Organizational mainstay Evers looking for a job

The bench coach is let go; a decision on Jim Hickey awaits.

By EDUARDO A. ENCINA
Published October 3, 2007

Bill Evers, the only Rays coach let go so far, says he felt hurt when told he would not be returning next year.
	[Bill Serne | Times]

ST. PETERSBURG - Rays manager Joe Maddon has a good idea what he wants out of a bench coach, and no matter how well-respected Bill Evers is as a baseball man, he simply wasn't it.

The Rays made changes to their coaching staff Tuesday, most notably not renewing the contract of Evers, the team's bench coach the past two seasons. The team retained four others: third-base coach Tom Foley, hitting coach Steve Henderson, first-base coach George Hendrick and bullpen coach Bobby Ramos.

The Rays have not decided whether to keep pitching coach Jim Hickey, who was charged with DUI, hit-and-run with damage and resisting arrest Sunday night, hours after the Rays returned from their season finale in Toronto.

Evers, an Eckerd College grad who has worn the organization's uniform longer than anyone, was hired Oct.16, 1995. He spent his first 30 years in baseball at the minor-league level and was a well-liked manager in the Rays' system since the franchise's inception. He managed Triple-A Durham for eight seasons, including Governor's Cup championships in 2002 and 2003.

"It hurts deeply," Evers, 53, said. "I gave them those years, saw all those kids grow up, saw the whole organization grow up. They're definitely headed in the right direction. I just wish I could be part of it."

But Maddon's boisterous managing style didn't mesh well with the low-key, no-nonsense Evers. Evers said Maddon told him in a meeting Monday that he wasn't "filling the needs" for the manager and that there wasn't "any bond" between the two.

"Primarily the biggest thing I told him was that I just didn't believe he and I connected well enough," Maddon said. "And that's my fault. I'm not blaming him at all. Having said that, more than anything we're just looking for somebody I feel probably more comfortable bouncing stuff off of."

Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said the organization was "kicking around" the idea of making one of the returning coaches the bench coach, with Foley the likely choice if they go that route. The Rays are offering Evers a scouting job, although he said he prefers to stay on the field and will explore options with other teams.

"We agreed it was never about a lack of professionalism or work ethic or dedication to the organization," Friedman said. "It was much more about the manager and bench coach relationship and dynamic."

Before coming to the Rays two years ago, Maddon was bench coach for the Angels for nearly a decade. He said he ideally wants someone who can do things such as organizing the daily schedule, carrying his message to players and being "very up front and candid and tell me when I'm wrong."

"It's a tough part of business for sure," Friedman said, "but with the four who are coming back, we feel there is a lot of continuity in that and we've obviously been talking about that for the past two years, how important that continuity is."

As for Hickey, Friedman said the team will "continue to monitor the situation and continue to gather information." A message left on Hickey's cell phone was not returned.

"When we feel we have appropriate information, then we'll have a further statement," Friedman said.

[Last modified October 2, 2007, 23:02:01]