After spending 17 seasons in the major leagues as a third baseman and first baseman, Tim Wallach knows a thing or two about baseball. During his brilliant MLB career Wallach was a five-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

While attending college at Cal State Fullerton, the Huntington Park, CA native was recognized as the best amateur baseball player in the United States when he won the Golden Spikes Award in 1979. The Golden Spikes Award is presented annually by USA Baseball and the MLB Players Association to the player that shows “exceptional on-field ability and exemplary sportsmanship.” It is considered the most prestigious award in amateur baseball. To top that off, Wallach was enshrined in the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.

In his two seasons at Cal State Fullerton, Wallach hit .392 (2nd all-time) 39 home runs (7th all-time) and 182 RBIs (6th all-time).
Photo courtesy of ocregister.com)

Like I said, Tim Wallach knows a thing or two about baseball.

In 2004 Wallach was appointed hitting coach for the Dodgers under manager Jim Tracy. When Tracy was let go at the end of the season, his replacement, Grady Little, kept Wallach on as hitting coach instead of replacing him, as many new managers do with their new team. This was perhaps the best decision Little made during his troubled two seasons as the Dodgers skipper.

Recognizing his true talents and skills as a natural leader, Wallach was appointed as the manager of the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes on January 12, 2009. In his first season Wallach led the Isotopes into the Pacific Coast League playoffs with a franchise record 80 wins and was named the PCL’s Manager of the Year. In 2010, the Isotopes finish second in the PCL South under Wallach with a 72-71 record, one game back of the first place Oklahoma City RedHawks.

Albuquerque Isotopes manager Tim Wallach getting some pointers from another former Albuquerque manager. (Photo courtesy of MiLB.com)

When former Yankees manager Joe Torre was hired as the Dodgers manager in 2008, he brought hitting coach Don Mattingly with him in that same role. And though most outside of the Dodger organization felt that Mattingly would one day be Torre’s successor as Dodger manager, those inside the Dodger organization (and many Dodger fans and the local media) felt that Wallach was a far better choice to replace Torre because of his success as a player and coach, and his managerial experience at the Triple-A level.

Perhaps succumbing to national media pressure (or not wanting to deal with the lengthy process of selecting a replacement for the retiring Torre in the midst of an ugly bankruptcy and divorce trial), troubled Dodger owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti handed the Dodger reins to the completely inexperienced Mattingly at the end of the 2010 season instead of the far more qualified Wallach. They did, however, promote Wallach as the Dodgers new third base coach, where he has remained for the past three season.

Wallach congratulates Adrian Gonzalez on his second home run of the day in Game-5 of the NLDS.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

At the conclusion of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons, Wallach’s name frequently came up as a managerial candidate and he interviewed for several vacant MLB managerial positions – most recently with the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners. And while the now 56-year-old Wallach did not get these jobs, there is still one managerial job that he may still end up eventually getting – manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

How so you ask?

Here’s how:

It has already been confirmed that Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten will offer Mattingly a contract extension in the coming weeks (or even days) and speculation is that it will be similar to the two plus one contract that Mattingly current has. But with the recent firing of bench coach Trey Hillman (the second in command) and with Wallach being passed over for the managerial jobs in Detroit and Seattle, it is very likely that Wallach will be promoted to replace Hillman as the Dodgers new bench coach where (hopefully) Wallach will help Mattingly make better in-game decisions than he did (with or without Hillman’s help) this past season and disappointing postseason.

Should Mattingly not listen to the advice of the extremely knowledgeable and well-liked Wallach, and should (Lord forbid) the Dodgers find themselves once again deep in the NL West standings during the 2014 season, it is quite possibly that Kasten will be far less supportive and forgiving of Mattingly than he was during the 2013 season when the team was in last place and 20 games under .500. As such, Mattingly could very well be fired (contract or not) and the managerial reins handed over to the very competent Wallach – even if only on an interim basis (initially, that is).

Did I mention that Tim Wallach knows a thing or two about baseball?