Despite rough start, Brewers' Roenicke has faith in players

MEQUON -- Last year, the Milwaukee Brewers went deep in the baseball playoffs, and their manager was hailed as a genius. This year, the team is struggling early in the season, so is Ron Roenicke a different guy?

In a season plus as manager of the Brewers, Roenicke has consistently shown faith in his players, and that's not by accident.

"James 1:2-3 says 'it is pure joy, my brother, when you encounter trials of many kinds, for the testing of your faith builds perseverance.' Definitely one of my favorite verses," Roenicke said.

Roenicke was the most recent featured speaker in Concordia University's leadership series. The even-keeled Roenicke showed why he is who he appears to be in his job.

"When things go really bad, my wife tells me all the time - the worse things go, that's when the cameras go right on me, and if I'm blowing up all the time, the players know that. I'm sticking with these guys. They're good players and my job is to get the best out of them," Roenicke said.

Roenicke was once a player, coming up through the ranks with the Dodgers.

"Played with them until '82, and then went over to Seattle and joined them. I played there, in '84 and went to Spring Training with them. The last day of Spring Training, I was released by them and went to San Diego. Went to Spring Training with them the next year in 1985, and I was released again. The last couple days of Spring Training, I joined the Giants in Triple A. Finished out doing pretty well for the Giants, so I was looking forward to a good year in '86 with them. I went to Spring Training and the last day of Spring Training, I was released again. I didn't like Spring Training very much. Even now, every time I go as a coach, I just get that bad feeling in my stomach," Roenicke said.

Thus, Roenicke is empathetic as a manager. The son of educators, he sees himself as a teacher first.

"I'm a leader, but I'm also a servant, and I have to be a servant, I feel, to be a leader. There's tough things that come up, and there's tough personalities - Nyjer Morgan - I really like this young man, but he's really challenging. We went into San Francisco last year, and he does these little things, gestures with his hands when we get outs, and one came across as a gesture he shouldn't have been giving to the fans of San Francisco. He was giving the outs, but it didn't look that way. After the game, my wife happened to be with me on this trip, and we're taking a taxi back to the hotel. I roll down the window and say 'Nyj.' He looks over at me and says 'sorry, boss.' And he really was," Roenicke said.

Later that season, it was Morgan who delivered one of the biggest hits in franchise history.

With the tribulations, Roenicke knows the world is full of trials, too.

"I have small ones every single day, and I certainly think it builds who you are. It builds your character and to do my job right, these are very important things to me," Roenicke said.

Roenicke has and will continue to keep the faith. Roenicke and the Brewers are off Thursday night, May 24th, but play in Arizona over Memorial Day weekend, and then visit Roenicke's first pro-team, the Dodgers, next week.