When Scott Coolbaugh was dismissed as Texas Rangers hitting coach after the 2012 season, primarily because club higher-ups were looking for a bigger name after a disappointing ousting by the upstart Orioles in that season's wild-card playoff, Coolbaugh decided to remain in the organization.
"The reason why I stayed is because I am a loyal person. When I put my mind to be somewhere, when I put my heart and soul into it, I've got the mindset that I'm doing it for longevity, and am not chasing the next gig or the next area to stop," said Coolbaugh, who Friday was named the Orioles' hitting coach. "A lot of people like to jump ship when things go bad. But I had stuff I needed to learn and get better at, and I took it upon myself to take that challenge, and good things happened, obviously."
When the Orioles received a 24-hour window to formally negotiate with Coolbaugh, who in 2014 was the Rangers' minor league hitting coordinator, Orioles manager Buck Showalter seized the opportunity. He and club vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson met with Coolbaugh for a couple of hours in Dallas on Friday and offered him the job, which for now appears to be a one-year deal.
"He is just solid. I think we probably kicked the tires on 15 guys, and it came down to three or four that we interviewed. But I think Scott is the best fit for us," Showalter said. "He's not a guy that goes around tooting his own horn, but his body of work is pretty impressive. He doesn't self-promote, but the baseball industry certainly knows who we are talking about."
According to an industry source, the Rangers offered Coolbaugh a multiyear deal to stay in the organization, but the opportunity to be back in the big leagues was too enticing.
"I'm extremely excited and actually humbled at the same time for an organization like the Orioles, that have had success, and for Buck to give a guy like me a chance," Coolbaugh said. "I just want to fit in and be a part of it."
The position came open earlier this offseason when former Orioles hitting coach Jim Presley was reassigned within the organization, with the club citing personal reasons for the move.
Coolbaugh, 48, has spent the past eight seasons in the Rangers organization, including a stint from June 2011 through the 2012 season as big league hitting coach. Texas led the majors in runs scored and was second in the American League in total bases in 2012, but he was removed from the job when the Rangers hired Dave Magadan, who had built a reputation as a top hitting coach with the Boston Red Sox.
Coolbaugh wasn't considered a big name in baseball circles, but he was valued enough to be given the Rangers organization's Triple-A hitting job in 2013 and minor league hitting coordinator position in 2014.
"I look at it a little differently. I think he is a big name within the industry," Showalter said. "He may not be a headliner, but you talk to people in the industry, and his name will be mentioned pretty quickly."