Yankees Don't Have To Look Far For Their New Third Base Coach

 

Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Yankees, in a widely expected move, announced on Monday afternoon that they have brought in former Mets Manager Luis Rojas to be their new third base coach.

Rojas, who managed the Mets the past two seasons with a record of 103-119, was with their organization the past 16 years (2006-21). He was the sixth Dominican-born manager in Major League Baseeball history, with his father, Felipe Alou being the first.

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone also is a son of a Major League Manager, as his father Bob Boone, was at the helm of the the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds. Overall, there have been six father-son duos of Major League managers, with the other four being: Buddy and David Bell, Connie and Earle Mack, George and Dick Sisler, and Bob and Joel Skinner.

Before Rojas was appointed Mets Manager in January 2020 - after the team had to dismiss their then-new manager Carlos Beltran over his role in the 2017 Hosuton Astros cheating scandal - he was on the Mets' the Major League quality control coach in 2019. Before that, he was in the minor league system as manager of Double-A Binghamton (2017-18), Single-A St. Lucie (2015-16), Single-A Savannah (2012-14), and the Gulf Coast Mets (2011). He was the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year in 2014.

Rojas, a Santo Domingo, D.R., native, managed the Dominican Republic National Team in the WBSC Premie1r2 tournament in 2019, and he also led Leones del Escogido to a Dominican Winter League championship in 2015-16.

Rojas played in the minor league systems of the Baltimore Orioles (2000), Florida Marlins (2001-02), and Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals (2003-05).