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APPLETON, Wisconsin — Matt Erickson will continue to play an important role on the Milwaukee Brewers’ coaching staff this year, but with a slight twist.
Speaking at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Hot Stove Banquet, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said: “Matt helps major league clubs and helps develop players.
What you need to know
- Matt Erickson adds player development responsibilities to role with Brewers
- Ericsson spent all of last season as the Brewers’ infield coach and also helped out as a hitting coach.
- Brewers open season with Chicago Cubs on March 30
“In spring training, he will only be with a major league club.
Eriksson, an Appleton native and former manager of the Timber Rattlers, served as the Brewers’ infield coach and hitting coach last season. It was his first year as a coach for a big league club.
“It was fun,” Ericsson said of last season. “In the world of player development, we mostly teach.
“When you go to the big leagues, they get a better sense of their strengths and weaknesses, what their routines are. As they mature they are a big part of their own growth. It helped build that relationship.”
The most noticeable difference between major and minor, he said, is the meaning of the final score.
“Again, player development. It’s a process, right?” he said. “You’re growing all the time. You expect mistakes. You don’t expect consistent play all the time.”
“At the big league level, winning or losing counts every day and you feel it. If you can do it and shake hands at the end of the day, it’s a really good feeling and you can feel it in the clubhouse after the game.”
Ericsson’s new title will be Roving Infield Instructor for the Brewers.
“It’s not really a new position,” Counsel said. “He does essentially the same job. There is also some player development involved in his responsibilities this year.”
The function of that responsibility is to make defense a bigger part of the Brewers’ analysis.
“I think you’re looking at all the analysis of the game, but it’s more about hitting,” Eriksson said. “Pitching is heavy. I think some of the details are lost in team defense techniques.
“And Craig either shared some of that responsibility, or put some of that responsibility on me and the infield folks in our organization so it wasn’t lost in the chaos. I’m really embracing that part now.”
Ericsson’s first year in the big leagues has created many memories. But that’s the last thing that stuck with him.
“It didn’t taste good at the end of the season,” he said. But to get out of the gate. He had the best record in franchise history for his first 50 games of the season (32-18). I’m glad I got off to a good start. So it felt good, but when I tried to ride it, I was clearly a bit disappointed (I finished the rest of the season 54-58).
“But I think the best part of it is that when I’m a little bit short, I want to go back to spring training. I want to go back and try to get back into the postseason.”
Story ideas? You can contact Mike Woods at 920-246-6321 or michael.t.woods1@charter.com.
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