John McLaren: Your New Manager

VITALS: John Lowell McLaren, 55 years old. Born in Galveston, Texas. Lives in Peoria, AZ. Married to Maria.

John McLaren, like Hargrove, is a Texas native--born in Galveston, went to high school in Houston, attended Houston Baptist University. He was a 7th-round pick of the Astros in the 1970 draft. McLaren advanced as far as AA.

His coaching career began in the Blue Jays system, he was a coach for Utica in 1977. In 1978 he started his managerial career at Medicine Hat, and managed eight years in the Blue Jays system, compiling a record of 430-483. McLaren also managed some winter ball in Venezuela and Colombia.

In 1985 he was co-manager of the year in the Southern League.

From 1986-90, he was the Blue Jays third base coach under Jimy Williams. In '91, he was Boston's bench coach, in '92 he joined Lou Piniella in Cincinnati, and stayed on Lou's staffs in some capacity for fifteen years in Cinci, Seattle and Tampa Bay.

He helped assemble the US team for the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and was on Buck Martinez' staff there.

In 2007, the M's hired him as bench coach, he was widely seen as Mike Hargrove's replacement in waiting. Which, as it turns out, he is.