Rizzo had a conference call with local reporters today. Here is some of what he had to say about the decision.
"Matt's performance, first of all his presentation, his communication skills, his knowledge of the ball club, the league, the division, his presence and some of the character traits he possesses were really the difference between he and other very qualified candidates".
Williams and Rizzo go back to 1999 when Rizzo was a scouting director for Arizona and Williams was finishing up his career. Rizzo suggested that Williams wasn't a favorite going into the interview process, which included favorite and current Bench Coach Randy Knorr, Third Base Coach Trent Jewett, Padres front office official Brad Ausmus and Blue Jays Bench Coach DeMarlo Hale.
"I knew a lot of candidates, and like I said before, they were all terrific interviews and the process went great," said Rizzo.
"It was a very difficult decision, but Matt, we felt, possessed all the characteristics of a successful manager and a guy we think can take us to the next level...We had several internal candidates that were extremely good candidates, we just felt that Matt's message, the way he communicates the message and his demeanor and character was kind of the difference maker, for me."
Shockingly it seems like the coaching staff, for the most part, will stay in tact. Bench Coach Randy Knorr looks to stay put as well as Pitching Coach Steve McCatty.
"There's not going to be a whole transforming of the coaching staff," Rizzo said. "We're going to try to keep some consistency. But we're not at the point yet where we can announce what the coaching staff consists of."
Tune in to 106.7 for the official press conference tomorrow afternoon.
WF
Shades Of Red
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