Phillies move on from foursome of developmental coaches

Micucci (right) with Luis Garcia in August, image- Jay Floyd

Early on Monday, I tweeted a bit of a teaser about Phillies minor league staffing moves I had learned about from a pair of sources.  Unclear when the personnel had learned of their fates, I did not want to report the news until all parties had time to address the news in their own ways.

As has been reported by at least another outlet to this point, I am able to confirm that 2019 Class A Lakewood manager Mike Micucci will not be returning to the organization.  Additionally, base running and bunting coordinator Rob Ducey, Gulf Coast League coach Charlie Hayes and Triple-A pitching coach Steve Schrenk are also done in the Phils system.

Micucci was a north Jersey native in his youth and had been hired by the organization less than a year ago.  He worked with Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in Anaheim, which makes his termination even more surprising.

Players that saw action for the BlueClaws this year loved Micucci.  Also, from personal experience, I'd say that, genuinely, Mike could not have been more nice to me each time I encountered him at Lakewood's FirstEnergy Park this year.

Multiple people that I have spoke with feel that another "new hire" that's still under a year into his tenure, Phillies director of player development Josh Bonifay, may be looking to open positions for individuals who are more focused on analytics.

One Phillies minor leaguer who was surprised by the moves expressed concern that with many teams likely going about the same approach, there may not be enough "good analytics guys" to go around.

However, the same player expressed confidence in the current regime, stating that he knows the front office has things under control and will make the right additions.

Hayes had just completed his third season coaching in the Phillies farm system.  He previously played in the big leagues for the Phils, among other teams.  

Ducey, another former Phillies player, had been a coach in the system dating back to 2014.  Schrenk also pitched for the Phils in his playing days and coached in the organization since 2004. 

Additionally, I have heard a rumor that 2019 Clearwater skipper Marty Malloy may be on deck to fill the void left by Ducey.  This transition would leave both full-season Class A teams with vacancies in their managerial positions.