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Front office assistant who played for 7 teams is ready for challenge
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Saturday, Nov 07, 2009
The Indians didn't have to look far to hire a pitching coach. Tim Belcher has been working for the team the past eight years as special assistant to baseball operations. In that role, he has done advance scouting, instructed pitchers in spring training and filled in as pitching coach at several minor-league levels.
As of Friday, he replaces Carl Willis as the Tribe's pitching coach. Willis, along with the rest of the coaching staff and manager Eric Wedge, was fired last month.
Apparently, the key factor in getting Belcher on board was making sure he wanted to undertake a full-time job that took him away from his family (in Columbus) for seven months a year.
''Tim is a guy we've known for quite awhile, and he's made an impact,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ''We've always been hopeful that he would consider a full-time position on the field. That is also something other clubs have talked to him about.''
Belcher, 48, decided the timing was right.
''I view this as a good opportunity and a challenge,'' he said. ''I've had others in the recent past that I passed on for personal reasons. But I've always wanted to do this, and there's never going to be a more convenient time, because it's only 11/2 hours down the road [to home].''
Shapiro and new manager Manny Acta are collaborating on hiring a coaching staff. But unlike his boss, Acta did not know Belcher personally until recently.
''I just knew [of] Tim as a player,'' Acta said. ''I met him when I came to Cleveland. But I talked to many people who know him. One of his ex-teammates told me he's too smart to be a pitching coach, that he should be on a higher level looking down on the rest of us.''
Belcher doesn't plan on working miracles, nor are miracles necessary, even in turning around a pitching staff that posted an ERA above 5.00.
''I'm not a guru,'' Belcher said. ''I think one thing people make a mistake about is giving coaches at all levels too much credit for success and way too much blame for failure. It's the players who have to be successful. Coaches are facilitators. That's not as sexy as being a guru, but I never claimed to be one of those. I think that's more of a media thing or maybe some coaches [who think they are].''
Belcher was born in Sparta, Ohio, and began his 14-year major-league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987. He posted a career record of 146-140 with a 4.16 ERA with seven teams, including the Reds, White Sox, Tigers, Mariners, Royals and Angels. He won 10 or more games nine times and reached 15 wins twice.
He was named the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year in the National League in 1988 and posted a sub-3.00 ERA in his first three seasons.
''I think Tim's biggest project will be to prepare our guys to attack the hitters,'' Acta said.
Westbrook closer
Jake Westbrook continues to prep in Goodyear, Ariz., for his spring training comeback.
If he has no more setbacks in his throwing program, Westbrook will make a few outings in the Puerto Rican winter league, probably starting late this month. Westbrook is recovering from elbow reconstruction surgery in 2008.
New hire
The Indians Friday named veteran scout Ramon Pena as director of Latin American operations.
Pena has 28 years of scouting experience on his resume, 21 with the Detroit Tigers, the past three with the New York Mets as special assistant to the general manager. Among the big-league players he has signed are Francisco Cordero, Fernando Rodney, Jair Jurrjens, Frank Catalanotto and Omar Infante.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
The Indians didn't have to look far to hire a pitching coach. Tim Belcher has been working for the team the past eight years as special assistant to baseball operations. In that role, he has done advance scouting, instructed pitchers in spring training and filled in as pitching coach at several minor-league levels.
As of Friday, he replaces Carl Willis as the Tribe's pitching coach. Willis, along with the rest of the coaching staff and manager Eric Wedge, was fired last month.
Apparently, the key factor in getting Belcher on board was making sure he wanted to undertake a full-time job that took him away from his family (in Columbus) for seven months a year.
''Tim is a guy we've known for quite awhile, and he's made an impact,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ''We've always been hopeful that he would consider a full-time position on the field. That is also something other clubs have talked to him about.''
Belcher, 48, decided the timing was right.
''I view this as a good opportunity and a challenge,'' he said. ''I've had others in the recent past that I passed on for personal reasons. But I've always wanted to do this, and there's never going to be a more convenient time, because it's only 11/2 hours down the road [to home].''
Shapiro and new manager Manny Acta are collaborating on hiring a coaching staff. But unlike his boss, Acta did not know Belcher personally until recently.
''I just knew [of] Tim as a player,'' Acta said. ''I met him when I came to Cleveland. But I talked to many people who know him. One of his ex-teammates told me he's too smart to be a pitching coach, that he should be on a higher level looking down on the rest of us.''
Belcher doesn't plan on working miracles, nor are miracles necessary, even in turning around a pitching staff that posted an ERA above 5.00.
''I'm not a guru,'' Belcher said. ''I think one thing people make a mistake about is giving coaches at all levels too much credit for success and way too much blame for failure. It's the players who have to be successful. Coaches are facilitators. That's not as sexy as being a guru, but I never claimed to be one of those. I think that's more of a media thing or maybe some coaches [who think they are].''
Belcher was born in Sparta, Ohio, and began his 14-year major-league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987. He posted a career record of 146-140 with a 4.16 ERA with seven teams, including the Reds, White Sox, Tigers, Mariners, Royals and Angels. He won 10 or more games nine times and reached 15 wins twice.
He was named the Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year in the National League in 1988 and posted a sub-3.00 ERA in his first three seasons.
''I think Tim's biggest project will be to prepare our guys to attack the hitters,'' Acta said.
Westbrook closer
Jake Westbrook continues to prep in Goodyear, Ariz., for his spring training comeback.
If he has no more setbacks in his throwing program, Westbrook will make a few outings in the Puerto Rican winter league, probably starting late this month. Westbrook is recovering from elbow reconstruction surgery in 2008.
New hire
The Indians Friday named veteran scout Ramon Pena as director of Latin American operations.
Pena has 28 years of scouting experience on his resume, 21 with the Detroit Tigers, the past three with the New York Mets as special assistant to the general manager. Among the big-league players he has signed are Francisco Cordero, Fernando Rodney, Jair Jurrjens, Frank Catalanotto and Omar Infante.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
Comments
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Naples, FL
Posted 08:21 AM, 11/07/2009
Seems like a solid choice. Tim knows the organization and the players and he's not just a retread. Seems many pitching coaches just move from one MLB job to another.
akron, oh
Posted 11:55 AM, 11/07/2009
Good choice!
