Baltimore Orioles’ third base coach DeMarlo Hale moves to Toronto Blue Jays - MLB News
Buck Showalter will have one change in his coaching staff of six in 2013 as third base coach DeMarlo Hale appears to have decided to take the bench coach job with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 51-year-old was with the Baltimore Orioles during the last season
and was a respected figure within the ranks of the organisation.
If the reports are right, Hale will be the first coach on the staff of Blue Jay’s new manager John Gibbons’ staff. DeMarlo himself was a candidate for the managerial position with the Toronto ball club two years back.
Hale has had a long coaching history in the Major League. His first stint as a coach in the Majors came with Texas Rangers where he was the first base coach between 2002 and 2005. From 2006 to 2011, he was with the Boston Red Sox in the capacity of a third
base coach and then a bench coach prior to joining the Baltimore Orioles.
The right hander mainly played in the Minor leagues and made some brief appearances for the Red Sox in the 80’s. He earned his ranks as a coach and then as a manager in the Minor League system before making it to the Major League as a coach.
DeMarlo was offered a contract the Orioles to continue under manager Buck Showalter. It is considered that Hale is one of the more trusted coaches Buck had on his staff. The birds retained pitching Coach Rick Adair and hitting Coach Jim Presley for the next
season as they agreed to the terms offered to them by the club.
The Orioles will now be on the lookout for a new third base coach search which may be a bit complicated. The job itself is demanding and ideally the club will be looking at someone with experience in the given role.
Some names have already predicted by baseball quarters including Brian Graham, the Orioles’ coordinator for Minor League instruction and Bobby Dickerson, the Minor League field coordinator for the Orioles, as internal candidates for the position.
External possibilities include Buck’s former bench coach in Texas Don Wakamatsu and Steve Smith, who was the third base coach for Texas under Showalter, Rich Dauer and Mike Bordick, the former Orioles’ players.
Baltimore Orioles certainly have lost an important member of their organisation who played an important role in the resurgence of the ball club in 2012. Hale is a well respected man with in the O’s and a suitable replacement for him will be hard to find.
It will be very important though; that an equally good third base coach is found by the club to continue the good work the team has done in the 2012 season in the near future.
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