Eric Young Sr. played for seven major league teams between the 1992 and 2006 seasons while playing for several well-respected coaches. He has since coached under several other coaches. He spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, although his tenure may be over. With Ron Washington no longer at the helm of Anaheim due to health reasons, it’s unclear who will be on newly named head coach Kurt Suzuki’s staff. Now 58 and with more than three decades of experience in the game — his resume includes a career as a broadcast analyst — Young faces an uncertain future.
When I sat down with him this summer, I thought about his future as much as his past. Young has the necessary experience and communication skills to lead a major league team of his own, so I’m interested in what he’s learned from the coaches he’s played for and worked with over the years. Here is our conversation, lightly edited for clarity.
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David Laurila: You have played for a number of managers. What do the best of them have in common?
Eric Young Sr.: “From my perspective, they are leaders. They are also calm leaders, especially in difficult times. I have been able to observe that every manager has different, special characteristics. You have quiet managers and you have managers who are more dynamic. I can go into detail about each of my managers and tell you a little bit about what stands out about them and what people can relate to.”
Laurilla: Tell me a little about Tommy Lasorda.
young gentleman: “LaSorda was a dynamic guy who kept the media away from his players. I remember him always allowing his players to come into the game. In the later innings, he was really a strategic manager. He always looked out for his players. He had their backs. If he had something to spew about you, he might call you into his office, but he never did that in the paper. I can appreciate that in my years as a player and now as a coach. He was good with the media, and he loved it.”
Laurilla: Coaches today have more media responsibilities than they did in Lasorda’s day.
young gentleman: “Yeah. It’s a big difference. There’s a lot going on in the game now. That includes analysis – ‘this guy should probably come on’, might be recommended to you – that’s the job a manager has to do. You’re also dealing with the personalities of this young generation. So, you have to be a manager who’s very patient with the process. You also have to understand the process.”
Laurilla: Among the players you played for, who is most similar to today’s analytical head coaches?
young gentleman: “It’s a hard question to answer because I have such strong leaders. I have Lasorda. I have Don Baylor. I have Ned Yost, who won a World Series with Kansas City. I have Bruce Bochy, who is a four-time champion. I have Buck Showalter, a very good leader. These guys are strong guys, and it’s going to be an adjustment, a tough adjustment, because they’re baseball people.”
Laurilla: What about David Johnson?
young gentleman: “He really worked on the numbers. He was very good at games, including that game in 1986 [New York Mets] winning team [the World Series]. So, he might be the one. And then he spent the end of his career in Washington, and I think analytics played a big role in what they did. But that’s not up front. More is done behind closed doors. “
Laurilla: If you were to get a job managing a major league team, what role would analytics play?
young gentleman: “They’re going to play a big role. Analytics are part of the game. You can get information that puts players in the best position on a given day. You’re going to get strong recommendations of, ‘This guy can be better against this pitcher,’ or ‘This pitcher can be better against this lineup or this left-handed hitter.’ That information can be leveraged by the coaching staff — and should be leveraged. When a situation comes up and you have to make a decision in a game, you need to make that decision with all the facts. Some of them are [data]. Some may be something else. “
Laurilla: As a manager, who is your favorite mentor?
young gentleman: “It’s hard to say. In addition to the players I’ve played for, I coached for Kirk Gibson. I coached for Walt Weiss. I coached for Brian Snitker — he was a World Series champion — and now I’m coaching for Ron Washington. I can learn something from each of them. I wouldn’t say any one of them was more dominant than the other.”
Laurilla: They all have qualities you admire…
young gentleman: “Yeah. Like I said, I’m really impressed with the way Tommy protects the media from the players, especially when something happens on the pitch that could turn into something big and maybe even affect the players mentally. I like the way he handles it and the way he handles the players overall. He’s a joy to be around.
“I like the strategic research that Buck Showalter shows. He’s definitely a manager who can handle analytics and numbers. Like I said, he’s a strong guy, but he’s very good at that part of the game.
“I like Don Baylor’s calmness. He can take players who are upset because he knows how to deal with players. He knows how to rile players up based on their personality. Don Baylor has a big personality. He’s also the kind of coach who’s going to give you a chance. If you tell him you can do something, he’s going to give you the chance. But you better do it.”
Laurilla: Is it harder for managers today to be shrewd and demanding than it was 20 to 30 years ago?
young gentleman: “Not necessarily. You just have to know what’s going on. You have to know your players and their different personalities. You have to be able to adapt and adjust, but you also have to make sure they recognize who you are and what you stand for. Watching some of the coaches I’ve been around, they stand by their principles. Ron Washington stands by his principles and does the right things and plays the game the right way.”
Laurilla: Of the other head coaches you’ve played for and coached, who is Washington most similar to?
young gentleman: “Wash was more like… it was a great pick. He was good at strategy, especially taking the team to the World Series twice. He was really involved in the game, he believed in the players and allowed them to compete.
“Bruce Bochy was calm and just let you play. One thing I remember about Bochy is he was always ahead of the game. When the situation came up, he was ready. I remember that because I was more of a backup to him on the bench. He was great with the reserve guys and gave them a chance to play and kept everyone fresh. He believed in that, too.”
Laurilla: Are Washington and Showalter similar?
young gentleman: “I would say they’re different. Wash is more engaged with his players. Wash is engaged with everybody. Young, old, doesn’t matter. It’s not that Buck doesn’t engage with the players; it’s just that Wash is more engaged.
“One thing about all these guys is they can communicate very well. They know when to have fun, they know when to have fun. [need to] Get serious. They know when to attack others. They are strong-willed and strong leaders. Leadership is the key to management in this game. “
Laurilla: Have you interviewed for any management positions?
young gentleman: “Only one time. That was a few years ago in Houston. Hopefully there will be some openings and hopefully there will be an opportunity for me to interview. I feel like I could do well.”
