Chaves and Pentland hired

Dave · October 27, 2005 at 12:38 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

The M’s today announced the hiring of Jeff Pentland as hitting coach, as expected.

However, they threw everyone a curveball when they announced the hiring of Rafael Chaves as pitching coach. Most rumors had him being a long shot, but the M’s stayed in house and hired the well respected candidate who guided the Tacoma Rainiers staff in 2005.

Comments

46 Responses to “Chaves and Pentland hired”

  1. PositivePaul on October 27th, 2005 12:41 pm

    Chaves, YESSSS!

    If they weren’t going with an outside candidate, I wanted Chaves.

  2. Kelly M on October 27th, 2005 12:43 pm

    Hiring Chaves seems like a really good move. As a general rule, for every sport, I always like it when teams hire coaches/managers from the minor leagues rather than just going with a re-tread.

  3. Todd on October 27th, 2005 12:44 pm

    Good news about Chaves. Since I do not consider a hitting coach all that important in terms of the team’s hitting performance, I am not worried about Pentland’s past track record with the Cubs and Royals.

  4. PositivePaul on October 27th, 2005 12:45 pm

    That said, I’m curious why they went after Pentland. I mean, I realize that a hitting coach’s effect on the win/loss record is nearly as valuable as promoting a certain pitcher based on his AFL numbers, but why Pentland over Wallach?

  5. Mike L on October 27th, 2005 12:53 pm

    I like it. That whole Roger McDowell thing had me worried.

  6. theberle on October 27th, 2005 1:04 pm

    Dan Rohn also was hired as “the Administrative Coach” at the major league level.

  7. Jon Helfgott on October 27th, 2005 1:09 pm

    Obviously it’s nearly impossible to know what any specific hitting coach contributes to any one player…but I was really hoping the Ms would hire Wallach. Anything to surround Beltre with the elements in place for his 2004 season would have been a good move, IMO.

  8. David J Corcoran on October 27th, 2005 1:15 pm

    W00T!!!!

    YES!!!!!!!!

    Chaves! Mi hero!

    Why Pentland, though?

  9. msb on October 27th, 2005 1:21 pm

    you mean the Rotoworld prediction (“The Mariners like safe choices and Stottlemyre fits the bill.”) wasn’t true?!

    #6– re: Rohn, Kirby Arnold actually mentioned that this morning in his coaching speculation article “The Mariners are expected to move Class AAA Tacoma manager Dan Rohn to a job on the major league coaching staff, where he will work with players and spend time with scouting reports.”

    He also mentions that Paul Abbott is trying his umpteenth comeback…

  10. msb on October 27th, 2005 1:25 pm

    Wallach turned down the chance to go to P’burgh with Tracy; maybe he is interested in staying in California?

  11. Mat on October 27th, 2005 1:26 pm

    What is the role of an administrative coach? Is it really a promotion from AAA manager?

  12. Russ on October 27th, 2005 1:28 pm

    Chaves is a gutsy move.

    I hope this portends well as to the type of unconventional (should say un-Mariner) moves we need to see for the Ms to break away from stuffy, under thought, over wrought retreads that permeate MLB.

    Bavasi has my attention now. I waiting for him to follow-up this great move with another and another and another.

  13. Russ on October 27th, 2005 1:31 pm

    I’m not sure what to make of the Rohn move. Perhaps this is to keep him close to the Ms and not pre-occupied with the Rainers.

    I’ll bet Grover is looking over his shoulder though and should. If Bavasi helps him to build a nice bench that rots away, perhaps we’ll see a new skipper in the near future.

    Would Rohn be a good MLB skipper? I ask this knowing that many don’t believe there is much benefit to a good coach. I think we can all agree that a bad manager is a detriment.

  14. The Ancient Mariner on October 27th, 2005 1:33 pm

    All I ask from a hitting coach is to promote patience and plate discipline — except for Ichiro, where all I ask of a hitting coach is never to go near the guy.

