GaryMrMets
11-15-2001, 02:24 PM
http://tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/det/news/det_news_story.jsp?article_id=det_20011114_coaches _news&team_id=det
News
11/13/2001 12:00 pm ET
Rettenmund and Pujols join coaching staff
By Todd Lorenz
detroittigers.com
DETROIT -- Manager Phil Garner and the Tigers announced Wednesday that Flint, Mich. native Merv Rettenmund will take over as the teams' new hitting coach while Luis Pujols will join the staff as the bench coach.
Rettenmund, 58, spent 12 seasons as a player in the Major Leagues, and has coached for five different organizations. He spent the past two seasons as the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves, but was let go after the Braves lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League playoffs. Rettenmund took much of the heat for a Braves team that hit just .260 while piling up the fourth lowest run total in the National League.
Before joining the Braves, Rettenmund spent nine seasons as the San Diego Padres hitting instructor. Under his tutelage, the Padres set club records with 795 runs, 761 RBIs and 2,282 total bases in 1997. In the team's championship 1998 campaign his hitters set Padres records with 489 extra-base hits and 292 doubles. Rettenmund, who has coached playoff teams in four of the last six seasons, will take over for Bill Madlock, who was fired by Garner shortly after the Tigers finished the season. When the Tigers hired Madlock two seasons earlier, Rettenmund was their first choice, but he choose to take the position with the Braves.
Rettenmund was reportedly contacted by other teams in search of an experienced hitting instructor, but told his agent that the Tigers were his first choice. The Tigers have reportedly given Rettenmund a one-year deal to turn around a team that finished 12th in the American League with a .260 batting average.
Pujols, like Rettenmund, was a former Major League player before moving into coaching. He spent nine season's as a catcher in the big leagues, and was a teammate of Garner's with the Houston Astros from 1981-1983.
Pujols spent his first season with the Tigers managing the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. In his first season as a manager, Pujols led Erie to the best record in the Eastern League's Southern Division at 84-58 (.592) before being eliminated by the Reading Phillies in the Southern Division semi-finals.
Before joining the SeaWolves, Pujols spent eight seasons as a coach for Felipe Alou in Montreal. He spent his first six season with the Expos as the first base coach in charge of catchers before spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons as the bench coach.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen and first-base coach Juan Samuel will both return while Doug Mansalino will move from the bench to coach third base as he did in 2000.
In addition to the two coaches, the Tigers named Todd Maulding the new working coach. Maulding spent 12 seasons (1983-94) as the bullpen catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and five seasons (1995-99) in the same position with the Colorado Rockies. In his new position with the Tigers, Maulding's duties will include bullpen-catching assignments as well as throwing bating practice.
News
11/13/2001 12:00 pm ET
Rettenmund and Pujols join coaching staff
By Todd Lorenz
detroittigers.com
DETROIT -- Manager Phil Garner and the Tigers announced Wednesday that Flint, Mich. native Merv Rettenmund will take over as the teams' new hitting coach while Luis Pujols will join the staff as the bench coach.
Rettenmund, 58, spent 12 seasons as a player in the Major Leagues, and has coached for five different organizations. He spent the past two seasons as the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves, but was let go after the Braves lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League playoffs. Rettenmund took much of the heat for a Braves team that hit just .260 while piling up the fourth lowest run total in the National League.
Before joining the Braves, Rettenmund spent nine seasons as the San Diego Padres hitting instructor. Under his tutelage, the Padres set club records with 795 runs, 761 RBIs and 2,282 total bases in 1997. In the team's championship 1998 campaign his hitters set Padres records with 489 extra-base hits and 292 doubles. Rettenmund, who has coached playoff teams in four of the last six seasons, will take over for Bill Madlock, who was fired by Garner shortly after the Tigers finished the season. When the Tigers hired Madlock two seasons earlier, Rettenmund was their first choice, but he choose to take the position with the Braves.
Rettenmund was reportedly contacted by other teams in search of an experienced hitting instructor, but told his agent that the Tigers were his first choice. The Tigers have reportedly given Rettenmund a one-year deal to turn around a team that finished 12th in the American League with a .260 batting average.
Pujols, like Rettenmund, was a former Major League player before moving into coaching. He spent nine season's as a catcher in the big leagues, and was a teammate of Garner's with the Houston Astros from 1981-1983.
Pujols spent his first season with the Tigers managing the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. In his first season as a manager, Pujols led Erie to the best record in the Eastern League's Southern Division at 84-58 (.592) before being eliminated by the Reading Phillies in the Southern Division semi-finals.
Before joining the SeaWolves, Pujols spent eight seasons as a coach for Felipe Alou in Montreal. He spent his first six season with the Expos as the first base coach in charge of catchers before spending the 1999 and 2000 seasons as the bench coach.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen and first-base coach Juan Samuel will both return while Doug Mansalino will move from the bench to coach third base as he did in 2000.
In addition to the two coaches, the Tigers named Todd Maulding the new working coach. Maulding spent 12 seasons (1983-94) as the bullpen catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and five seasons (1995-99) in the same position with the Colorado Rockies. In his new position with the Tigers, Maulding's duties will include bullpen-catching assignments as well as throwing bating practice.