E-mail
Print
After fielding nearly 40 phone calls about his vacant bench coach position, Orioles manager Dave Trembley found exactly the person he was looking for in Jeff Datz, a former catcher who spent the previous 19 seasons in the Cleveland Indians organization.
His hiring made official Thursday, Datz replaces Dave Jauss, who was let go by Trembley this month after two seasons.
"He has experience, he's shown a great deal of loyalty to one organization and he came very highly recommended by the people that he worked for and with," Trembley said. "He's very meticulous and a very thorough tactician and instructor of the game. He's going to be a very good resource, not only for me but for the other coaches and our players. It was a process we spent an awful lot of time on, and Jeff was right at the top [of the list] from the very beginning."
Datz, 49, was on the Indians' coaching staff for eight seasons before he was relieved of his duties when manager Eric Wedge was fired early this month. Datz was Wedge's bench coach for three seasons after serving in that same role under former Indians manager Charlie Manuel for the first half of the 2002 season. During his 19-year tenure in the Cleveland organization, Datz was also the Indians' first base coach, third base coach, minor league field coordinator, a minor league manager and a scout.
"Dave Trembley's an outstanding human being, number one, and a great baseball man and manager," Datz said. "As we went through the process, he made me feel welcome, and I was excited even more to be part of the organization. I spent a long time in Cleveland, but I'm really excited to move on."
As a player, he spent parts of nine minor league seasons behind the plate and played seven games with the Detroit Tigers in 1989. In his new role, Datz will assist Trembley in all facets, including coordinating spring training and working extensively with young catcher Matt Wieters.
Trembley said it was important for the new bench coach to have a catching background after the manager needed minor league catching instructor Don Werner to spend stretches with the club last season to assist with Wieters' development. Datz said Wieters impressed him when the Indians played the Orioles late in the season.
"I remember a throw he made in Baltimore, where it was a breaking ball in the dirt and he just threw a rocket right on the bag," Datz recalled. "[Shin-Soo] Choo came back and said, 'Datzy, I had a great jump, what happened? Was it a pitchout?' I said, 'It wasn't a pitchout, it was just a laser right on the bag.' He's obviously a special talent."
Uehara signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Orioles in January, largely because they were willing to give him an opportunity to start.
"It's not a foregone conclusion but likely," said MacPhail on converting Uehara to a reliever. The right-hander saved 32 games for the Yomiuri Giants in 2007. "I think he understands. Medically, it might be the thing that makes the most sense."
His hiring made official Thursday, Datz replaces Dave Jauss, who was let go by Trembley this month after two seasons.
"He has experience, he's shown a great deal of loyalty to one organization and he came very highly recommended by the people that he worked for and with," Trembley said. "He's very meticulous and a very thorough tactician and instructor of the game. He's going to be a very good resource, not only for me but for the other coaches and our players. It was a process we spent an awful lot of time on, and Jeff was right at the top [of the list] from the very beginning."
Datz, 49, was on the Indians' coaching staff for eight seasons before he was relieved of his duties when manager Eric Wedge was fired early this month. Datz was Wedge's bench coach for three seasons after serving in that same role under former Indians manager Charlie Manuel for the first half of the 2002 season. During his 19-year tenure in the Cleveland organization, Datz was also the Indians' first base coach, third base coach, minor league field coordinator, a minor league manager and a scout.
"Dave Trembley's an outstanding human being, number one, and a great baseball man and manager," Datz said. "As we went through the process, he made me feel welcome, and I was excited even more to be part of the organization. I spent a long time in Cleveland, but I'm really excited to move on."
As a player, he spent parts of nine minor league seasons behind the plate and played seven games with the Detroit Tigers in 1989. In his new role, Datz will assist Trembley in all facets, including coordinating spring training and working extensively with young catcher Matt Wieters.
Trembley said it was important for the new bench coach to have a catching background after the manager needed minor league catching instructor Don Werner to spend stretches with the club last season to assist with Wieters' development. Datz said Wieters impressed him when the Indians played the Orioles late in the season.
"I remember a throw he made in Baltimore, where it was a breaking ball in the dirt and he just threw a rocket right on the bag," Datz recalled. "[Shin-Soo] Choo came back and said, 'Datzy, I had a great jump, what happened? Was it a pitchout?' I said, 'It wasn't a pitchout, it was just a laser right on the bag.' He's obviously a special talent."
Headed for bullpen?
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he spoke to pitcher Koji Uehara before the end of the season and told him he'll likely be used out of the bullpen in 2010. Uehara started 12 games for the Orioles in 2009 but didn't pitch after June 23 because of a partially torn flexor tendon in his right elbow.Uehara signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Orioles in January, largely because they were willing to give him an opportunity to start.
"It's not a foregone conclusion but likely," said MacPhail on converting Uehara to a reliever. The right-hander saved 32 games for the Yomiuri Giants in 2007. "I think he understands. Medically, it might be the thing that makes the most sense."
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Trembley doesn't want his successor sitting beside him. And that's fine. The bench coach isn't going to add or subtract one win from the 2010 O's total.
oira79 (10/31/2009, 11:14 AM )