Author's Blog

July 31, 2010

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Steve Decker happy to be back on West Coast

Steve Decker, the former San Francisco Giants catcher and highly successful minor league manager, is certain of two things: he's dedicated to the Giants organization, and he's happy to be back on the West Coast.  Or at least, his family is happy to have him closer to home.

"When my wife and kids heard that I was getting a job in Fresno, they were very happy," said Decker while talking to the media last week at the Fresno Grizzlies Hot Stove.  Decker spent the 2009 season managing the Connecticut Defenders (Double-A), but led the San Jose Giants to best regular season record in California League in 2008. Living in the Pacific Northwest, he is especially looking forward to road games in Portland and Tacoma.

Decker, who found himself regularly jumping between the Major Leagues and Triple-A throughout the 1990's with the Giants, Marlins, Rockies and Angels, has had a brilliant minor league managing career.  His career record as a skipper is 325-185 in five season with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Single-A Short Season), San Jose Giants and Connecticut Defenders.  Decker was hired as the Grizzlies manager in December.  His ascent up the Giants organization has been as fast as many high draft picks.  So does he aspire to be a big league manager?

"I don't know.  I would like to aspire to be a Major League manager or coach. That's the pinnacle of baseball," said Decker when asked.  "All I do is do what I am told. I was raise a certain way. My boss said he wanted wanted me to go to Fresno and work hard, and make those guys better, and that's what I do."

Along the way he's managed a few players at different teams as they've worked their way up the Giants ladder together.

"That's actually pretty fun.  I tell people all the time, 'There won't be anyone that's a Giant that I haven't at some point worked with.'" said Decker.  "It's very gratifying as a teacher to look up on a TV or in Triple-A and see someone I've worked with." 

And in case in anyone is wondering, Steve Decker is all about the Giants.

"I'm black and orange, man.  You can't say I'm coming in from some other organization I don't understand.  I played for four different Major League clubs, seven different organzitions, but I am a Giant.  When people ask me who I played for the first words out of my mouth are always 'the Giants.'"

"My number in college was retired and I went up there and I saw a banner of me in an Angels uniform.  I am telling at the coach, 'What is that? Why do you have me in an Angels uniform? You know I'm a Giant,'" eventually receiving the explanation that is was the best photo the college had of him.

What about Buster Posey, one of the top prospects in Minor League Baseball who will almost certainly start the season in Fresno?  As a former catcher, does Decker have any soft spot for a catcher like Posey ready to work his way into San Francisco?

"If you're going to be around much this summer, you'll find I don't have too many soft spots," laughed Decker.  "He's got a lot of talent, but we got to bring that out and turn him into the kind of player that is going to help us win the pennant and win the world series some day."

To read more articles by Patrick Shabram, visit his column on Examiner.com.

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