Jirschele grabs seat on Royals bench

KANSAS CITY -- When the time came for manager Buddy Bell's surgery, the Royals needed a bench coach to assist interim manager Billy Doran.

Luckily, the right guy was already here: Triple-A Omaha manager Mike Jirschele.

Jirschele, who arrived with pitching coach Tom Burgmeier after the O-Royals' season ended, was supposed to lend a hand with the expanded September roster. But now he's helping Doran make his managerial decisions.

"What makes it nice here is I'm doing what Billy was doing and he's so easy to talk to, it makes it easy," Jirschele said.

"Some guys in this game don't want the help, but Billy does, and so does Buddy, because I've heard him and Billy talking during the game."

Bullpen coach Fred Kendall figures it's a natural transition for Jirschele.

"Half your team is playing here anyway," Kendall said.

Indeed, Jirschele in his seven years as Omaha manager has handled most of the players who came up through the Royals' organization. But bench coach is a different job from a Minor League manager who makes the lineup, changes pitchers and also coaches third base.

As bench coach, he helps keep the manager aware of situations, pinch-running or pinch-hitting possibilities, and presents alternate scenarios for moves.

"Billy pretty much knows what he wants to do," Jirschele said. "We talk about situations -- are we going to bunt him over? If a pinch-runner will be needed, you let the guy know so he can stay loose."

And, as Kendall put it, "He's got to stay ahead of the manager, and the manager is always two or three innings ahead."

Doran has great faith in Jirschele, whom he picked rather than alter the assignments of Kendall, base coaches Brian Poldberg and Luis Silverio, pitching coach Bob McClure and hitting coach Mike Barnett.

"Jirsch is a real good baseball man," Doran said. "In Spring Training, we spent a lot of time together and he's bright and energetic and nothing gets by him."