    Chaves is a good hire. Slaton would have been a better one, imho, but if Slaton’s willing to stay on as bullpen coach, one would think that he and Chaves should make a fantastic team; and really, the fact that one of those two guys was the final choice is all I could ask for. At this point, all the hand-wringing over Price’s departure is moot — whether the local MSM realize it or not, we’re just as well off.

    As for Rohn, I hope Hargrove gives him a lot of input and listens to him carefully; with the job he’s done in Tacoma, he deserves no less.

  15. goodbye baseball on October 27th, 2005 1:35 pm

    11. From the official release:

    Rohn will participate in pregame work but will not be in uniform for the games. Instead, he will chart the games in the video room. His responsibilities will include building a self-scouting base and coordinating advance reports and other scouting information on Mariners opponents.

  16. msb on October 27th, 2005 1:41 pm

    well, Rohn did want to move up to the MLB level — if Hassey had gotten the Marlins job, wonder if Rohn would have been the new bench coach….

  17. Mike L on October 27th, 2005 1:50 pm

    The Pentland hire does seem really random. When’s the last time you could associate Paul Molitor, Dan Baylor, and …..Jeff….Pentland?

  18. msb on October 27th, 2005 1:51 pm

    Does this make Pentland Mad-Eye Moody?

  19. jim on October 27th, 2005 1:51 pm

    Rohn’s new position sounds like one of those “special assistant” positions created in the corporate world that amount to a holding bin for an up-and-comer until a proper spot comes open.

  20. vj on October 27th, 2005 1:54 pm

    msb, better that than the half-blooded-prince!

  21. Mike L on October 27th, 2005 2:07 pm

    18, 20-am I a dork for knowing exactly what you’re talking about? Although I think Pentland would actually be Professor Lupin.

  22. robbbbbb on October 27th, 2005 2:08 pm

    No, not Moody. He’d be Lupin, since he’s the third new one. Next year’s hitting coach would be Moody, right?

  23. Mike L on October 27th, 2005 2:09 pm

    If this pattern follows, Evil Rick Rizzs will be the hitting coach in 2009, and will murder Bavasi.

  24. msb on October 27th, 2005 2:19 pm

    you are forgetting the earlier ones:
    Perry (’00-’02)
    Johnson (’03)
    Molitor (’04)
    Baylor (’05)
    Pentland….

    if we count Gerald as the last one who survived the job for more than a year, Pentland is Moody….

  25. mcfly on October 27th, 2005 2:34 pm

    from:
    http://www.hittingacademy.com/visitor/vbiojpentland.cfm

    “Chicago Cubs Major League Hitting Instructor Jeff Pentland is considered to be one of the best hitting instructors in professional baseball. Credited by most with harnessing the potential of “Sammy Sosa”, Jeff transformed Sosa into not only one the games most prolific power hitters, but one who can hit for average and drive in runs as well.”

    They should say that Sammy has hit 588 career Pentlands. I also love that Sammy Sosa is in quotations.

  26. Bob Kayline on October 27th, 2005 2:44 pm

    #25: The quote is from a promotional piece, welcoming Pentland to the Hitting Academy staff. We should take this with a grain of salt. I am sure my company said rediculously flattering things about me in promotional material when I joined up.

  27. Russ on October 27th, 2005 2:50 pm

    So…The hitting coach in 07 will be a woman who looks like a toad???

  28. Dennis Lott on October 27th, 2005 3:02 pm

    Does anyone know, or think, that this means Dave Brundage will be promoted from San Antonio to Tacoma? If so, who are the possibilities for the San Antonio position?

  29. vj on October 27th, 2005 3:07 pm

    Russ, yeah, and Ichiro will start giving secret hitting lessons himself in that year (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

  30. Felonius Drunk on October 27th, 2005 3:07 pm

    OT, but Fanball is reporting the M’s are going to decline their option on Guardado, but would like him back.

