The Milwaukee Brewers‘ search for their next manager should be as far reaching as possible. Of course, this search is coming in the wake of Craig Counsell signing a five-year $40 million contract to manage the Chicago Cubs, leaving the only team he has ever managed and worked for in any non-player role. While there are certainly going to be internal candidates considered, namely Pat Murphy and Rickie Weeks, there will also be a plethora of external candidates interviewed.
Don Mattingly is a name that has been thrown around by many, and it makes sense. He has managerial experience with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins. He is currently the bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Gabe Kapler, a former Brewers outfielder, is another name that fans in particular have been suggesting on social media. He has managerial experience with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants, including a 107-win season in his first year with the latter and a NL Manager of the Year Award.
Joe Espada is a hot name being suggested for multiple managerial openings, but he most likely will get the job with the Houston Astros, with whom he has served as bench coach.
The Milwaukee Brewers Should Consider Looking at Kevin Seitzer as Their Next Manager
While there are a number of quality candidates out there that could be good hires for the Brewers, one name that they should consider taking a hard look at is that of their own former All-Star infielder, Kevin Seitzer.
Seitzer is currently the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves, who had the best offense in Major League baseball last season. When one thinks about why the Brewers have failed to advance in the postseason every year since 2018, it has been because of the offense. Perhaps hiring a hitting guru like Seitzer is the kind of move they need to make, at least on the coaching end, to help put them in a better position to compete in the postseason.
And it’s not like Seitzer is some kind of one-hit wonder, either. He has been a hitting coach on the Major League level since 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Braves.
During his time with the Royals, they were always above the league average in OPS. In his final year there, 2011, they ranked sixth in MLB with a team OPS of .744. The next season, after his contract was not renewed, they plummeted to 15th with a team OPS of .716.
With the Braves, Seitzer has helped develop star hitters such as Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and now-Brewers catcher William Contreras. This past season, the Braves had the highest OPS in all baseball (.845) and saw multiple players have All-Star seasons, including former Brewers short stop Orlando Arcia.
Kevin Seitzer Played for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1990s
Brewers fans that stuck with the team through their dark days in the 1990s may remember that Seitzer played for Milwaukee from 1992 and again from 1993-1996. He started the 1993 season with Oakland, but was released and subsequently returned to Milwaukee.
In five seasons with Milwaukee, Seitzer hit .300/.376/.422 with his best year coming in 1995. That year, he was an American League All-Star at third base, hitting .311/.395/.421.
The Brewers traded him in 1996 in the middle of the best season of his career (hitting .326/.416/.466) to Cleveland for Jeromy Burnitz.
For his career, which spanned 12 Major League seasons, he hit .295/.375/.404 with 74 home runs and 613 RBI.
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