Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza has been named as the new manager for Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League, and it’s an honor he takes great pride in – but says he hasn’t had a chance to truly enjoy since news came down last week.
“Obviously it’s a dream come true and an honor to put on the uniform of the team I grew up watching,” Mendoza said Monday, “but news came at a difficult time because of the way our team was playing here, so I didn’t really have time to enjoy it.”
Mendoza was born and raised in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, the hometown of the Cardenales de Lara, and played three of his 10 seasons in Venezuelan Winter Ball with the team, so it really is like going home again – and something he hopes to fully soak in closer to the winter season.
“Right now I haven’t had the time to sit back and realize how big it is,” Mendoza said. “My goal now is to help this team with a championship, but it is an honor to be able to go back home and manage that team.”
Mendoza has been acting manager for the Yankees any time Aaron Boone has been unable to fulfill those duties – whether via ejection or suspension, or this spring during his medical leave – and has interviewed for MLB managerial jobs in the past. But, as much of a goal as that may be for him someday, Mendy says until that day comes, his focus is on No. 28.
“Obviously we all have goals in mind, but mine right now is to win a World Series as the bench coach of the New York Yankees,” he said. “If the opportunity comes one day, great, but right now, my number one goal is to continue to prep these guys here and get that ring at the end of the year.”
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