The Diamondbacks have filled a key spot on Torey Lovullo’s staff, announcing the hiring of Joe Mather as hitting coach. The 39-year-old has spent the past two seasons as the assistant hitting coach of the Reds.
A former outfielder, Mather appeared in 229 MLB games between 2008-12. He played in the minors and independent ball through 2014 before transitioning into coaching. Mather’s first instructional work began with the D-Backs, as he coached and managed in Arizona’s minor league system up through 2019 before joining David Bell’s staff in Cincinnati.
Mather’s past stint with the D-Backs makes him a known commodity for Lovullo and the Snakes’ front office, as well as a handful of players now on the big league roster. He’ll be tasked with trying to coax improvements out of a D-Backs lineup that figures to incorporate plenty of younger players on the heels of an NL-worst 52-110 season.
Lovullo is returning for his sixth season leading the Arizona dugout, but much of his coaching staff remains unsettled. The D-Backs are still in the process of finding a new bench coach and pitching coach to replace Luis Urueta and Matt Herges, respectively.
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
It doesn’t Mather who you hire, they have their work cut out for them
Monkey’s Uncle
Hitting is mind over Mather, but they hired Mather, so never mind.
lady1959
The Beaver!!⚾️
Assdribble_Cabrera
“Ward, you were a little hard on the Beaver last night.”
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
By todays warped & criminal standards, that could go either of two ways
bobtillman
I also wondered what those chains and handcuffs were doing hanging off Ward and June’s bed…..
(Not that there’s anything wrong with that)….
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
I smell censorship in the wind……
We all got a little off topic
letmeclearmythroat74
Doesn’t look like the beavers I have seen!
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Does’t make much difference what hitting coach you hire until you get better hitters.
nentwigs
What was the position for which JERRY MATHERS was hired ??
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
Assistant to Tony Dow
Assdribble_Cabrera
Unfortunately, in a corresponding move, Tony Dow was traded to Perdue Chicken for Lumpy Rutherford who takes over as the new assistant to the traveling secretary.
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
All under the auspices of CEO Eddie Haskell, who is rumored to be in line for the Mets new GM, thank you Mr. & Mrs. Cleaver, Wallace & Theodore.
Assdribble_Cabrera
It always seems to come back to the fiasco Mets. Well played.
Curly Was The Smart Stooge
We got a little American culture mixed in with 2021 baseball, I found it humorous & rewarding
mack423
Man, I used to love rooting for him. He was never the same after he broke his hamate bone in that late-season game in Arizona, though. Zapped his power. Could have had a nice run as a 4th OF.
misterlol
Lol
mack423
What’s funny? He was a Cardinal fan favorite, even when he was still at Memphis. Tons of pop at a time when the Cardinals’ OF was super barren in the late ’00s. Forget baseball existed before 2017?
Jack Buckley
It’s shocking how bad the DBACKS are, they won’t win 50 games next year
SupremeZeus
Next season will be brutal for the snakes. Ken Kendrick is 78.
ldoggnation
Can he pitch?!?!
sufferforsnakes
“and nothing else Mathers…..”
findingnimmo
…and those who can’t, teach.
getright11
Which is one of the dumbest sayings ever, mind you.
619bird
Wasn’t his nickname bombs?
mack423
Joey Bombs! Yep
AA_Cardinals
He had one of the sharpest turns at third base you ever saw from a guy his size. He seemed to hit in bunches. Had an identical twin as well.
Bob333
This guy could never hit so I guess it doesn’t Mather
KingLouieLouie76
I wonder if he gets rave reviews for being a hitting coach than a pseudo Jerry Mathers?