  31. JPWood on October 27th, 2005 3:13 pm

    Kudos for Chavez. Hope he adapts to being on camera.
    I can’t believe Rohn will be stuck in front of a TV monitor in the clubhouse out of uniform with a notepad on his desk throughout 2006. And that announced less than 24 hours after the WS ended.
    Bavasi is just starting, and this might be more interesting than I’d anticipated.

  32. msb on October 27th, 2005 3:35 pm

    #29–that seems to be what is expected

    #30– see very end of 10/25/2005, Relief Aces

  33. Colm on October 27th, 2005 4:22 pm

    Well, I like that the hitting coach shares his last name with several varieties of taters. But maybe we’d be better off looking for one called Russet, or Yukon Gold.

  34. Bela Txadux on October 27th, 2005 8:00 pm

    Purple Fingerling.

  35. Bela Txadux on October 27th, 2005 8:01 pm

    I’m happy enough with Chaves. He knows many of the present staff, has a solid rep, and deserves the slot. I’d have been happier if Price stayed put, but.

  36. Dan Diamant on October 27th, 2005 9:32 pm

    Isn’t Pentland the guy generally given credit for making Sosa a more patient hitter? If so, maybe Bavasi hopes he’ll do the same thing for Beltre.

  37. wabbles on October 27th, 2005 9:44 pm

    “Administrative coach?” I’m still unclear on the first base coach duties. They all look like good hires.
    As far as hitting coaches, Gerald Perry seemed to have the most success. I hope Pentland does something similar.
    Although I always keep in mind the comment of our 1995 pitching coach who was fired after the 1996 season.
    It was something like, “Let’s see, in 1995 I had Randy Johnson, Chris Bosio, Tim Belcher, etc. and we were successful. This year I had none of those people and we weren’t. Gee, this must all be MY fault.”

  38. Noel on October 27th, 2005 10:32 pm

    Lookout Landing interviewed Chaves earlier this year:

    http://www.lookoutlanding.com/story/2005/5/5/21552/06254

    Ominously, Chaves seems to think that pitching injuries are flukes.

  39. LB on October 28th, 2005 12:51 am

    #37: I’m still unclear on the first base coach duties.

    Traditionally, the first base coach has been someone logging service time for an MLB pension and giving the manager someone to drink with.

  40. wabbles on October 28th, 2005 2:01 am

    RE 39: Ah, and I here I thought he had important duties like inducing crippling knee injuries in promising Australian outfield prospects. No, wait. That’s the third base coach’s job.

  41. ray on October 28th, 2005 6:46 am

    Yea! Oh, I’m I off-topic?:-)

  42. RickL on October 28th, 2005 8:10 am

    If Pentland was fired by the mighty Kansas City Royals, how good can he be? As I once said during a game thread, being the Mariner hitting coach is like being the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at Hogwarts.

  43. msb on October 28th, 2005 8:25 am

    hey RickL… go back up and read from about #18 down 🙂

  44. JBird on October 28th, 2005 8:46 am

    Based on this quote from the Times, I like the sounds of Pentland’s approach:
    “I think my strength is along the lines of solid situational hitting, teaching guys, especially younger players, the value of offensive baseball versus just going up and getting hits,” he said. “We’re going to try to get as many baserunners as we can, not just get base hits.”

  45. Russ on October 28th, 2005 8:48 am

    #40. Everybody would love to see Doyle in the line-up. Fact is, he isn’t built to play baseball everyday. He has a history of injury and that overblown, Myers is the Devil thing is plain foolish.

    Doyle is a like a flower. He is a thing of beauty to watch at the plate but is as tender as a carnation.

  46. John D. on October 30th, 2005 6:51 pm

    SNELLING’S KNEE INJURY (# 40 & # 45) – There’s some controversy about this. You be the judge. http://tinyurl.com/7se3t