Been in Caps mode today as they get ready to play Montreal tonight at Verizon Center. But didn’t want this to slip by. The Nats have finalized their coaching staff for 2010. Not real surprises were expected since Jim Riggleman simply had the “interim” tag removed from his title last week.
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Hitting coach Rick Eckstein drew rave reviews last year from players and front office personnel alike and may have even stayed if Riggleman wasn’t the choice. Pitching coach Steve McCatty is back. He was promoted June 2 after the team fired Randy St. Claire and has a good relationship with some of the team’s younger pitchers who have come up through the farm system. Third base coach Pat Listach will also return in the same role in 2010.
The changes? John McLaren – who was the manager in Seattle when Riggleman was the bench coach – turns the tables as the team’s new bench coach. Riggleman, of course, took over for McLaren after his firing by the Mariners in the summer of 2008. Jim Lett is the new bullpen coach and Dan Radison takes over at first base for Marquis Grissom.
Under Eckstein, the Nats’ offense – bolstered by free-agent addition Adam Dunn and trade acquisition Josh Willingham – improved in runs per game (+0.40), home runs (+39), batting average (+.007), on-base percentage (+.014), slugging percentage (+.033) and OPS (+.047). McCatty was the Nats’ Triple-A pitching coach for four seasons, McCatty helped his staff post an ERA exactly one run better than it was when he took over (5.69 ERA between Opening Day through May 31 and 4.69 from June 2 to the end of the year.)
With Listach, only 11 Nats baserunners were thrown out at home plate on non force-outs, trailing only the Cardinals (eight) in MLB. McLaren, 58, has 22 seasons of big-league coaching experience, including that stint as Mariners’ manager in 2007 and 2008. He worked on Lou Piniella’s staff for 15 seasons and also served under Mike Hargrove, Cito Gaston, Jimy Williams and Joe Morgan. McLaren has experienced five post-seasons, including four division titles (Toronto in 1989, Seattle ‘95, ‘97, 2001). He was a special-assignment scout for the Rays in 2009 and also served as Team USA bench coach during the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.
Lett, 58, has 15 seasons of Major League coaching experience, 11 spent as a bench coach with the Reds, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Pirates. He served as Dodgers bullpen coach from 2001-04, where he worked alongside Riggleman, who was Jim Tracy’s bench coach at the time. Lett joins the Nationals after spending the previous two years coaching in Milwaukee’s minor-league system. Radison, 59, begins his third tour with Riggleman. The two worked together during Riggleman’s tenure as manager in San Diego and with the Chicago Cubs.
That gives the Nats three veteran coaches to anchor Riggleman’s staff. Only Eckstein and Listach are under 50. Grissom was offered a job in the organization, sources said last month, but it was not guaranteed to be on the big-league coaching staff and the two sides have parted ways. Former bullpen coach Randy Knorr is now the manager at Double-A Harrisburg.
