SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – It was one of Tim Flannery’s favorite expressions while he occupied the third base coaches’ box: the Giants didn’t hire him to be a crossing guard.
Phil Nevin is not the type to yield, either.
The Giants’ new third base coach once scored the winning run in a high school playoff game by knocking out an opposing catcher’s tooth in a collision at the plate. He was known for tossing equipment and challenging umpires. He once charged the mound in a big league game at Kansas City after getting hit by a pitch, and because umpires ejected him, he wasn’t able to join his Angels teammates when a second brawl broke out.