Sandberg excited to get started with Chihuahuas

New El Paso Chihuahuas manager Jared Sandberg's familiarity with El Paso is about to get deeper.

As to where it stands now, in the late 1990s he spent a night here on the 3,700-mile drive from his native Olympia, Wash., to St. Petersburg to begin a season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sandberg, named to his new position last week, is looking forward to learning about his new hometown when the Chihuahuas begin assembling in El Paso, hopefully in late March, but the core of his philosophy won't change no matter where he is.

For Sandberg, who will come to El Paso with his wife and two children after three years as a Major League assistant with the Seattle Mariners, the job is about the people he'll be working with.

"What this means for me is it's another opportunity in professional baseball to impact people," the 43-year-oold Sandberg said from his native Washington state in a Zoom interview with El Paso media. "Build some relationships whether it's Padres people, Chihuahuas people or people in the El Paso community, it's about relationships. ...

"The goal is to win a World Series at the Major League level. Being at the Triple-A level is a very impactful, very important position where guys are going up and down and you’re managing people. You build those relationships along the way, and for me, I’m not worried about going back to Triple-A. It’s about being in a spot where I can impact people."

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He was in that spot from 2016-18 as manager of Triple-A Durham, the farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays, the organization where he spent his first 20 years in baseball. His last two years there he led the Bulls to division championships.

That led to an opportunity in Seattle, his hometown team, first as a field coordinator in 2019 and then as a bench coach the last two years. In many ways, getting back to being a Triple-A manager fits in with his career path.

Seattle "was a great opportunity for me to be uncomfortable, to learn how to be comfortable while being uncomfortable," said Sandberg, the nephew of former Cubs great Ryne Sandberg. "I had been a manager in the minor leagues, coming up all the stops and then the two fantastic seasons in Durham when we won back-to-back championships. I learned a lot.

"For me to move on, to the Padres' organization and back to Triple-A, I can impact the Padres organization and also people."

He brings a deep resume of experience to bear, including a 612-522 record in 10 seasons as a minor league manager.

"First and foremost it's communication, being able to have the heart-to-heart with the player and holding them accountable," he said. "And it's a passion for winning.

"When I got to Triple-A I thought I could let the players manage the clubhouse, let them go out there and do their thing. What I learned the first two years there was they needed structure and they needed constant communication.

"When I changed my approach my second year, knowing we had young players coming up and holding them more accountable and to a higher standard, some really cool things happened. That was a growing moment for me."

As for his managerial style, "I'm loose, I like to have fun, I like to smile," he said. "My mentor (a Durham Bulls managerial predecessor) Bill Evers told me, 'Loosen up, you have to smile more.' From Day 1 as a manager I've tried to smile and keep the players having fun. If you're out there having fun and you're loose, you're going to play to the best of your abilities."

The next pressing question is when professional baseball will return to El Paso. Major League Baseball is in the middle of a lockout now, though the owners and players have resumed negotiations and there is hope spring training can begin on time (Feb. 26).

"I think we are all looking forward to baseball getting back on the field,” Sandberg said. “We can all hope that spring training is going to start on time, and they’re negotiating and doing their best to get things right. I think we are all looking forward to baseball, and whenever the El Paso season starts, that’s where I’ll be. I’m looking forward to it.”

There are other things he's excited about as he makes his second trip to El Paso, the first one to last more than a night.

"I'm looking forward to exploring the city and the different opportunities for food," Sandberg said. "My son loves to hike so he's looking forward to the different hikes and national parks. My wife Julie is looking forward to getting involved in the community. ...

"This is another adventure for my wife Julie, my son Evan and my daughter Clara, to be in the Southwest, be in the El Paso community and be a Chihuahua. We're excited for the opportunity."

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Sandberg excited to get started with El Paso Chihuahuas