Pitcher Jake Hale dabbles in coaching

Nomadic professional sees gradual move to second role with Champions as natural

Friday night, Jake Hale took the ball for the Ottawa Champions, kicking off the 2018 Can-Am season as the opening night starter against the Trois-Rivieres Aigles. Come tomorrow, who knows? The 32-year-old Hale, who at 6-foot-7 is almost as tall and stretched out as the long shadows that took over RCGT Park for the opening few innings, fully recognizes that his arm only has so many pitches in it.

That’s why he’s also taking the first steps into his second career — as a pitching coach for the younger and less experienced Champions staff — before his first one is over.

“Well, not until my arm hurts bad enough,” Hale says of giving up the playing part for good.

“But I’ve got my feet wet (in coaching). I would love to stay in baseball forever. When I take off the spikes, that’s the direction I want to go. Keeping that on my resume is obviously a good idea.”

Like so many others who have lived and love the baseball life, Hale has tasted more than his share of stadium hot dogs.

An Ohio State grad, he has been drafted by major league teams three times — Cleveland (2005), Toronto (2007) and Arizona (2009). He has pitched in five leagues in the U.S. and Canada, everywhere from the East Coast to the West Coast, and spent the past two winters throwing the ball in Venezuela.

Hale was sharp in the opener. He went five innings, allowing only one run on three hits, while striking out two and walking one. But with the Champions’ bats silent in the early going, he left the game with the Aigles ahead 1-0.

While he has had his share of all-star stretches along the way, he embraced the opportunity to add the coach label last year with the Sugar Land (Texas) Skeeters of the Atlantic League.

“Halfway through last year, our manager, unfortunately, had some things going on family wise with his mother that he had to take care of first,” Hale says.

“So, our original pitching coach and me had to step in.

“I played my role and this year, I’m taking on the role by myself. Slowly, possibly, making the change into coaching as a whole.”

Hale gave himself some time to think about the new playercoach gig, driving to Ottawa from his off-season home in San Diego with fiancée, Whitney, before the opening of spring training.

Of course, the gig creates an intriguing situation when Hale, the pitcher, needs some advice from Hale, the pitching coach.

Does he talk to himself on the mound? “Absolutely,” says Hale. “There might be three or four of me out there, honestly. That is a tough aspect, but I don’t get to make the decision about when I come out. That’s (manager Hal Lanier’s job).”

If he’s struggling on the mound, he will lean on Scott Maine, a exmajor leaguer who pitched with Hale for the Sugar Land Skeeters last season.

“We know each other well, we bounce stuff off each other all the time and I might need that outside help,” he says.

On the subject of outside help, Hale says he’ll do his best to remember as much of the advice he has received along the way in order to help the rest of the Champions pitching staff.

“Over the course of your career, you pick up something from everybody,” he says.

“You try not to forget the things that you don’t want to use. It might apply to somebody else, if not yourself. Keeping all of that information plays a big role in the job.”

While Hale left the game as a pitcher after the fifth inning, he was back on the mound soon enough.

When reliever Bobby St. Pierre walked the first two batters he faced in the sixth inning, Hale jogged out to offer some advice.

St. Pierre struck out the next batter.

(During) your career you pick up something from everybody. ... Keeping all of that information plays a big role in the job.