By P.J. Harmer
ONEONTA _ Howard Bushong is back where he wants to be _ managing professional baseball.
Bushong, 56, will manage his first season in the New York-Penn League with Oneonta this season. It'll mark his fifth season in professional baseball as he managed the Gulf Coast League Tigers from 2001-03 and the Arizona League Padres in 2000.
After leaving Detroit following the 2003 season, Bushong went back to the college ranks where he served as an assistant coach at Texas State University.
"For the last couple of years, I've been putting the feelers out and keeping in touch with the Tiger organization," Bushong said. "I wanted to get back in. I love the Tigers and love the people in this organization. They really are good people and the opportunity to come back and move up and come to Oneonta became an adventure for me. I'm looking forward to it. ... I'm back in it."
Bushong takes over for Ryan Newman, who is now managing Bristol, a short-season Single-A team in the Chicago White Sox organization. The O-Tigers went 33-41 under Newman in his first and only season with Oneonta. The Tigers finished second in the Stedler Division _ 7 1/2 games behind the Lowell Spinners. The 33-41 finish tied the franchise's worst record since becoming affiliated with Detroit in 1999.
Success, however, is something that has followed Bushong at all levels.
He played for the University of Texas, helping the Longhorns to the NCAA championship in 1976. Following college, Bushong had a successful run coaching high school. He finished 311-84 at Austin Westlake High, winning two Texas state championships over a 12-year span.
Bushong also served as an assistant coach at Texas and was the head coach at Texas State from 1993-99. He earned Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1996.
Managing at this level seems like a perfect fit.
"I like to teach. I grew up as a teacher," Bushong said. "I've been a high school coach and teacher and everything else, so teaching is something I believe in.
"At this level, you're still teaching players how to play," he continued. "Players are listening and players are coming in. I also like the college-aged kid, which this level basically is."
His previous professional managing experience was in rookie ball. Bushong coached for the San Diego organization in 2000, leading the Arizona League Padres to a 17-38 finish. He joined Detroit the following season and went 85-92 over three seasons with the Gulf Coast League Tigers, finishing second twice.
He returned to Texas State as an assistant coach, but said he eventually wanted to return to the professional stage.
"I think professional baseball, in my opinion, is real baseball," Bushong said. "The wood bats. The speed of the game is more. I think you see more powerful, athletic kids and you play everyday. I'm pretty much a baseball purist and I like to practice, but I'd rather play games."
Bushong doesn't seem like he'll be afraid to push things on offense this season. Bushong said he likes his teams to run, hit-and-run and play small ball. Pitching will have to be strong for Bushong to play that type of game, he said.
"Honestly, I like to run and like guys who can run," he said. "I'm not a sit-still type of guy unless you get to certain guys in the order and you want them to develop into that role of driving the ball and sitting in there and hitting. But for the most part, to be honest with you, I like to run. I like action as an offensive guy. Hopefully we do it in a smart way. I'm big on baserunning and doing it correctly and defense is the biggest thing for me. I'll spend all the time we need to spend to play good defensive baseball."
Bushong, who added he wouldn't be opposed to eventually climbing the ladder of managing in the organization, said he's happy where he's at. He also said he liked the look of Oneonta and is ready for this season.
"The first goal of this program is the players," he said. "We develop the players. We hopefully put players in a position to where they can move up at any time. There's nothing I enjoy more than calling a kid in and sending him up. Even if he's our best player and we're doing well and all that stuff, if we have a chance to move a kid up, I have absolutely no problems whatsoever with seeing that kid advance. Even if it hurts the team as a whole.
"Winning is important when the game starts," he continued. "Until that time, we want to develop these kids as much as we can both as people and professional athletes, as baseball players and give them every opportunity to go forward with their dreams. They have dreams and it's about them. As long as we always remember that it's about these kids and not about us, we're going to be fine."
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P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.
