Orioles will be interviewing Scott Coolbaugh for hitting coach (hired)

[25 Nuggets]

This brings up an interesting question: Are the best hitters the best hitting coaches? Or... are the guys who were not naturally gifted hitters better? Or... does the hitting coach really matter as much as we think it does? I honestly don't know.

But I seriously doubt our team BA will revert to .215 as a result of hiring Coolbaugh (or Coolly as Buck will surely call him).

I really don't know if there's a correlation. I know that regarding the great managers, some of them were terrific players (John McGraw, Fred Clarke, Joe Torre), some were major leaguers (Connie Mack, Lou Piniella, Leo Durocher) and some were cup-of-coffee guys at best (Walter Alston, Sparky Anderson, and our own Buck Showalter). I suspect the same is true of hitting coaches.

[AlbionHero]

Everything I've read about Coolbaugh sounds positive, so I'm happy with the hire. He's not a big name, but big name players don't always make the best coaches. Coolbaugh wasn't a good MLB player, but maybe its just because he didn't have the physical ability, even if he knew the mechanics.

[El Gordo]

A good coach is a good teacher. That means he has mastered the the technique he is teaching, but also he has the ability to communicate that understanding of technique with a wide variety of players. It has little to do with his personal numbers as a player.

[Frobby]

I'm glad this saga is over. Good luck to Mr. Coolbaugh.

[Dark Helmet]

He's got his work cut out for him with this bunch. Good luck.

[weams]

He's got his work cut out for him with this bunch. Good luck.

The bunch that has been among top hitting clubs for the last three or four years?

[Tx Oriole]

That is who Buck wanted all along. The Rangers had initially denied us permision.

Little bit surprised Scott would leave the Rangers. I used to talk with him at the

AAA home games.

[weams]

Little bit surprised Scott would leave the Rangers. I used to talk with him at the

AAA home games.

The big leagues are a lure. Butch Davis left us.

[Tx Oriole]

Have you ever looked at Buck's record in the the minors at a 5'9" 195 lb first baseman/OFer?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=showal001wil

Sometimes guys are better at teaching then they are at doing.

Kind of like a HOFer named Earl Weaver.

Exactly.

[Dark Helmet]

The bunch that has been among top hitting clubs for the last three or four years?

The bunch that has been among the worst in K and OBP the last...well seems like forever.

[LoyalBirdFan]

I'm shocked the Rangers let us poach him, kudos to them for ldoing the right thing and letting the man decide his future.

[weams]

I'm shocked the Rangers let us poach him, kudos to them for ldoing the right thing and letting the man decide his future.

Orioles did the exact same thing with Butch Davis. And Demarlo Hale.

BTW.

Coolbaugh was the Rangers' hitting coach in 2012, they led the Majors in runs scored (808) and were second in the American League in batting average (.272).

[weams]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EpMlVptg2Ls" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ted Williams on hitting.

[weams]

"I don't take the fist pitch any more, Ronnie."

Barry Bonds to Ron Darling.

[mdbdotcom]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EpMlVptg2Ls" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ted Williams on hitting.

He was pretty good.