Lopes will not return to Phillies
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Lopes will not return to Phillies
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
There were hints late in the season that Davey Lopes' future with the Phillies was in doubt. In September, Lopes said he was undecided whether he'd return despite an open invitation from the team. Manager Charlie Manuel said Lopes and Ruben Amaro Jr. had differences they needed to discuss.
On Monday, those differences resulted in Lopes informing the team he will not return as first-base coach for the 2011 season. The two sides could not agree on a salary.
"I feel this is a different situation than most situations," Lopes said by phone. "I'm not saying the money they offered was not good. Everybody will say, 'It's a money thing. It's a money thing.' That played into it. But there's a certain time in your career where you're pigeon-holed and I don't feel as though I should be. It should be based on your value to the club. It has nothing to do with if I'm a first-base coach or third-base coach. What is my value to the club?"
Lopes declined to say how far apart the club and he were on a salary. He said he was not looking for pitching or hitting coach money.
Many would argue Lopes' value is immeasurable. Since taking over in 2007 and being handed the reins to the Phillies' running game, the team has successfully stolen bases on 84.3 percent of their attempts, by far the best mark in the majors during that span.
Lopes said, as far as he knows, he is the only first-base coach in the majors who has complete control of a team's running game. On most clubs, the manager makes those decisions. But with the Phillies, Lopes made the call when or when not to steal. Sometimes, Lopes said, Manuel would issue hit-and-runs, but that was his only involvement.
But in baseball, first-base coach is one of the lowest positions on the totem pole. Lopes said he felt he was different than other first-base coaches and wanted to be compensated thusly. The Phillies decided against it.
"But again, that's a matter of philosophy," Lopes said. "And that's fine. I just felt it was time to make a stand. Sometimes you have to do things you don't necessarily want to do. That's what I did. Will it cost me? Will someone offer me a deal? I don't know. If they do, great. If they don't, fine. I've been blessed for all these years."
Comment removed.
Maybe someone should have told him to tell Victorino to steal in game 6 against Lincecum...
Hey Brio did you mean worth? Must have been a Freudian slip :)- Really? All this love for Dodger Davey Lopes? The Phils will be fine. Everyone said the sky was gonna fall last time one of their esteemed assistants left, too. Lopes seems like a class guy and I hope someone pays him what he wants, but that's baseball. Phillies will be back with a vengeance in '11.— KDH
- cmon Rube. Just pay the man. makes us look like the pirates. we cant afford to kick davy an extra 100 G's. asinine.— eglftbl1
- Davey did a terrific job and he will be missed. Good luck to you in the future, DL.— peteinmich
- @Chaz-taz>>>Bill James is an idiot. His opinions are worthless in terms of real baseball. If you played it all on a computer the world series would come down to the James vs. Billy Beane. But baseball is played on the field. Davey Lopes will sorely be missed.— Eilex826
- This is too bad. I've always admired Lopes, both as a player and as a coach. I think think Phils will miss him. Lopes gave the runners enough of an advantage to make a difference. It will be interesting to see what the base-stealing percentage will be next year, compared to the Lopes years.— Stoshie
- Davey Lopes was as good as it gets.
When the runners were at first, he imparted enough information to them , knowing their abilities, to steal second . He's a good teacher, and a quality guy.— phineas - With Davey's speed he could be BOTH 1st and 3rd base coach so he gets a 50% raise and the club saves $!— JBP
Bill Giles type move.— georgel- Ruben Jr. is a rube and a loser!— meltinlarrybok
- With the money saved from letting Lopes go they obviously have enough now to go out and sign Cliff Lee this off season, right?
- What's the differnece in price betwen a 3rd base coach and 1st? Says he wasn't asking pitching/hitting coach money, so I think it would be pertinent for the reporter to let us know what coaches get paid for reference.
btw, thanks Davey for being a class guy and agreat teacher for the Phils the last few years, I think you'll be missed. - What a joke. The upper tier of 1st base coach pay is around $450K. The highest paid pitching coach in the majors makes $750K. Are you telling me that Amaro and Lopes were probably only $100-150K apart - and let let Lopes walk? I think Lopes has gone far beyond proving his value to this team - you stink Amaro; your overinflated ego needs a serious comeuppance.— CTL
