GaryMrMets
12-04-2001, 08:30 PM
http://royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/kc/news/kc_news_story.jsp?article_id=kc_20011127_pole_news&team_id=kc
News
11/27/2001 5:43 pm ET
Pole hired to develop young pitchers
Veteran will serve as roving minor-league instructor
By Robert Falkoff
MLB.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals' ownership continues to make a strong financial commitment to its player development staff. Besides hiring Bucky Dent as the Class AAA manager at Omaha, the Royals are bringing in veteran Dick Pole as their roving minor-league pitching instructor.
Pole, 51, spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians. He spent the 1999 season with the Anaheim Angels and guided their pitching staff to the fifth-best earned run average in the American League.
"Those two hires (Dent and Pole) are huge to this organization," Royals General Manager Allard Baird said. "Having Dick as a rover is a tremendous addition. He's a quality baseball person."
With the Royals looking to boost a cluster of young pitching prospects to a higher level, Pole will make the rounds in the Kansas City system. Pole pitched professionally for 13 years, including six in the big leagues with Boston and Seattle.
"Dick can (push them over the top)," Baird said.
Bob Hegman, the Royals' senior director of Minor League operations, agrees while pointing out the benefits "of having such experienced teachers as Dent and Pole." Hegman said there's "no way we could have brought these guys in" without the resources committed to the player development staff by Royals management.
"In the hiring of Bucky Dent, we got a guy who can finish the product," Hegman said. "It's the same thing with Dick Pole. He has Major League experience and will be a very valuable asset in preparing our pitchers for what it takes to succeed at that level."
The Royals will have several other newcomers on the 2002 minor-league staff, including Wichita hitting coach Nelson Liriano, Spokane pitching coach Craig Bjornson, Gulf Coast pitching coach Dave LaRoche, Gulf Coast rehabilitation coach Barry Takahashi, Spokane hitting coach Patrick Anderson and Wichita pitching coach Larry Carter.
Pole's prize pitching prospect last season at Cleveland was rookie left-hander C.C. Sabathia, who finished 17-5 with a 4.39 earned run average for the AL Central Division champions.
Robert Falkoff covers the Royals for MLB.com
News
11/27/2001 5:43 pm ET
Pole hired to develop young pitchers
Veteran will serve as roving minor-league instructor
By Robert Falkoff
MLB.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Royals' ownership continues to make a strong financial commitment to its player development staff. Besides hiring Bucky Dent as the Class AAA manager at Omaha, the Royals are bringing in veteran Dick Pole as their roving minor-league pitching instructor.
Pole, 51, spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians. He spent the 1999 season with the Anaheim Angels and guided their pitching staff to the fifth-best earned run average in the American League.
"Those two hires (Dent and Pole) are huge to this organization," Royals General Manager Allard Baird said. "Having Dick as a rover is a tremendous addition. He's a quality baseball person."
With the Royals looking to boost a cluster of young pitching prospects to a higher level, Pole will make the rounds in the Kansas City system. Pole pitched professionally for 13 years, including six in the big leagues with Boston and Seattle.
"Dick can (push them over the top)," Baird said.
Bob Hegman, the Royals' senior director of Minor League operations, agrees while pointing out the benefits "of having such experienced teachers as Dent and Pole." Hegman said there's "no way we could have brought these guys in" without the resources committed to the player development staff by Royals management.
"In the hiring of Bucky Dent, we got a guy who can finish the product," Hegman said. "It's the same thing with Dick Pole. He has Major League experience and will be a very valuable asset in preparing our pitchers for what it takes to succeed at that level."
The Royals will have several other newcomers on the 2002 minor-league staff, including Wichita hitting coach Nelson Liriano, Spokane pitching coach Craig Bjornson, Gulf Coast pitching coach Dave LaRoche, Gulf Coast rehabilitation coach Barry Takahashi, Spokane hitting coach Patrick Anderson and Wichita pitching coach Larry Carter.
Pole's prize pitching prospect last season at Cleveland was rookie left-hander C.C. Sabathia, who finished 17-5 with a 4.39 earned run average for the AL Central Division champions.
Robert Falkoff covers the Royals for MLB.com