San Diego Surf Dawgs

Email this article

Vyuz catches up with Dawg and former Padre, Terry Kennedy

By David Moye

May 22, 2006

San Diego--This week is a big one for San Diego Surf Dawgs Coach Terry Kennedy.

Spring training starts on Monday, May 22, and Kennedy has ten days to whip the Dawgs into shape for their second season in the Golden Baseball League, which is also beginning its second season.

Adding to the pressure is that the Dawgs will be defending their first league title. They led the 8-team league wire-to-wire during the regular season and capped it all off by winning the inaugural 2005 GBL Championship.

Between 1978 and 1991, Kennedy was one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, hitting 113 homers, 628 runs batted in, with a .264 lifetime average.

In fact, baseball stats guru Bill James ranks Kennedy as the 52^nd best catcher in the game’s history.

Now, as a coach for independent minor league ball, he doesn’t have the quality of players on his team that he had a major leaguer.

But he still enjoys the game. It just takes some adjustments to work with what he has.

“There’s less speed in this game but some power. Some guys have good power. I’d say of all the five tools, the big difference is that these players have a limited range of defense.”

Still, he adds, “I’m just trying to get the guys to make the plays they CAN. I’ve stressed fundamentals. A guy who catches the routine ball is valuable to me.”

Meanwhile, on the pitching side, Kennedy says the players in the GBL aren’t going to have 100 mph fast balls or “they’re short with the fast ball.”

“My job is to get them to throw strikes – and not walk anybody. The team with the fewest walks usually wins.”

On the offensive side, the ability to attract walks is a valuable tool, one that has become more appreciated as fan interest in stats like on-base percentage increases. Still, even though Kennedy teaches his everyday players to look for the best pitch possible, he admits walks will never have the popularity of other offensive skills.

“At night, [Tony Gwynn Stadium] is definitely a pitchers park – especially in June and July,” Kennedy says. “The ball carries better when it’s warmer and there are some good shots when the sun is out during batting practice.”

Kennedy has played for some of baseball’s greatest managers, including Whitey Herzog, Bobby Cox and former Padres manager Dick Williams, and says he’s learned from all of them.

Even Williams, who once wrote that Kennedy “didn’t have a mental or physical problem, but an equipment problem. He needed a diaper. He would whine when he didn’t feel he was getting enough attention and cry when he felt he got too much.”

Still, Kennedy feels his own style of managing young players comes from Cox, who he says earns respect from his player “by how he treats them.”

Kennedy is also pleased at how San Diego has treated the Surf Dawgs.

“Last year, we had loyal fans who were at every game throughout the season. It amazed me.”

Kennedy knows that San Diego sports fans have the reputation of being “fair weather fans” but he says managing the Surf Dawgs taught him a valuable lesson.

“Baseball history is deep here. [San Diegans] love it as much as other fans – as long as the players are playing hard.”

For more information on the Surf Dawgs, visit www.sdsurfdawgs.com.

--------------------