Royals Hire New Position Coaches
 

Royals hire Seitzer, Gibbons as coaches
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

The Royals filled out their on-field staff Monday morning by hiring former Toronto manager John Gibbons as their bench coach and returning Kevin Seitzer to the organization as hitting coach.

The two hirings complete manager Trey Hillman’s 2009 staff. Pitching coach Bob McClure, first-base coach Rusty Kuntz, bullpen coach John Mizerock and Owen are returning to the staff.

“I’m very pleased with the amount of energy and overall baseball experience we’ve been able to add to our Major League staff with John Gibbons and Kevin Seitzer,” general manager Dayton Moore said. “John’s recent American League experience as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays will be a tremendous asset to Trey and the rest of the coaching staff.

“I’m also excited to bring Kevin into our organization. He was an exciting player and fan favorite during his days as a Royal, and possesses the same amount of passion and energy as a coach.”

Gibbons, 46, served 4½ years as the Blue Jays manager before his firing last June 20. He led the club to a 305-305 record in that time. Former bench coach Dave Owen will become the third-base coach on the reconstituted staff.

Seitzer, 46, spent the first six seasons of his 12-year playing career with the Royals. He batted .323 as a rookie in 1987 and finished second in balloting for American League Rookie of the Year.

Seitzer spent part of the 2007 season as the hitting coach at Arizona. He and former Royals teammate Mike Macfarlane operate a baseball-training facility in the Kansas City area.

The Royals also announced former third-base coach Luis Silverio would remain in the organization in the player-development department. His primary job will be to help young Latin players in their transition to professional baseball.

Silverio, 51, recently completed his 33rd year with the Royals. He spent the last six seasons as a coach on the big-league staff,

“I’m delighted that Luis has chosen to remain with our organization and serve in this newly-created position,” Moore said. “He will work with all of our young players as they come through the system, with an emphasis on communicating with the younger Latin kids as their skills develop and begin their professional careers.

“Luis has a terrific working knowledge of our organization and his ability to communicate our values to them will only make the player more comfortable as they grow within our system.”

http://www.kansascity.com/news/break...ry/838773.html

Man, Seitzer could be a great hitting coach!

I like Seitzer but he bombed as hitting coach in Arizona. Well, he was the scapegoat anyway.

Seitzer is one hell of a hitting coach, that is exciting news.

Damn, Hillman is really improving the coaching staff on the team. Great job. It's pretty wild to think the Royals are stealing the headlines going into week 6 in the NFL.

These are nice additions. Seitzer, in particular, is supposed to know his stuff.

plus he can come on the field to blow a bunt foul

If they can't start paying players then change may happen.

This is still bullshit in my biased opinion, 207 hits, 33 doubles, 8 triples, 15 home runs and an OBP at .400 and McGwire wins because of 49 home runs.

There were better options than Seitzer, hopefully DM didn't just bring him back because of the old Royals connection. I was hoping for Jack Maloof.

Jack Meoff? No thanks.

We go through positional coaches like a hot knife through butter.....Jesus.

at some point the players have to be held accountable.

uh?

Yes, but that would require spending real money. Not two-first-round-picks money. REAL money. Free agent & internal player retention money (see Beltran, Dye, and hopefully Greinke, with different results).

The kind of money that, despite Jackson county ponying up $250M (more ?) in a recession, the Glass family has yet to commit to the product on the field.

Apparently, in a recent questionnaire about improving fans' experience at the K, several options were listed. Noticeably absent? Better players/better team. Reason? It's cheaper to buy another hot dog stand, miniaturized field for 4-year-olds, or set of toilets than it is a power-hitting corner outfielder, another frontline starter, or anyone else who isn't Mark Teahen, Ross Gload or ....gulp....TPJ.

This is Missouri. SHOW ME.

We still got action.

Do position coaches in baseball really make all that much a difference??

How about some better talent??