Loading ...I see that the Reds have hired a new hitting coach:
Brook Jacoby took on the tall order of filling in for renowned hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo last year in Texas. Now, he has a full-time Major League coaching job of his own.
The Reds named the longtime Major League third baseman and veteran hitting instructor as their new hitting coach on Friday, filling one of two openings on manager Jerry Narron’s staff for 2007.
It’s a return to the Reds organization for Jacoby, who was the hitting instructor at Triple-A Louisville in 2001-02. He was there when a young slugger named Adam Dunn passed through on his way to the big leagues. Jacoby returns to the big-league level to take over an offense that struggled down the stretch last year.
“The one thing that impressed me,” Narron said, “was when we were having our interview and just talking hitting, he was very well prepared. He knew what our deficiencies were in situational hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position, and what we had to do.”
Hey, maybe Jacoby will be coming to town just as his old student Dunn leaves the Queen City!
I don’t really have any grand thoughts about Jacoby joining the team. We just don’t know enough about Jacoby right now to allow for an informed opinion either way on his ability as a hitting coach. Frankly, I didn’t have a problem with the recently-fired Chris Chambliss in that role.
We’ll wait and see on this one. For now, all I can tell you is that I saw Jacoby play in AAA, when he was a member of the Richmond Braves, years and years ago.
Can that be taken as a sign that they do not really want to trade Dunn?
It seems like a decent hire. Obviously they liked what he did in Louisville and it does not hurt that he has worked alongside Jaramillo, who is generally considered to be one of the better hitting instructors (and the Texas offense has had good success over the last few years with young hitting, Laynce Nix aside).
“The one thing that impressed me,” Narron said, “was when we were having our interview and just talking hitting, he was very well prepared. He knew what our deficiencies were in situational hitting and hitting with runners in scoring position, and what we had to do.”
Who in baseball didn’t know this? Seems like a real “duh” comment but then Narron is sort of a real “duh” guy.
I think the important part is not just that he knew what the problems were on the team, but that he presented a gameplan on how to fix the problems. Sure, everyone knew where the Reds were struggling but perhaps he presented the best course of action out of all the people interviewed.
“Situational hitting.”
I’ve never been able to figure out what that really means. If it means “productive outs,” no thanks. If it means, “getting hits when guys are on base, as opposed to when the bases are empty,” good luck to any coach who thinks he can affect it. I don’t know that anyone ever has.
Although it might not be quite the answer you are looking for, I think he is referring to getting up to the plate in important situations or with runners on base and, at the very least, not striking out.