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Tony Beasley
Part of the joy Tony Beasley experienced this season was congratulating Alfonso Soriano. |
WASHINGTON--The season began with Tony Beasley's decision to send a runner who was called out at home. It may end with Beasley out of a job.
In between, there's little the Bowling Green native would change about his first year in the major leagues--except, of course, for the Washington Nationals' 91 losses.
"I've obviously enjoyed myself this year," Beasley said last week, relaxing in RFK Stadium's home dugout before the Nationals' final series of the season. "It was my first opportunity to see the game at the major-league level and experience a lot of things. In many ways, it's been a learning experience for me."
Beasley's in baseball limbo at the moment--still under contract for the rest of the month, but waiting for the other shoe to fall. He served as third base coach for a manager (Frank Robinson) who wasn't retained, and the Nationals' next skipper is likely to want to bring in his own staff.
If so, Beasley will start looking for a new job. He's sure to land somewhere--possibly even back in the big leagues. But it may not be quite as enticing as getting your first taste of "the show" barely 80 minutes from your driveway.
"I'd love to be back," he said. "This is the home team. It's not just a job; I put my heart and should into this team. Everyone at home roots for this team; when something happens, they always call me. Even though this is a new organization, I couldn't ask for a better place to coach baseball."
After an unremarkable career as a minor-league player, Beasley made a name for himself as a manager in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, leading his modestly talented farm teams to the playoffs in each of his five seasons.
That caught the attention of the powerful New York Yankees, who hired him last winter as a roving minor-league instructor--until the Nationals offered him his current job. General manager Jim Bowden labeled the 39-year-old Beasley "a rising star."
Nationals fans may have had a different name for Beasley after Washington's opening-day loss to the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. Trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, Beasley waved Alfonso Soriano home on a double by rookie Ryan Zimmerman. Umpire Tim Tschida called Soriano out, although replays showed Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca dropped the ball (and Tschida later admitted he missed the call).
That's a tough big-league debut, but Beasley said it didn't cause him to lose aggressiveness or confidence.
"I probably should have been more aware of the score and the number of outs," he said. " I got caught up thinking we'd score when the ball was hit, rather than reading the play. It was something I'm better off for. I'm glad it happened. In hindsight, I always try to critique myself. I want to be the best at whatever I do. Right now, I want to be the best third-base coach.
"I didn't really get bashed. Frank was very understanding. We may talk about situations; he gives his input and listens to my input. But he's never dropped the hammer and said I should or shouldn't have done that."
Besides watching the exploits of Zimmerman and Soriano, Beasley said that one of the memories he'll treasure from the season was getting to know Robinson, one of baseball's legends and a man old enough to be his father.
"I've gotten a chance to know Frank and spend some quality time with him--to get to know him as a person, to develop a relationship that goes beyond baseball," Beasley said. "He's always thinking, trying to get the best out of his players.
"I'm very respectful that he's given me an opportunity and kind of groomed me. He didn't make me feel intimidated, which he easily could of done. For a guy of his stature to do that, I'll never forget."
Beasley was Robinson's on-field conduit, flashing signals to batters and base-runners. His other major responsibility was positioning infielders defensively.
He stayed with his aunt, Doris Chestnut, who lives a few miles from RFK, during most homestands, but did get to sleep in his own bed a couple of nights per week. He got to see more of his wife, Stacy, and son, 11-year-old Anthony Jr., during the season than ever before.
That could change next year if he's in Milwaukee or Texas or San Francisco--or back in the minors. His good relationship with Bowden could keep him in D.C., but coaching baseball is a vagabond lifestyle.
He'll stay busy with speaking engagements until his fate is determined. His goal is to be a major-league manager someday, and sometimes you have to take a step backward to move forward. Beasley, a deeply religious man, ties his future with his faith.
But now that he's had a taste of the big leagues, his profile is a lot higher than it was a year ago.
"I think one of my key assets is my versatility. I'm responsible for a lot of things. I think it will help me being versatile and multifaceted," he said. "This year obviously had to help, with people getting to know who you are."
To reach STEVE DeSHAZO:
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
