This weekend, I had the opportunity to talk to Texas Rangers’ third base coach Tony Beasley and ask him a few questions.
Beasley was drafted in the 19th round by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1989 MLB draft.
Beasley’s playing career was as a minor league player. He played nine seasons in the minors with affiliates of the Orioles and the Pirates. Beasley earned three different All-Star selections in the minors among different leagues.
Between 2001 and 2003, Beasley was a manager in the minors. Then, he was a bench coach in the majors, until 2006, when he was the third base coach for the Nationals in 2006. In 2007, he was the Pirates’ minor league infield coordinator. From 2008 to 2010, he was the third base coach for the Pirates.
Following the Pirates, Beasley spent time as the manager for the Nationals Double-A team, Triple-A team, and then as the co-field coordinator for the Nationals minor league system.
Since then, Beasley has been the third-base coach for the Texas Rangers. In Beasley’s tenure with the Rangers, they have had two ALDS appearances. They lost both series’ to their rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays.
Here is the interview with Texas Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley
Q: Why do you prefer (and many coaches) prefer to be at the major league level at a lower position rather than at the minor league level at a high position? Do all coaches prefer this?
A: Most coaches prefer the major league over the minors due to two things. Change to get a major league pension via service time and also the exposure at that level will give you an upper hand in landing a major league manager job.
Q: Is the goal for you to eventually be the manager of a major league team?
A: My goal is to be the best at my job, no matter what position! If the manager position presents itself, then I welcome it!
Q: Baseball has made more attempts to modernize the game in recent years. How does baseball achieve the balance of modernization while keeping the history of the sport?
A: I balance the new age analytics game with traditional by not forgetting my experiences through the years. But you also need to take the advanced technology and use it where it fits. Information is not new to the game … it’s just more of it! Sometimes too much information is not productive if it is overstated. Baseball is a simple game, instinctual players always respond between the lines.
Q: How do players and coaches buy into the process of making it to the majors when most don’t?
A: By only playing in the minors, I thought it’d be difficult to earn a major league position. Usually, you have to be connected to someone in that scenario. Fortunately, I had success as a minor league manager and got an interview which got me hired. It’s a tough process, but it happens way more so now than when I started. There are major league coaches now that hardly played period at any level! Players are driven to succeed, even against the odds. Athletes have a high opinion of themselves and therefore they believe they’d be a part of that small percentage that makes it.
Q: What does a typical day look like? What do you do in preparation for a game?
A: My typical day involves throwing batting practice, I’m also in charge of the outfielders so I give them early work. So I have more responsibility than just third base. I always study opponents’ strengths and weaknesses prior to each series. Before each game, I’ll review opposing teams’ outfield arms and pitcher/catcher tendencies to refresh. Pray and go have fun.
Bonus Q: Is it frustrating when your team is losing because you can only do so much as a third base coach?
Bonus A: I never like losing, but I just take it one day at a time and control the controllables, live with the results!