The Atlanta Braves have a long history of finding talent in their own backyard. Matt Olson and Michael Harris II are Georgia natives, as are former Braves Charlie Culberson, Dansby Swanson, Tim Hudson, Jeff Francoeur, and Brian McCann. It makes sense, then, that the Braves may go to that well in their search for a new manager and select Atlanta’s own George Lombard.
Lombard was selected in the second round of the 1994 Draft by the Braves and made a few appearances with Atlanta from 1998-2000. He never quite panned out as an outfielder; his career high came in 2002 when he played 72 games with the Tigers and hit .241/.300/.373. Lombard has found greater success as a coach.
Braves could go with a hometown kid, George Lombard, as their next manager
Lombard’s career started as a hitting coach in the lower levels of the Red Sox farm system, but his responsibilities widened to outfield and baserunning coach, and he finally became Minor League field coordinator with the Braves. His stint back in Atlanta was short-lived. Just two months after taking the Braves job, he signed on as a first-base coach with the Dodgers, who went to three World Series under Lombard’s care. (Fellow Dodgers coach Danny Lehmann is also in play as a managerial candidate.)
Lombard became the bench coach for the Tigers prior to the 2021 season. In this role, he helped mold young players such as Riley Greene, Colt Keith, and Spencer Torkelson. His success also earned him a coaching job with the US national baseball team. His son, George Lombard Jr., may be getting more attention as the heir apparent to Derek Jeter in the Bronx, but the senior Lombard may be in for a bigger promotion.
While Lombard has yet to manage at any level, he has studied under several of the preeminent baseball minds of the 2020s: Dave Roberts and A.J. Hinch. Although the Braves had an average age nearly two years older than the Tigers, there are some younger players in the system, like Drake Baldwin and Nacho Alvarez Jr., that will need to step big for Atlanta to return to the postseason. A manager like Lombard, who has been with a rebuilding squad in Detroit and a perennial powerhouse in L.A., would bring the expertise, wisdom, and fire that the Braves need.