Source: Gary DiSarcina is Angels' new 3B coach

[Mark68]

Just wait until the 2nd week of April.

You mean, when the team is, like, 2-10, Scioscia gets fired and one of these guys is his replacement?

[Inside Pitch]

Yea we were perfectly fine with losing and him going 0-4.  There can't be any middle ground here, right?  I'll take passionate guys that call other guys out in the dugout any day of the week.  His approach at the plate has nothing to do with his attitude in the clubhouse.  If Edmonds was acting like a jackass, or the perception in the clubhouse wasn't he didn't give full effort he should have been called out regardless of how he was playing. 

 

 

So you liked the guy that LOOKED like he was trying over the guy that was so good he made the game look easy.   Gotcha...   My parents once bitched me out on a report card because I got all As but only got "satisfactory" grades on the effort part.   The old man nearly split his sides laughing when I finally asked.  Would you rather I be dumber and looked like I was trying harder?  

 

BTW, how often were you in the clubhouse to see what his attitude was?  Did you happen to miss that revolt in 99 where the Collins mafia basically caused a divide with the rest of the guys?   Is that what you liked about him?  Funny how Salmon, Anderson, and even Erstad, who was the official man-crush for the red asses in the clubhouse all went the other way in that debacle...  

 

Preston Gomez once compared Disar to the little league coach's kid who thinks he's an extension of the coach and doesn't know when to STFU.  He was a player, not a coach, and yet he felt the need to police people as if he was the final word on things like "effort" while his performance weighed the team down on a nightly basis.  To be honest, my dislike of the guy is a bit misplaced because it was that dullard Collins who empowered him, but, that doesn't change the fact that he was the poster boy for everything I hated about those days.    Hated him as a player -- I hope he makes a great coach, but no amount of sportswriter fluff about his "effort" will change the reality that he was a below average player who should have worried about his poor play and not whether someone else was smiling.

 

Funny how the idiocy about effort ended when he was traded to StL...Once he was freed from the scrutiny Jim Edmonds went on to become a fringe HOFer... 

Edited November 6, 2013 by Inside Pitch

[Inside Pitch]

The uptick in coaching passion and discipline was desperately needed.

That being said, the only thing I don't wish is for them to become Collins, Bowa, etc. 

But seeing that this staff has a lot of coaching experience, that hopefully won't be the case and this group of players will realize that 2014 NEEDS to be TOTALLY different from 2013.

 

Fundamentals need to be re-emphasized, because they were mediocre in 2013.

 

 

Disar will likely be a better coach than he was a player.  It's the old line about those who can, do.  Those who can't, teach...

[Stradling]

Wow IP, you truly hate the guy.  You are usually so on the mark with a guy, but this is bad.  I liked the guy, both on and off the field.  Was the great, nope, but he was a solid player.  I don't remember all of the finer points you are talking about from '99, and I don't remember Preston ever saying anything bad about Disar.  What I do know is right after the Angels won the WS, those guys, who you say all went the other way in the debacle, well those guys all called Disar to let him share that moment with them.  That tells me they all valued his impact either as a friend or as a team mate, my guess would be both.  I guess you and I will just have to disagree on this one.  I have no doubt you have reasons for your feelings and I respect the hell out of what you bring to this message board. 

[mtangelsfan]

So you liked the guy that LOOKED like he was trying over the guy that was so good he made the game look easy.   Gotcha...   My parents once bitched me out on a report card because I got all As but only got "satisfactory" grades on the effort part.   The old man nearly split his sides laughing when I finally asked.  Would you rather I be dumber and looked like I was trying harder?  

 

BTW, how often were you in the clubhouse to see what his attitude was?  Did you happen to miss that revolt in 99 where the Collins mafia basically caused a divide with the rest of the guys?   Is that what you liked about him?  Funny how Salmon, Anderson, and even Erstad, who was the official man-crush for the red asses in the clubhouse all went the other way in that debacle...  

 

Preston Gomez once compared Disar to the little league coach's kid who thinks he's an extension of the coach and doesn't know when to STFU.  He was a player, not a coach, and yet he felt the need to police people as if he was the final word on things like "effort" while his performance weighed the team down on a nightly basis.  To be honest, my dislike of the guy is a bit misplaced because it was that dullard Collins who empowered him, but, that doesn't change the fact that he was the poster boy for everything I hated about those days.    Hated him as a player -- I hope he makes a great coach, but no amount of sportswriter fluff about his "effort" will change the reality that he was a below average player who should have worried about his poor play and not whether someone else was smiling.

