For Laker, managing was a natural

Mahoning Valley’s new skipper has been involved with baseball the majority of his life.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

NILES — The question kept popping into Tim Laker’s head around the time he turned 30.

A baseball lifer, Laker had spent the previous 12 years working his way up through the minors and, occasionally, working his way back down. He was never going to be an All-Star. He was a catcher, a defensive specialist, the type of guy teams kept around to give their starting catcher a break.

As such, he wasn’t making the type of money that would allow him to spend the next 50 years on a yacht, sipping champagne.

“I’d played baseball my whole life,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine life without it.”

So, when he thought about the question —“What am I going to do after baseball?” — he came up with an easy answer: stay in baseball.

As a catcher, he had straddled both worlds: pitching and hitting. As a marginal player, he learned how to work the angles, how to get the most out of his ability, how to maximize his usefulness.

He had a lot of wisdom to share. Managing seemed like a good fit.

“I played 18, 19 years of baseball,” said Laker, who retired following the 2006 season at age 36. “I was afraid of getting a real job.”

Background

Laker was 17 when he was first drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 49th round of the 1987 amateur draft. He opted not to sign and the Montreal Expos picked him the sixth round of the next year’s draft. He made it to the majors in 1992, batting .217 in 28 games for the Expos.

Over the next 14 years, he bounced around the bigs, playing for the Expos, Orioles, Devil Rays, Pirates and, finally, the Indians. After appearing in just four games last season, Laker retired.

Rouglas Odor, meanwhile, had spent the past two years as the manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He was promoted to the Lake County Captains in the offseason, creating an opening.

Laker grabbed it.

“I’m excited to be here,” he said on Monday. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Laker spent the spring working as a roving instructor for the Indians at their spring training facilities in Winter Haven, Fla.

He flew in last weekend, met the team and did his best to learn everyone’s name before the Scrappers’ first game Wednesday in Jamestown.

Laker actually started his career in Jamestown in the Expos organization (the Jammers are now affiliated with the Marlins) and he wants to run his team the same way the Expos did.

“The Expos had a really good minor league system,” said Laker.

“They had a great mold, with good coaching and good character guys.”

Wants to help players

Laker’s experience as a catcher should help him as a manager. He knows how to handle pitchers, he knows baseball strategy and he knows how to hit, although defense was more his specialty.

“One of the most important things a manager can do is learn how to handle a pitching staff and a bullpen,” said Laker. “As a catcher, I’ve had my hand in both parts of the game.”

The experience has worked for others in the organization: Cleveland’s most recent two managers, Joel Skinner and Eric Wedge, were both catchers.

But unlike those two, Laker won’t be as worried about wins and losses. His primary role is to help his players move on to the next level.

If he does that well, he’ll soon do the same.

“Obviously, I’d like to win, but the most important thing is to teach the guys fundamentals,” said Laker.

“I want to teach them to play the right way and also to be winners.”

scalzo@vindy.com