"Another came on Halloween, the day Blake Butera became the Washington Nationals' choice despite being just 33 years old. But the biggest stunner of all, according to several coaches and executives queried by ESPN, followed six days later, when former relief pitcher Craig Stammen -- barely two years into retirement and hardly even mentioned as a potential manager previously -- landed baseball's top on-field job with the San Diego Padres."
"In Stammen, Vitello and Kurt Suzuki, another recent retiree who signed a one-year contract to lead the Los Angeles Angels last month, Major League Baseball suddenly had three managers without any professional coaching experience. Five managers in total -- including Craig Albernaz, the highly regarded former bench coach hired by the Baltimore Orioles -- will be rookies next year. And Warren Schaeffer, who had the interim tag removed by the Colorado Rockies on Monday, is a 40-year-old"
Late October and early November brought surprising managerial moves: Tony Vitello emerged as a Giants candidate on Oct. 18; Blake Butera became the Nationals' manager on Oct. 31 at 33. Six days later, former reliever Craig Stammen, barely two years into retirement and not previously linked to managing, was hired by the San Diego Padres. Stammen, Vitello and Kurt Suzuki accepted major-league managerial roles without professional coaching experience, creating an unusual cohort of first-time managers. Five new managers will be rookies next season, including Craig Albernaz in Baltimore and Warren Schaeffer, who managed 122 major-league games last season.
Read at ESPN.com
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