Let’s kick off this Saturday morning by checking in on the latest happenings around the game…
- The Giants are adding Jacob Cruz to manager Gabe Kapler’s coaching staff. Cruz will be an assistant hitting coach for the 2022 season, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Cruz returns to the organization that drafted him in the first round as an outfielder back in 1994. He was an assistant hitting coach with the Brewers for the past two seasons, the Pirates, Cubs, and Diamondbacks before that. Cruz joins assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero, hitting coach Justin Viele, and director of hitting Dustin Lind as offensive coaches on Kapler’s staff.
- Managers and coaches are not included in the hiring freeze brought on by the lockout, so coaching hires should continue to roll in. The Nationals are one organization that figures to be relatively active in filling out their coaching staff and development teams. The Nats have seen a number of their front office staff leave over the past year. They’re also looking to fill the position of minor league hitting coordinator, writes Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post.
DodgerOK
Four hitting coaches?
dlaurenzi
It’s the new way. More teams doing this. Brewers will have 3 this year.
dray16
Brewers could use 10
TonyGwynnSD19
@dray16 LOL
giantsphan12
So could the Padres
solaris602
Three assistants and a director of hitting. Pretty soon we’ll see these guys in the dugout wearing suits.
slimmycito
CEO of hitting operations
imissjoebuzas
One for the lefties, one for the righries, one for the switch hitters and one for the three true outcome hitters. NO ONE teaches how to hit to all fields any more
Chipper Jones' illegitimate kid
Its been banned by the Bill James Act of 2009.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Is it possible the only one absolutely necessary is for the zero outcomes hitters?
Sadler
The Giants players regularly told the media that having a lot of coaches helped them a lot over the course of the season.
syndergaardshair
Soon each player will have their own personal hitting coach
sanfranb27
I mean, that’s one of the reasons Corey Seager is now in Texas…
gugui
Differents idea, how that work
ck99
Hitting coaches are cheap, compared to players. Perhaps, more individual attention will help players.
Spinning Wheel
Makes me think of the 10u baseball games I’ve seen recently. One team had six dads in and around the dugout, each with their own “role.” Six dads for a *10u* game?!
mwrherm0
Too many cooks in kitchen for me as a hitter. Give me one or two coaches and video to watch.
Faith in the Padres
No we need individual hitting coaches for individual hitters and individual pitching coaches for individual pitchers and individual position coaches for individual positions. And coaches for the manager.
Yeah sometimes too much information is a bad thing.
I can see it working if you hire a hitting coach to work with guys that rely on contact vs a power coach for why’s who rely on big swings.
gugui
Agree with you
Chipper Jones' illegitimate kid
What team are you hitting for?
The benefit of having more coaches is not so that guys have 4 guys in their ear all the time. Its to give the hitter options. He can find the guy who works for him and only listen to him. It isn’t too many cooks at all. Think about it like opening more restaurants so you don’t have to eat the same thing every night.
Faith in the Padres
Same team as you. I’m batting 9th. You’re batting 8th. Maybe we need some more coaches. Our team sucks Jones Jr. Maybe the Las Vegas Losers wasn’t a great team name after all. I still believe in our over the line team though.
Oh you mean like having coaches based on hitting style huh like contact, power, and such? Those kinds of choices I listed and said that would probably work? So you agree choices are a good thing thanks for proving my point.
Chipper Jones' illegitimate kid
I’m replying to mwrherm0, dude. Don’t be so easily triggered and insecure.
Giants74
All hitters have to make contact. I don’t understand the difference. There is a lot more to hitting than you realize.
foppert
Kapler wanted a fluent Spanish speaker. Someone the non English speaking guys could communicate directly with.
foppert
Correction. The Spanish speaker hire might have been Guerrero.
Giants74
Now if the English speaking guys can communicate in English.
mwrherm0
So I guess the hot stove this year will only entail what coaches get hired where. this lockout stinks.
Chipper Jones' illegitimate kid
You literally had an entire offseason jammed into two weeks. It’s been two days.
bobtillman
I just want to know who gets the Astros’ job as Trash Can Coordinator.
Msvhs79
It hasn’t been vacated yet!
Bart Harley Jarvis
Sanitation Sabermetrician.
azcrook
Four hitting coaches??? 107 wins, 230+ home runs, team BA increased by 6-8 points…..some older players had excellent hitting season…..
tedtheodorelogan
Just glad Farhan didn’t let Cruz walk over the extra year he wanted…
Giants74
Is that supposed to be a joke?
dirkbill
Very subtle using a Brewers picture for this article
claude raymond
Jacob Cruz with Yelich. Cruz pictured with previous team. The Brewers. No pictures available with Giants.
Giants74
Actually, there are pictures of him in a Giants uni. After 25 years, he still looks the same.
claude raymond
Good one G74. He’ll be a lot skinnier too:)
Giants74
@claude There is a picture of Jacob Cruz in a SF Giants uni. Not Phoenix Giants.
claude raymond
saw it on bleacher report I think
claude raymond
Saw one on bleacher report. He was blowing a large bubble gum bubble.
citizen
An article on the gnats and giants coaches with a picture of the Brewers. Makes sense.
claude raymond
Citizen, does it make sense to picture Yelich sitting with Jacob Cruz when Cruz was coaching with the Brewers as the article stated?
Jean Matrac
Clearly, Giants hitters don’t have 4 different guys talking to them all the time. More hitting coaches allows for more attention for each of the hitters. What if multiple guys want to do a little extra work on their swing? With extra coaches, more guys get individual attention. It seems like that approach has worked so far.
User 2079935927
If you want individual attention, It’s called “Get to the ballpark EARLY. Like they been doing for150 years in MLB
claude raymond
Now everybody get off FinkleSteinSh*tkid’s lawn!!! Dammit!!
mister guy
makes sense, you got 10 or so guys that need an hour or 2 so you get to the park maybe 15 hors early and get in line. it’s called pro hitting!
User 2079935927
No it’s not 10 guys all at once . It’s maybe 4 or 5 if that.
claude raymond
yes, and the LONE COACH has a LONG DAY. Brilliant!
Giants74
@finkle…boi…You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Why do you even bother to post?
User 2079935927
29 Teams.See the ball. Now hit it the ball.
Astros: See the ball. Wait for the trash can. Hit a HR.