Too often this year, the Seattle Mariners pitched to opposing hitters’ weaknesses instead of relying on their own strengths, and the results weren’t always good.
That approach is likely to change under new pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, who was among four coaches named Monday to manager John McLaren’s staff for 2008. Also announced were Jim Riggleman as bench coach, Norm Charlton as bullpen coach and Eddie Rodriguez as first-base coach. Hitting coach Jeff Pentland is the only holdover from the 2007 staff.
Larry Bowa is expected to be named third-base coach but has delayed making a commitment to the Mariners while he handles a personal matter.
While the entire staff brings an element of intensity and success, the addition of Stottlemyre is particularly significant for a pitching staff that struggled with consistency in 2007.
“Mel utilizes the strength of each pitcher,” McLaren said. “I think sometimes we tried to go after the weakness of the other hitters rather than rely on the strength of our own pitchers.”
Former Mariner Jeff Nelson, who won four World Series rings under Stottlemyre with the Yankees, says he’ll command respect, even from a young pitcher like Felix Hernandez even though Stottlemyre is 65.
“You know the old E.F. Hutton commercial, when they say, ‘When E.F. Hutton speaks, everybody listens?’ That’s basically the way it is with Mel,” Nelson said. “He’s a guy who will force them to go to their strengths. When I was pitching, I had a 94 mph fastball but he was always saying I threw my slider too much.
“Guys like Felix and (Miguel) Batista have a good fastball and Mel will make them use it, especially Felix. During the season he got away from it. That pitch is Felix’s strength.”
Stottlemyre was the Yankees’ pitching coach for 10 years before leaving after the 2005 season. He was a minor league instructor for the Arizona Diamondbacks this year.
Riggleman, 54, has managed the Padres and Cubs, and the past three years was the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league coordinator. He and McLaren have been friends since the 1980s.
“We’ve kept in contact over the years and he’s somebody I’ve respected a long time,” McLaren said. “He’s got a nice track record as a coach and as a manager, and he’s somebody I can really rely on.”
Charlton, 44, pitched six of his 13 major league seasons with the Mariners and has been a roving minor league pitching coach the past four years.
“He’s somebody who’s been there and done that in the bullpen,” McLaren said. “He will teach our young pitchers in the bullpen the right way to do things.”
Rodriguez, 48, managed the Mariners’ Class AA West Tennessee team this year. He has major league coaching experience with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals.
McLaren said Bowa’s situation could be solidified by the end of this week. Bowa, the Yankees’ third-base coach the past two seasons, would also coach the infielders and his intensity could be an important factor for second baseman Jose Lopez, who struggled with consistency and complacency.
“I feel very positive that Larry’s situation will work itself out,” McLaren said. “I think we’ve got one of the best coaching staffs in baseball. We passed up some good names and I passed up some close friends, also. But we put together a staff that I feel can make the Mariners winners next year.”
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