The time has come for the reckoning. After a season of uncertainty, the TigersThey were shut out 22 times. In which they ranked last for runs and home runs, and where they chased pitches more than any other group, and ranked 29th among 30 teams in walk rate. A barrage of coaching changes starts with the hitting department.
Manager A.J. Hinch announced Friday that the Tigers will be losing Scott Coolbaugh, their hitting coach. Assisting hitting coach Mike Hessman, and third-base coach Ramon Santiago were offered reassignment in the minor leagues.
Josh Paul, quality coach for quality control, did not renew his contract. George Lombard, the bench coach, Chris Fetter, and Juan Nieves (assistant pitching coach) will continue to serve their respective roles until 2023.
Gary Jones, the assistant coach, will likely return to third-base coaching or as a coordinator for defensive coordination from the bench. Alfredo Amezaga (who came from Triple-A Toledo in September and coached first in September) will take over as first-base coach full-time next season.
Scott Harris, the new president for baseball operations Scott Harris, have begun their interview process in an effort to reform the organization. The most important priority is hitting instruction.
“It’s important for everyone to know that this season is not these coaches’ fault,” Hinch said. “We are all responsible. All of us are part of this. Sometimes it’s philosophical, sometimes changing voices is important in sports and sometimes it’s time to mix up the message to the players. But it shouldn’t be positioned that our hitting woes were all Scott Coolbaugh or Mike Hessman, or Ramon or Josh did something wrong.
