Oscar Acosta---ex-Cub pitching coach

[NorthsideAvenger]

Yankees minor league manager Oscar Acosta and team official Humberto Trejo were killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night, the New York Post reported.

The two died in an accident on a highway outside of Santo Domingo. Acosta, 49, had previously served as the pitching coach for the Cubs and Rangers and was currently working as the manager for the Rookie GCL Yankees. Trejo, 38, was in his 16th season working for the Yankees, serving in a number of capacities, including as a manager, coach and coordinator of the team's Latin America player-development program. Apr. 20 - 4:39 am et

 

:(

 

Say what you want about him when he was the Cubs PC, but this is sad day...

[CuseCubFan69]

That's horrible and definately not what I thought the thread was going to be about. My prayers are with their families.

[Electron Blue]

that's terrible. what a sad day :cry:

[Stu]

That is sad. I think it is no coincidence that Cubs pitchers did some of their best work under him. He turned Liebs into a 20-game winner. Kerry loved the man, as well. Farnsworth had his best year under Oscar's tutelage IIRC.

 

It's a shame he never could work out the people skills side to stay in the show. He certainly had the knowledge to be a great pitching coach, at least from the results. That Cubs team was lights out after the 6th inning. Farns 7th, Fassero 8th and Flash for the save in the 9th.

[badger1679666666]

I liked Oscar and the Cubs pitchers REALLY did. Sad day.

 

:(

[rawaction]

wow. He had a young son when he was with Texas a few years back (who I have a funny story about). I'm guessing the kid is still school age. Tough loss. Heart goes out to his family.

[Neuby]

I loved Oscar as a pitching coach. Hearts with the family.

[snoodmonger]

sad

[BeerHere]

Rest in peace Oscar.

 

My heart goes out to the families.

[KatJ]

It's a shame he never could work out the people skills side to stay in the show. He certainly had the knowledge to be a great pitching coach, at least from the results. That Cubs team was lights out after the 6th inning. Farns 7th, Fassero 8th and Flash for the save in the 9th.

 

Okay, I'll be the one to say it first: with all the nail-biting about Lee, Acosta's DEATH puts things into perspective. The pitching staff back then was fun to watch. But I disagree with you on two points: (1) Baylor was IMO more to blame - he got Acosta out of there after 2001 as a desperate move to save his own hide, and (2) I remember Flash flushing away more games than saving.

[soccer10k]

It's a shame he never could work out the people skills side to stay in the show. He certainly had the knowledge to be a great pitching coach, at least from the results. That Cubs team was lights out after the 6th inning. Farns 7th, Fassero 8th and Flash for the save in the 9th.

 

Okay, I'll be the one to say it first: with all the nail-biting about Lee, Acosta's DEATH puts things into perspective. The pitching staff back then was fun to watch. But I disagree with you on two points: (1) Baylor was IMO more to blame - he got Acosta out of there after 2001 as a desperate move to save his own hide, and (2) I remember Flash flushing away more games than saving.

 

I don't think that year's bullpen was as good as this year's. But I do think that year was much better than the last 2 or 3 years for us.

 

And yes it is an extremely sad day.

[Stu]

It's a shame he never could work out the people skills side to stay in the show. He certainly had the knowledge to be a great pitching coach, at least from the results. That Cubs team was lights out after the 6th inning. Farns 7th, Fassero 8th and Flash for the save in the 9th.

 

Okay, I'll be the one to say it first: with all the nail-biting about Lee, Acosta's DEATH puts things into perspective. The pitching staff back then was fun to watch. But I disagree with you on two points: (1) Baylor was IMO more to blame - he got Acosta out of there after 2001 as a desperate move to save his own hide, and (2) I remember Flash flushing away more games than saving.

 

Maybe so. I don't have the stats to back everything up. But IIRC, the Cubs were dominant in pitching that year and were in first or near the top till late August, when the pitchers started faltering. I recall Flash being pretty good. I remember Farns giving up a killer hr down in Miami that just about sealed the Cubs' fate.

 

I don't disagree with you ire Baylor, but if you recall, Oscar was fired from the Rangers in mid-season for similary personality conflicts, so there was something more there than meets the eye. It was always such a strange thing because it just seemed the guy knew how to teach pitchers, but apparently he rubbed some people the wrong way. Didn't he have major issues with Zambrano as well?

 

I loved Oscar, because he made the Cubs pitching staff into a tough mean ornery bunch. A bunch of guys with attitudes like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Oscar took no crap, but by the same token, he also gave none. Many people are threatened by personalities like his, and a lot of people cannot get along with people like him. Maybe it was his attitude or personality, or maybe it was his coaching philosophy that got him fired. I don't know for sure, but I do know I liked Oscar. I liked him a lot. May he rest in peace.

[srbin84]

I would have rather had him as pitching coach than Larry.

