The P-D is reporting that the Seattle Mariners are taking a long look at Cardinals third base coach and 1980s superhero Jose Oquendo to fill their vacancy at manager.
Oquendo is reportedly one of seven candidates the Mariners are considering. The Cardinals did give the OK for Seattle to interview Oquendo.
Oquendo, 45, has never managed in the Majors, and has served on TLR's staff for over a decade. He does however have brief experience as a manager - coaching team Puerto Rico in the World-Made-Up-Classic in 2006. He'll find out soon if he'll serve the same role this spring.
Losing the secret weapon would totally suck. The second coolest thing (besides Yadi's pick-offs) about Cardinals baseball is watching the freight train that is Albert Pujols blow by a horrified Jose Oquendo's stop sign only to beat the throw by a step or two at home (and on occassion be out by 10 feet).
In the non-Albert category, though, Jose has excelled in relaying runners to home or stopping them at third. You simply don't see third base coaches have decade-long shelf lives on one team very often, and the success with which TLR's small ball strategies would not have been as successful without the Secret Weapon at third.
Dude has been a Cardinal for life (except his first two years with the New York Mess), and it would be odd to see him put on another uni after all this time. I'd love to see Jose find success as a manager, but I'd prefer he wait a couple years until our roost needs occupying.
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