Brewers hitting coach Coles steps down
The Milwaukee Brewers’ unanticipated advancement to within one game of the World Series did not prevent a shake-up of the coaching staff.
General manager David Stearns announced Thursday that hitting coach Darnell Coles had resigned his position and bullpen coach Lee Tunnell did not have his contract renewed. Assistant hitting coach Jason Lane was told he would be considered as a replacement for Coles but is free to pursue other opportunities.
The Brewers also announced that head athletic trainer Dan Wright will not return to the club.
The rest of the coaching staff – bench coach Pat Murphy, pitching coach Derek Johnson, third base coach Ed Sedar and first base coach Carlos Subero – were invited back for the 2019 season, as was the remainder of the medical staff.
Brewers general manager David Stearns said it was Coles’ decision to leave the coaching staff despite the
team’s success this year.
“Darnell (said) he was just ready to take on a new challenge and explore another opportunity,” Stearns said. “We’ve had a great run with D.C. Obviously, his time here predates me, and we’re very appreciative of his contributions.”
As for Lane’s situation, Stearns said, “Jason has done a very nice job as a
young coach. This was his first coaching experience when we hired him three years ago, coming off the field as a player. He has matured as a coach, understanding how to interact with players.
“He’s one of the few people who has made the major leagues as both a position player and pitcher. That informs how he views the game from both sides, and how he instructs and teaches. We look forward to talking with Jason throughout the process.”
Coles, 56, was in his fourth season as the Brewers’ hitting coach after previously serving as a coach and manager in the farm system.
The Brewers’ offense had its ups and downs during his tenure and struggled during the first half of the 2018 season, getting shut out 10 times – more than all of the previous year.
The Brewers finished seventh in the National League with 754 runs scored, the fewest of the five playoff teams. They
were second in the league with 218 home runs and third with 2,352 total bases, third with a .424 slugging percentage, fifth with 1,458 strikeouts and eighth with 537 walks.
The Brewers struggled with situational hitting, ranking 11th in hitting with runners in scoring position (.246), 10th with runners on base (.250) and 11th with the bases loaded (.248). Unable to sustain rallies, they scored a total of seven runs in the four NLCS losses to the Dodgers.
Asked if Coles was frustrated by aspects of his job or feeling unappreciated, Stearns said, “I don’t know. Darnell is such an upbeat and positive person, in general. I think everyone goes through frustrations in their jobs but Darnell certainly cared about the players. He cared about the Brewers.
“I think he just got to the point where it was time for him to pursue a different opportunity.”
As for what he’ll look for in a new hitting coach, Stearns said: “You want somebody who has the ability to teach and communicate with players, and help players grow. Coaches can do that in a variety of different ways at the major-league level. There’s no, necessarily, a cookie-cutter approach. We’re going to go into this with an open mind and talk to a variety of different candidates who maybe come from slightly different backgrounds, and see what we think is the best fit.”
Tunnell’s dismissal was surprising in that the bullpen was the strength of the club, an area that manager Craig Counsell depended on more often as the season progressed. The Brewers ranked second in the NL with a 3.47 relief ERA as well as 614 innings pitched, 708 strikeouts, .230 opponents batting average and 49 saves.
“As we move forward, we just felt it was time to get a new voice on the coaching staff,” Stearns said. “Coaching staffs evolve. These are the first changes we’ve made since I first came aboard. I think it’s natural over a period of time to try to inject some different thoughts and a different voice into your staff.”
Tunnell was in his sixth full season as bullpen coach after being named on an interim basis on July 30, 2012. Wright had been head athletic trainer for seven years after serving 10 years as an assistant.
Gold Glove finalists
Centerfielder Lorenzo Cain, leftfielder Christian Yelich, third baseman Travis Shaw and catcher Manny Piña were among the Gold Glove finalists announced by Rawlings for the National League. Three finalists were named at each position in both leagues, with the winners to be announced on Nov. 4.
Cain joined Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton and Atlanta’s Ender Inciarte as finalists in center field. Though starting only 63 games in left, Yelich joined Pittsburgh’s Corey Dickerson and Atlanta’s Adam Duvall as finalists.
Piña is in heady company at catcher with St. Louis’ Yadier Molina and San Francisco’s Buster Posey. The finalists at third base are Shaw, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado and Washington’s Anthony Rendon.