Dusty Wathan was named BlueClaws manager on Tuesday by the Philadelphia Phillies. He becomes the seventh manager in team history and takes over for Steve Roadcap, who heads to Double-A Reading in 2009. Read the official release here.

Question: How did you go about getting into managing so quickly after your playing career ended?

Dusty Wathan: The last few years I was playing I laid the groundwork, talking to minor league directors like Nowo (Steve Noworyta) with the Phillies, just letting them know I was interested. My goal was to play as long as I could and get a coaching job. The Phillies had an opening and I’m glad they gave me the opportunity.

Q: What did you learn last year with Williamsport?

DW: The most important thing I learned is the development of the relationship with the players. If you’re organized and ready for the things that happen a few days ahead, you’ll be ok.

Q: Was managing the game a tough adjustement?

DW: The in-game stuff is the most fun. That’s when all the hard work pays off. I’ve been going through that in my head for years and years, and I felt really comfortable in game.

Q: How about the off-the-field parts of the job?

DW: That’s what you have to deal with as it comes, and you get better with experience. It’s still a learning process. We’ll cross those bridges as they come. They never get easier, but hopefully there are fewer.

Q: What surprised you the most in your first year as manager?

DW: The only thing that surprised me was what you forget about, what you assume guys know. But you had to teach them. That’s not the way we’re going to do this. This is the way we’re going to do this. Nothing serious, but just the way we do things in the pros.  

Q: Did you feel you related well to the players as someone who just finished playing?

DW: Just walking off the field and managing, I think you earn a lot of respect from the guys. Not to take anything away from guys that haven’t played in a long time, but the longer you play only helps you build credability before you even speak. I’ve had guys who didn’t play a lot and were great managers, but kids want to know what it’s like between the lines. I think I know that pretty well. The game hasn’t changed much in a year, so they realize that. With older coaches, sometimes guys say it’s a different era. With many years playing in the minors I relate to what they’re going through, as opposed to guys who spent a lot of time in the major leagues.

Q: What players impressed you last year that could be here this year?

DW: Travis D’Arnaud was with Lakewood for a few weeks. I loved having him in Williamsport. Having a guy that can swing the bat and catch as well as he does is a great asset to the offense and the pitching staff. The left side of our infield, Cody Overbeck and Troy Hanzawa, they were both good and they could both be here too. But a lot can happen between now and March.

Q: What do you know about Lakewood and the South Atlantic League?

DW: I know we play a lot of games down near Charlotte (Wathan lives in Charlotte). I know just a few things. It’s a beach town in the summer. Everyone I’ve talked to that’s spent any time there says the fans are tremendous and come out in droves, and it’s a beautiful facility. I played my A-ball in the Midwest League and the California League, so it’s an exciting time for me to see a new league.

Q: What kinds of things do you do in the off-season?

DW: One or two nights a week I do local catching lessons. Down here, with the weather, my son plays fall baseball so I always watch that. Just driving the kids around and doing some things around the house.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 5:16 pm and is filed under Dusty Wathan, Lakewood BlueClaws, Q&As. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.