Again, as has been reported by many sources, the Mariners today filled out the remainder of their coaching staff. The one name that comes as no surprise at all is Carl Willis, who will indeed return as the team's pitching coach. The rest of the names are more surprising, at least in that you probably didn't expect them, because you probably didn't think about them at all.
The new hitting coach is Chris Chambliss, who's had several stints as a hitting coach and most recently managed in AAA. Chambliss was also the first overall selection in the 1970 draft, taken 19 picks in front of someone named Pete LaCock. Pretty glad we didn't get that guy.
The new bullpen coach is Jaime Navarro, who's spent the last few years as a pitching coach within the system. Even though Navarro had some good years in the bigs, what I remember most is how bad he was towards the end. Over his final 575.1 innings, Navarro posted an ERA of 6.32, and so even though it isn't true, when people ask me who I think is the worst pitcher in Major League history, Navarro's is always the first name that comes to mind.
The new bench coach is Robby Thompson, who comes over from the Indians' front office. Thompson was a second baseman for the Giants for 11 years, and if you plug in your SEGA and play a few games of World Series Baseball '94 you'll find that Thompson is one of two guys who is an inexplicable home run machine, along with Leo Gomez.
Mike Brumley's back as the first base coach. As first base coach, he'll have a direct view over to the third base coach, which will remind Brumley of how he was a complete disaster as a third base coach.
And finally, Jeff Datz is the new third base coach. Whether or not Datz is a good man for the job is less relevant than the fact that Datz was a coach with the Indians while Eric Wedge was a manager with the Indians, and damned if managers don't like surrounding themselves with familiar faces when they can.
0 recs | 49 comments
Wetteland :-(
I know the bullpen coach isn’t really that important, but the bullpen weirdness factor just took a nosedive (and I’m a fan of weird).
appleshampoo - November 4, 2010
I'll miss Wettland too.
Although from what I heard, Lowe was the ringleader for most of the weirdness.
Thingray - November 4, 2010
Shoot, did I miss an "e" in that?
Thingray - November 4, 2010
I'll miss him for the 1995 nostalgia irony.
FairWeatherFred - November 4, 2010
I read about Navarro's 6.32 ERA and thought "Oh, that's average."
Damn you for distorting baseball for me, 2010 Mariners.
katal - November 4, 2010
I can't believe how crappy our odds are for next year. These guys suck.
Kermit. - November 4, 2010
Should I be amazed that you remember Robby Thompson as a home-run hitting machine,
from a SEGA game in ’94?
Thingray - November 4, 2010
I am.
I bought that game when it came out and I still own it to this day. Fascinating he remembers.
Slica - November 4, 2010
I'm also surprised by the LaCock thing.
Is there anything Jeff doesn’t know?
NeighborTom2 - November 5, 2010
I imagine Jeff stumbled upon that fact whilst researching Chambliss rather than actually knowing it.
I could be wrong of course.
Eyeball Kid - November 5, 2010
This might be a case of Jeff's professional and personnal Google searches colliding...
Also, can you imagine what kind of person it takes to have that name in our society? I’m just going to assume he was home-schooled.
Adam B - November 5, 2010
Jeff Datz has an extraordinarily long neck
jackyz - November 4, 2010
.
jackyz - November 4, 2010
Brumley??? Out of all the coaches, they brought back Brumley?
Did I miss the memo where the Mariner infield swept the Fielding Bible awards? Maybe I am biased because of his horrible coaching at 3rd base. But in the end, I doubt it matters either way who the 1st base and infield coach is.
BTY, for those who remember the original Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall as host, his stepson (but he actually raised him) was Pete LaCock.
Coug1990 - November 4, 2010
I can't believe how angry i got when i read we were keeping Brumley.
In my mind Mike Brumley is like 60% responsible for everything that was wrong with this team in 2010.
wetzelcoal - November 4, 2010
Hear hear!
How the heck can Brumley be keeping his job? He fucked up like a feebleminded donkey out there.
I hope the new FO isn’t buying his crap about the new “system” he developed. I remember reading this and thinking “uh oh. some stupid guy trying to be the show again”. And then his stupidity cost us some games.
Base coaches should be invisible to fans.
Still can’t believe this guy among all the coaches is still keeping his job. Brumley sure must be some slick talker. I wish he would go away and sell used cars.
NeighborTom2 - November 5, 2010
I knew that
Always wondered why Pete LaCock and Peter Marshall could be son and father but have different last names…
New England Fan - November 4, 2010
Because Peter Marshall's real name is LaCock?
I believe Pete is his real son. Marshall changed his name when he started to work as a singer/straight man with Tommy Noonan
Marshall’s sister changed her name to Dru, and as Joanne Dru had a very successful career as an actress.
msb - November 5, 2010
I can't wait for everyone to get throw out at the plate by 12 feet for another year.
joof - November 4, 2010
Is Datz as bad as Brumley?
nemo1 - November 4, 2010
Don't the worst athletes usually make the best coaches anyway?
