Morrow's Musings
- By Jeff Morrow
509-582-1507
Posted Sept. 14, 2001
Ex-Posse boss coaching lowly Orioles
Sports has always been a passion of mine.
Tuesday's tragic events, however, served as a harsh reminder of what is really important: mainly family and friends.
That's why I can fondly recall last Sunday's meeting with Tom Trebelhorn in the Baltimore Orioles locker room at Safeco Field.
Trebelhorn, the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs who now serves as the Orioles third base coach, was the first manager of the Tri-City Posse in 1995 when the Western Baseball League began play.
Although I was the beat writer, and Trebelhorn had no reason to give me the time of day, he always made me feel welcome in his office.
"Do they still have that $25 couch in the office?" he asked Sunday. "I bought that at Goodwill. It was a great deal."
Sitting in his office and listening to Trebelhorn tell baseball stories was a blast. But even more interesting was listening to him and two of his older coaching mentors - who would be visiting from Portland - talk about business and investing.
In 1995, Trebelhorn showed the Mid-Columbia why he was a good manager.
He took a team that had little hitting talent and some pretty fair pitching and went all the way to the WBL finals.
At the beginning of the season, he said the team would struggle at first, but by the end of the season it would be a pretty good little club. He was right.
"I think it's a classic example of what continuity can do," Trebelhorn said. "We hardly made any player changes. I remember Sonoma County kept changing guys all the time. We had enough pitchers to stay in the game.
"We didn't have much power. But the guys knew they were going to play every day and they didn't press."
Trebelhorn said the Posse probably was the only team to stay under the salary cap that season. And after leading the Posse to the finals, Trebelhorn was hired by the Orioles as a minor league coordinator of instruction. He's also worked as the Orioles farm director.
And before this season, Trebelhorn was moved back onto the field as the third-base coach for manager Mike Hargrove.
Injuries ruined Baltimore's chance of making the playoffs early this season. What has been enjoyable is seeing Cal Ripken Jr. make his farewell tour.
"The way we've been playing, it's fortunate for us to have him on the team because it's maintained an interest in the Orioles," Trebelhorn said. "And he's handled it terrifically."
Trebelhorn doesn't see himself managing in the majors anymore but maybe the minors.
"You can be a big-leaguer in the Western Baseball League, or you can be a weenie leaguer up here," he said. "You're trying to get your club to win, whether it's Tri-Cities or Baltimore.
"Granted, these are more talented and gifted players up here. Is it easier at this level? Probably not. The midset here is 'We're complete.' They're not. So you have to help them and do it delicately or press them every day."
For Trebelhorn, teaching baseball every day is his passion.
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