[ConstableRabbit]

I remember during one telecast, his jr highschool-age son was in the broadcast booth with Chip and Stoney. He was a really funny kid. What a tragedy... :cry:

[rawaction]

I remember during one telecast, his jr highschool-age son was in the broadcast booth with Chip and Stoney. He was a really funny kid. What a tragedy... :cry:

 

His son is great. My story.

 

A few years back I went to the Cubs/Rangers interleague game (ARod's last year in TX), and sat in the bleachers. The Rangers were taking batting practice and the bat boys were all shagging balls in the OF. Well, some people in the bleachers were already pretty drunk (at a 1:20 game, whoda thunk it?) and were begging for the ball boys to throw balls into the stands. The yells ranged from, "hey, Kid! Throw me a ball" to "I love you batboy! I came here to see you today, not the players. I would love a baseball that you've touched." to "Throw me a _____ ball you little ____." Well, one of the kids got really tired of being heckled and gunned a ball into the stands drilling a guy in the chest. The guy (who wasn't one of the hecklers by the way) threw the ball back and was kicked out of Wrigley. The kid is laughing the entire time at the guy.

 

So, I check the program. I recognized 2 of the 3 batboys as Rafael Palmeiro's kids. But the 3rd I didn't know. Come to find out....his last name was Acosta. Oscar's son had the same take no crap attitude.

[srbin84]

I remember during one telecast, his jr highschool-age son was in the broadcast booth with Chip and Stoney. He was a really funny kid. What a tragedy... :cry:

 

His son is great. My story.

 

A few years back I went to the Cubs/Rangers interleague game (ARod's last year in TX), and sat in the bleachers. The Rangers were taking batting practice and the bat boys were all shagging balls in the OF. Well, some people in the bleachers were already pretty drunk (at a 1:20 game, whoda thunk it?) and were begging for the ball boys to throw balls into the stands. The yells ranged from, "hey, Kid! Throw me a ball" to "I love you batboy! I came here to see you today, not the players. I would love a baseball that you've touched." to "Throw me a _____ ball you little ____." Well, one of the kids got really tired of being heckled and gunned a ball into the stands drilling a guy in the chest. The guy (who wasn't one of the hecklers by the way) threw the ball back and was kicked out of Wrigley. The kid is laughing the entire time at the guy.

 

So, I check the program. I recognized 2 of the 3 batboys as Rafael Palmeiro's kids. But the 3rd I didn't know. Come to find out....his last name was Acosta. Oscar's son had the same take no crap attitude.

 

So you're saying he was the one who hit the innocent man in the crowd and that's commendable?

[rawaction]

I remember during one telecast, his jr highschool-age son was in the broadcast booth with Chip and Stoney. He was a really funny kid. What a tragedy... :cry:

 

His son is great. My story.

 

A few years back I went to the Cubs/Rangers interleague game (ARod's last year in TX), and sat in the bleachers. The Rangers were taking batting practice and the bat boys were all shagging balls in the OF. Well, some people in the bleachers were already pretty drunk (at a 1:20 game, whoda thunk it?) and were begging for the ball boys to throw balls into the stands. The yells ranged from, "hey, Kid! Throw me a ball" to "I love you batboy! I came here to see you today, not the players. I would love a baseball that you've touched." to "Throw me a _____ ball you little ____." Well, one of the kids got really tired of being heckled and gunned a ball into the stands drilling a guy in the chest. The guy (who wasn't one of the hecklers by the way) threw the ball back and was kicked out of Wrigley. The kid is laughing the entire time at the guy.

 

So, I check the program. I recognized 2 of the 3 batboys as Rafael Palmeiro's kids. But the 3rd I didn't know. Come to find out....his last name was Acosta. Oscar's son had the same take no crap attitude.

 

So you're saying he was the one who hit the innocent man in the crowd and that's commendable?

 

yeah, that's exactly what I said.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

yeah, that's exactly what I said.

 

Looks like you did:

 

I like people who whiz balls into the bleachers and drill innocent people in the chest. They are to be commended.

[daske17]

yeah, that's exactly what I said.

 

Looks like you did:

 

I like people who whiz balls into the bleachers and drill innocent people in the chest. They are to be commended.

 

:lol: :lol:

[David]

I would have rather had him as pitching coach than Larry.

 

Not so sure about that. If I remember correctly, he always had it in for Z and never saw much potential in him as a starter. That alone makes me glad we changed pitching coaches.

 

That aside, I did like him otherwise as a coach. He was a great interview too. Sad stuff.

[srbin84]

I would have rather had him as pitching coach than Larry.

 

Not so sure about that. If I remember correctly, he always had it in for Z and never saw much potential in him as a starter. That alone makes me glad we changed pitching coaches.

 

That aside, I did like him otherwise as a coach. He was a great interview too. Sad stuff.

 

We had Alf to decide who was in the rotation and in the pen.