Navarro is going to be incredible.
abender20 - November 4, 2010
Alonzo Powell looked like a fatter, older Yuni doppleganger.
He should have single-handedly led us to the World Series.
JY - November 4, 2010
Many with with the Rainiers (and the Lara Cardenales)
think Navarro’s amazing.
I think a bullpen coach does fuck-all, but Navarro’s earned a shot at…whatever it is he’ll do with the bullpen.
marc w - November 4, 2010
I'm just happy I'll be able to say "Datz amazing",
on a good call to send a runner home.
BurlesonBlue - November 4, 2010
I expect more "Datz a huge mistake."
yuniform - November 4, 2010
Datz a shame.
BurlesonBlue - November 4, 2010
Datz a dead meme already.
Mariner John - November 4, 2010
Datz not true...okay, now it is.
BurlesonBlue - November 4, 2010
Could be worse...
You could have Joel Skinner— who is to Cleveland fans what Brumley seems to be to you guys. (Many people still blame him for the loss of Game 7 of the the 2007 ALCS, by holding Kenny Lofton at third with the Indians a run down.)
Thompson was Wedge’s ‘emergency’ bench coach in 2005, after Buddy Bell got hired by the Royals in mid-season. Went back to the front office after the season, to spend more time with his sons. (I guess they’re out of high school now.)
Good on infield positioning, very good sign-stealer, has regrettable tendencies toward ’"small ball." Obsessed with eating and spitting sunflower seeds.
Datz is ever more old-fashioned than Wedge and a notorious hardass. Usually plays ‘worse cop’ to Wedge’s ‘bad cop’. Absolutely hideous in-game manager who never knows when a pitcher is gassed. Will make you pray that Wedge isn’t tossed.
When subbing for Skinner, a fairly aggressive 3B coach who liked to force opponents to make throws. Believed you could rattle opponents by taking an extra base, because they usually made casual heaves, not good, crisp pegs. In your park, big as it is, I’d bet he sends runners.
Finally, I’ll see your Jaime Navarro and raise you Kane Davis.
Dwayne Mendoza - November 4, 2010
How do you know this?
Poochie - November 5, 2010
I once hit a home run with David Justice....
OFF A BUNT in World Series Baseball for Sega. The best part was the high pitched noise the ball used to make when it comes off the bat lasted FOREVER. My buddy was so pissed.
BTW am I the only guy who thinks Eric Wedge looks like Russell Branyan’s older brother with stubble?
Darth Flamingo - November 4, 2010
Super Nintendo was so much better.
I mean, the baseball game was named after Griffey! And you had the fun of entering everyone’s name yourself!
yuniform - November 4, 2010
Call, call call...
Me junior.
Pebohead - November 5, 2010
Nobody cares about your imaginary sports teams
pdb - November 4, 2010
Clearly you care on some level to post.
HitKing69 - November 5, 2010
It's a site rule that we don't discuss fantasy teams or video game teams
pdb - November 5, 2010
To be fair,
The post talked about inexplicable homerun machines in a game, so a post talking about inexplicable homeruns in the same game isn’t really off topic.
joof - November 5, 2010 via mobile
it's not a question of on or off topic
it’s a question of trying to prevent dozens of people talking about how they hit home runs with a marginal player in a video game, which is CRAZY isn’t it, or how they had Player X on their fantasy team this one time and he SUCKED. Neither of which are in any way germane to the real life playing of baseball by the players being mentioned, or particularly interesting.
I would not dream of ascribing motives to Jeff or his writing, but I’m pretty sure his mention of Sega baseball wasn’t intended as an invitation for everyone to talk about their video game baseball prowess.
pdb - November 5, 2010
Perfectly sums up this past season.
ThomasG - November 5, 2010
I thought it was funny.
Joe Metro - November 5, 2010
Pete LaCock
played for the Cubs briefly in the 1970s. His dad is Peter Marshal of Hollywood Squares fame.
Cubs fans must endure a lot, no?
3744nsheffield - November 5, 2010
Yeah whoa is all of you. We spend most of our time here talking about how bad we feel for Cubs fans.
abender20 - November 5, 2010
Whoa? Woe. Goodness.
abender20 - November 5, 2010
I didn't notice.
Poochie - November 5, 2010
Cub fans who were born before 1960, sure.
Newer Cub fans can go to hell.
katal - November 5, 2010
Yeah, it must really suck to live in one of the greatest cities in the US and have access to a historical landmark stadium every game
pdb - November 5, 2010
♫ Meet the scapegoats, same as the old goats ♫
msb - November 5, 2010
The Mariners aren't going to fool me again.
katal - November 5, 2010
Are LaCock puns still allowed?
Poochie - November 5, 2010 via mobile
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.