While some things change, other things just stay the same.
While there have been tons of movement this offseason with the Yankees and
their coaching staff some things have just kept chugging along like it always
has. With a new manager and bench coach, among other positions, hired by the
Yankees this offseason the team needed a familiar and proven face to lead the
pitching staff, and that face (as grumpy as it always looks) belongs to
pitching coach Larry Rothschild. I don’t believe we ever did this kind of post
with Rothschild, or really any of the Yankees coaching staff aside from the
actual manager, so let’s meet him. This is Meet a Coach: The Larry Rothschild
Edition.
Lawrence Lee Rothschild was born on March 12, 1954 in
Chicago, Illinois. Rothschild attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School before heading
off to college with the Florida State Seminoles. While with the Seminoles
Rothschild was a pitcher before signing with the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur
free agent in 1975. Rothschild spent 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds,
Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs as a relief pitcher from
1975 to 1985, only reaching the Major Leagues with the Tigers. In the Minor
Leagues Rothschild compiled a 66-46 record before retiring and entering the
world of coaching an MLB team.
From 1986 to 1993 Rothschild worked as a coach with the
Cincinnati Reds, winning a World Series ring in 1990 as the team’s bullpen
coach. After taking a season off Rothschild returned back to work in 1995 as a
pitching instructor with the Atlanta Braves before joining the Florida Marlins
later in the 1995 season. Rothschild stayed with the Florida Marlins through
the 1997 season winning another World Series ring as a coach before being offered
the managerial job with the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the 1998 season.
Rothschild remained the manager of the Devil Rays until early into the 2001
season when he was fired as the result of three consecutive losing seasons and
a 4-10 start to the 2001 season. Rothschild latched on with the Florida Marlins
as a consultant for the remainder of the 2001 season before having a bit of a
homecoming in 2002 when his hometown Chicago Cubs hired Larry to be the team’s
pitching coach.
Rothschild was the Cubs pitching coach from the 2002 season through
the 2010 season and even committed to a 10th season in the Windy City
before a certain team from the Bronx came calling hoping to land the great pitching
and baseball mind.
Before the 2011 season the New York Yankees offered
Rothschild a three-year deal to become part of joe Girardi’s staff after firing
then pitching coach Dave Eiland. Obviously, Rothschild accepted and has been
the Yankees pitching coach ever since. Under Rothschild’s tenure the Yankees
pitching staff has pitched to a 4.05 ERA or under every single season.
Rothschild has been signing one-year contracts to remain with the Yankees every
year since the 2016 season and will hopefully remain with the team for years to
come as we have seen pitcher after pitcher flourish under his tutelage.
Rothschild has been a major part of and contributor to the recent success with
the likes of Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino and could potentially be a huge
part of the next wave of Yankees pitching reinforcements as well, namely Justus
Sheffield and Chance Adams.
Rothschild was a huge “get” from the Chicago Cubs before the
2011 season and has been a huge part of the organization ever since over the
past seven seasons. Here’s to another seven seasons, Larry. Thank you for
everything that you are and thank you for everything that you do.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)