to be off right now. How am I doing with that, by the way?
I plan on taking the next couple of weeks off but will not completely unplug for any extended period of time, so there will be posts. I will continue to cover the team and its moves throughout the fall and winter as well as Huskies basketball. We don’t have a start date for the “Hot Stove League Show” yet but I will pass that on to you when I know more. I am also tentatively planning to take a trip to the Arizona Fall League so plan on getting to know some of the prospects better this fall as well.
Offseason? What offseason. The Mariners will make moves. They already have.
Yesterday they announced that hitting coach Chris Chambliss will not return next year. Chambliss was a tireless worker who had a good relationship with his hitters. A tough move to see, but we have seen it so many times throughout baseball. When a team doesn’t hit, the hitting coach is the first to go. Will a new voice make an impact? We shall see.
Today came the news that Bob Engle, the Mariners’ vice president of international operations, is leaving the organization. Engle is regarded to be one of, if not the best, in the business by many in baseball and this is a big loss. We also learn via Ben Badler from Baseball America that Patrick Guerrero, the team’s Latin American coordinator, has been fired. Two very significant losses to the international department to add to huge changes in the past year between the new signing rules under the CBA and changes coming with the Mariners academy in the Dominican Republic.
How about a little good Mariners news? Mariners Care has once again raised over $1 million this year for a number of charity programs throughout the Northwest. Along with corporate partners, Mariners Care has supported over 1,500 local organizations including Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Seattle Children’s and Make-A-Wish. Along with the dollars, numerous hours have been put in by the players making visits to a number of hospitals and organizations throughout the season. Always good to see the guys do some good.
In other news and notes, the playoffs get underway this afternoon and we have got you covered on 710 ESPN. The weekend broadcast schedule can be found here. Please note, as the online rights for all teams are held by MLBAM, we cannot stream any of the games on 710Sports.com.
