Larry Davis might have been given the corner office treatment, as Ken reported in this space earlier, but three members of the coaching staff are not so lucky. Susan Slusser reports that Rene Lachemann, Brad Fishcer, and Bob Shaefer have been told they won't be back next year. This is apparently the chickens from Billy Beane's season-ending mutterings about letting Bob Geren have more of a say in picking his staff coming home to roost.

It's unclear from the blog post whether Lachemann, Fischer, and Shaefer are out of the organization altogether or if they'll be offered jobs elsewhere within the A's empire. I'm guessing a Davis-like title of Coordinator of Coaches is probably out of the question.

Bob Schaefer's most distinguishing feature is his resemblance to Ken Macha from behind, so much so that I did a double-take at Spring Training this year when I first clapped eyes on him. "Didn't we fire you?" I murmured under my breath. To his credit, Schaefer didn't turn around.

I kind of figured Lachemann's days were numbered when, in the wak of the Mike Coolbaugh tragedy, he started wearing a helmet and standing as far away from the coaching box as he possibly could while still remaining on the field of play. It is possible that the A's figured that perhaps Lachemann's heart wasn't in the third-base coaching gig so much anymore.

I'm shocked about Brad Fishcer being shown the door, or as shocked as one can be when the bullpen coach is let go. Fischer just wrapped up his 29th season in the A's organization. Perhaps he answered the bullpen phone with a funny voice one too many times for Curt Young's liking -- I don't know. I met Fishcer once at an A's Fan Fest, and he was very friendly and cordial, moreso than a lot of people might have been under similar circumstances. I hope he and the A's don't part ways entirely -- it seems like he really enjoyed being part of the organization and he certainly served it well.

In a related note, it looks like Ty Van Burkleo has survived the Curse of A's Hitting Coaches that has claimed your Gerald Perrys, your Dave Hudgenses, and your Thad Bosleys in years past.