{"id":40108,"date":"2020-11-03T21:44:17","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T02:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=40108"},"modified":"2020-11-05T00:32:01","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T05:32:01","slug":"jayce-tingler-turned-the-san-diego-padres-into-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2020\/11\/03\/jayce-tingler-turned-the-san-diego-padres-into-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"Jayce Tingler Turned the San Diego Padres into Winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

A.J. Preller, the San Diego Padres<\/a> general manager, took a chance on Jayce Tingler<\/strong><\/a> to lead his ball club, and boy did it pay off. The 38-year old rookie manager was named a finalist for the National League (NL) Manager of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) on Monday, Nov. 2.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just tuning in to the Padres record-breaking season, you may not even know who Jayce Tingler even is, or how he got here. Let\u2019s look back at Tingler\u2019s journey in baseball and how he managed to set a spark in San Diego this year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tingler\u2019s Early Days on the Diamond<\/h2>\n

Jayce Tingler grew up in Smithville, MO, and played baseball for the Tigers at the University of Missouri. In his senior year he was named All-Big 12 Conference as a centerfielder. He played summer ball throughout college with several pros, including Shaun Marcum<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> Ian Kinsler<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2003, the Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> drafted Tingler in the 10th round. Interestingly enough, Preller already came into the picture just two years later. In 2005, Preller was the director of pro scouting with the Texas Rangers<\/a>. He selected Tingler as a part of the <\/span>Rule 5 Draft to join Texas’s farm system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though he never reached the majors and hardly took a breath in Double-A, his <\/span>stats<\/span><\/a> prove how often Tingler reached base. He posted a .483 on-base percentage (OBP) in four years at Missouri, then a .378 mark in four seasons with the Rangers. He also had 221 walks compared to 95 strikeouts in the minors and put up a .989 fielding percentage. Tingler was a small ball kind of guy, which many players he\u2019d coach in the future came to respect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coaching Teams to Victory Isn\u2019t New<\/h2>\n

The coaching career called in 2007, and Tingler answered. In \u201808 and \u201809, he led the Dominican Summer League Rangers to first place championships both years, finishing 46-23 and 47-15 respectively. Then he took over the Arizona Rookie League Rangers in 2010 and finished in first place there too. See a pattern here?<\/span><\/p>\n

For the next couple of years, Tingler served as the Rangers\u2019 Minor League field coordinator. In this role, he oversaw the training for individual players within the farm system. He climbed the ladder within Texas\u2019s organization, becoming the Major League field coordinator in 2015. The Rangers named Tingler an Assistant General Manager in 2016. He also filled in as an interim bench coach in the \u201818 and \u201819 seasons before signing a three-year contract with the San Diego Padres.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJayce has extensive experience in virtually every aspect of coaching, player development, and baseball operations,\u201d said Preller. \u201cHis multi-faceted skillset, combined with his ability to develop talent and help players reach their potential at the Major League level, were key factors in his selection as our manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rookie Manager Turned Padres into Winners<\/h2>\n

With zero big-league managerial experience, Tingler led the team like a veteran. San Diego\u2019s 37-23 record was third in the league, and their .617 winning percentage was the <\/span>highest in franchise history<\/span><\/a>. He brought the Padres to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. He led them to their first playoff series win since 1998.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember Tingler’s small ball stats? From 2014 through 2018, the Padres finished last in the league for OBP, and 26th in 2019. They finished <\/span>8th<\/span><\/a> this season with Tingler in charge. Looks like his own baseball experience translated quite nicely into the Padres lineup.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, Tingler built a team that can actually hold their own against the top-dog Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a>. They can out-play any organization they face and undeniable team chemistry. The Padres are no longer considered to be easy wins for more dominant teams across the league.\u00a0<\/span>The <\/span>year of 2020<\/span><\/a> was the year the San Diego Padres caught fire, and they have Tingler to thank for it. He turned them from a team on the verge of contention in April to a force to be reckoned with in October. And as the second-youngest manager in the majors, he has a long career ahead of him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tingler, along with Manny Machado<\/strong><\/a> and Jake Cronenworth<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> are trio of Padres who are finalists for the BBWAA awards. With Opening Day still months away, (149 days from now but who\u2019s counting?) be sure to watch the award announcements in the meantime starting Monday, Nov. 9 at 3 pm PST on MLB Network.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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