 

Funny how the idiocy about effort ended when he was traded to StL...Once he was freed from the scrutiny Jim Edmonds went on to become a fringe HOFer... 

Were you in the clubhouse?

[Inside Pitch]

Wow IP, you truly hate the guy.  You are usually so on the mark with a guy, but this is bad.  I liked the guy, both on and off the field.  Was the great, nope, but he was a solid player.  I don't remember all of the finer points you are talking about from '99, and I don't remember Preston ever saying anything bad about Disar.  What I do know is right after the Angels won the WS, those guys, who you say all went the other way in the debacle, well those guys all called Disar to let him share that moment with them.  That tells me they all valued his impact either as a friend or as a team mate, my guess would be both.  I guess you and I will just have to disagree on this one.  I have no doubt you have reasons for your feelings and I respect the hell out of what you bring to this message board. 

 

 

Preston was a family friend..  I grew up around the man, I got to pick his brain a lot over family gatherings.. he had a lot to say about Disar most of it very positive, but not when it comes to what happened in 99.  

 

I don't know DiSar enough to hate the man..  But I know I hated that he once famously said he would love to go an entire season without taking a walk,.  It was incredibly stupid and incredibly selfish, particularly for a guy that was always being talked up for being all about the team.   I know Steve Bisheff loved him and sang his praises on a nightly basis and as a result much of the fan base bought into it.  I also know that Chuck Finley and Mark Langston both adored the guy -- Chili Davis too. 

 

I'm sure he's a good guy.  But, he's my least favorite Angels player of his era.

 

I hope he does well in his new role.

[jshep]

Preston was a family friend..  I grew up around the man, I got to pick his brain a lot over family gatherings.. he had a lot to say about Disar most of it very positive, but not when it comes to what happened in 99.  

 

I don't know DiSar enough to hate the man..  But I know I hated that he once famously said he would love to go an entire season without taking a walk,.  It was incredibly stupid and incredibly selfish, particularly for a guy that was always being talked up for being all about the team.   I know Steve Bisheff loved him and sang his praises on a nightly basis and as a result much of the fan base bought into it.  I also know that Chuck Finley and Mark Langston both adored the guy -- Chili Davis too. 

 

I'm sure he's a good guy.  But, he's my least favorite Angels player of his era.

 

I hope he does well in his new role.

 

That honestly might be the stupidest thing I've ever heard a professional athlete say, and professional athletes aren't exactly known for their well thought out, intelligent statements.

[Inside Pitch]

Were you in the clubhouse?

 

I have a world more insight into what happened from people who actually were involved with the situation than most will ever be able to obtain.   Sorry, I can't provide a link to personal conversations, but there are enough people who post here that remember my scooping news from Preston over the years during the Bavasi era.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Inside Pitch

[Stradling]

Is it possible that quote is being taken out of context?

[Inside Pitch]

That honestly might be the stupidest thing I've ever heard a professional athlete say, and professional athletes aren't exactly known for their well thought out, intelligent statements.

 

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=521

 

 

"No one personifies this better than Angels’ shortstop Gary DiSarcina. DiSarcina went deep into April of the 1998 season before drawing his first walk, and proudly stated that it was a goal of his to not walk all season. He believed he was a better hitter when hacking away and being "aggressive". DiSarcina’s career OBP of .291 and five full seasons of .294 or lower haven’t deterred him, or moved the Angel coaching staff to dissuade him of the notion."

[Inside Pitch]

Is it possible that quote is being taken out of context?

Sadly there is no direct link to the quote..  But it happened...  

[disarcina]

DISAR back with the Halos!! Good stuff.

 

This could be part of the Scioscia succession plan.........

 

Now DiSar has been back and forth between the BoSox and Angels organization several times now.......not sure what's going on there, but I'm hoping he sticks with us for a while this time.

 

With the BoSox, primarily Pawtucket ('there once was a former Halos SS from Pawtucket..........") DiSar did everything from being the color commentator on the broadcast to being a player/coach at the end of his playing career, sort of a special assistant to the GM, he managed at Pawtucket.....

 

But he bounced back and forth several times between being minor league player development director (I think with both organizations) and then most recently (about two years ago?) left a position as special assistant to the GM for the BoSox for another player development type position with the BoSox.......his departure here coincided with DiPoto's arrival so not sure what's changed, if anything, in that regard with the Halos........

 

ANYWAY, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE DiSAR back in the fold...........

