Matt Walbeck: Free Agent Coach
By Blake VandeBunte • Sep 29th, 2008 • Category: Matt WalbeckMatt Walbeck will not be back with the Texas Rangers in 2009. Walbeck had been the third base coach for the Rangers in 2008. This isn’t a big deal to most people, but Walbeck has long been rumored to be on the Tigers radar as a possible managerial candidate.
Walbeck, a former Tigers catcher, has been a manager in the Tigers system before. He coached the Lo-A West Michigan Whitecaps to the Midwest League title back in 2004. In 2007 he was promoted to take over as manager in Erie where he was named Minor League manager of the year by Baseball America. Walbeck was lured away from the Tigers after the 2007 when a Major League opening popped up in Texas.
Walbeck seems like he would be an ideal candidate to be the new bullpen coach with the Tigers. Jim Leyland’s contract only runs through next season, so taking a job with the Tigers could put Walbeck on the fast track in finding a manager’s job.
I don’t know if the Tigers are even looking at Walbeck, but the organization clearly thinks highly of him and I have to believe they’ll at least consider him.
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Good call. This looks like an excellent opportunity to bring a coach back that the Tigers apparently thought highly of. His rise through the organization was meteoric, until he ran into a wall either with the Triple-A job or a position on Leyland’s staff.
Agreed. I’m guessing he thought he’d have a better shot at getting a manager job in Texas than he would in Detroit. Considering Leyland may only have one more season in him, coming back to Detroit could be a good career move for Walbeck.