[disarcina]

ah, the "I don't want to walk once' all season quote........

 

I think DiSar did get quoted saying that but it was more in the sense of DiSar wanting to be an aggressive hitter at the plate and putting the ball in play whenever possible.

 

He said that well before Vlad played for the team so once Vlad showed up as one of the best 'bad ball' hitters in baseball, I guess all was forgotten.

 

I wouldn't hold that quote against DiSar.........

 

I am sort of more interested in figuring out why he's bounced back and forth so many times between the Halos and BoSox organizations, the first two times it was clearly career advancement opportunities and getting experience in a different facet of the game......but now, this is the third or fourth time, you've got to wonder what's going on???  Well, on the plus side, his former organization always seems to want to take him back - so that's  good sign..........but's it's been a real revolving door for him between the two organizations.........

[disarcina]

^{Inside Pitch -- all I know about DiSar was that when he was in the line-up, the Angels were a better team.......that was proven in 1995 when the Halos with DiSar had a 10 game lead in mid-August.  He went down with an injury and was out pretty much the rest of the season and during that time, the Halos plummeted out of first in the West only to fight back the last three games of the season to force a one game playoff against Seattle in a game played at the Kingdome.......that one game debacle still gives me nightmares........}

 

^{DiSar was not the best SS, he was not the best hitter, but he was a great team guy and his team was better when he was on the field providing leadership.......}

[Inside Pitch]

^{Inside Pitch -- all I know about DiSar was that when he was in the line-up, the Angels were a better team.......that was proven in 1995 when the Halos with DiSar had a 10 game lead in mid-August.  He went down with an injury and was out pretty much the rest of the season and during that time, the Halos plummeted out of first in the West only to fight back the last three games of the season to force a one game playoff against Seattle in a game played at the Kingdome.......that one game debacle still gives me nightmares........}

 

^{DiSar was not the best SS, he was not the best hitter, but he was a great team guy and his team was better when he was on the field providing leadership.......}

 

 

When Disar wasn't a total black hole offensively, the Angels were a better team.  That was proven in 1995.... the guy that replaced him when he got hurt put up Disar-like numbers and they tanked...   Personally, losing T. Phillips was a bigger blow IMO but there is no denying that was the one year he was actually a league average or better hitter..   

 

Disar was an anchor.... 

Edited November 6, 2013 by Inside Pitch

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Rumor has it that Disar has the very best windmill motion in MLB

 

I knew that he had an elite skill, else we wouldn't have hired him.

[John Smith]

MLB Jersey Numbers ‏@NumbersMLB 50m

3B Coach Gary DiSarcina (@GaryDiSarcina) will wear number 9. Last worn by Chone Figgins in ’09. #Angels pic.twitter.com/RWQA83awtw

•  

[disarcina]

DiSar previously wore number 9 when he was with the Halos......I think he also wore number 33 for a while.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

Do people really care what uniform number coaches/mangers wear?

[disarcina]

I guess so -- it's been brought up as a subject here........important stuff !!

 

base coaches stuff -- reminds me of years ago when I was a kid and went with my dad to see a Dodgers-Reds game at Dodger Stadium.

 

Ted Kluslewski (spelled completely wrong) the big former 1B slugger for the Reds (he also played for the 1961 expansion Los Angeles Angels team), was the first base coach for the Red.

 

He was huge.....his forearms popped out of his uniform......he towered over all the players -- now remember this is the Big Red Machine version of the Cincy Reds.......but I never forgot that vision of the first base coach, big Ted, towering over everyone and looking large........don't know if he did much as a 1B coach but he did look intimidating by just standing there........not sure what number he wore..........probably the same number he wore when he played for the Reds. 

[stevestevens]

Do people really care what uniform number coaches/mangers wear?

 

of course.  Now I can bust out my old Disar jersey.

[SoWhat]

Do people really care what uniform number coaches/mangers wear?

Lol I thought the same thing

[Brent Maguire]

Do people really care what uniform number coaches/mangers wear?

Especially when our own manager always wears that jacket thing and doesn't show his number off. 

[YouthofToday]

"Walks are a false stat" is the new black.

Just because a coach was a former player doesn't mean he will be a positive influence in the clubhouse.

A MLB clubhouse is basically 30 (including dudes on DL) distinct corporations looking out for what is best for them. You simply can't bench an Albert Pujols for lack of effort.

[Lou]

This is a good hire.   

DiSar was always fundamentally sound as a player, and has had good success as a coach and manager in the minors.

 

i agree