Becoming new Bronx borrowers
Some of Marlins’ coaching hires have Yankees ties
The Miami Marlins announced the hiring of four new assistants to round out the team’s coaching staff for the 2019 season.
Joining manager Don Mattingly will be Mel Stottlemyre Jr. (pitching), Trey Hillman (first base/infield), Jeff Livesey (assistant hitting) and Kevin Barr (strength and conditioning).
“I think what’s paramount with all the new staff members is they’re all incredible teachers,” Marlins president of baseball operations Mike Hill said. “I think that was something that was part of the search process as we look to find the most experienced, most knowledgeable [individuals]. But on top of that [we want] great teachers as we look to continue to build our organization and add young talent.
“We wanted to make sure we had great teachers and we feel we were successful in doing that.”
Stottlemyre has spent the past five seasons as the Seattle Mariners’ pitching coach. Previously, he worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization from 2002-15, serving as major-league pitching coach, minor-league pitching coordinator and majorleague bullpen coach.
Stottlemyre’s father, Mel Sr., was an assistant coach with the New York Yankees from 1996-2005, when current Marlins CEO Derek Jeter was on the team.
Hillman has a diverse coaching experience, having managed in the United States, Japan and Korea. Most notably, he was the Kansas City Royals manager from 2008-10.
Hillman, who led Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (2003-07) and South Korea’s SK Wyverns (2014-18) to titles, has long-standing ties to Marlins vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo. The two were both coaches in the Yankees farm system in the early ’90s, and Hillman later hired Denbo as his hitting coach in Japan.
Hillman was also Mattingly’s bench coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011-13.
Livesey has spent a total of 16 seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, the last five as the team’s assistant hitting coach. He too brings international experience, having spent five seasons in Japan, four as the Hiroshima Carp’s bench coach.
Like Stottlemyre Jr. and Hillman, Livesey also has ties to the Yankees. He was drafted by the organization in 1988 and spent eight years in its minor-league system.
Barr has been promoted after serving as the Marlins’ minor-league strength and conditioning coordinator last season. He spent 14 years with the Tampa Bay Rays (2003-16) as their strength coach, earning Major League Strength and Conditioning Coordinator of the Year in 2009.
In addition to the new hires, Miami returns five assistants from last season: Tim Wallach (bench), Mike Pagliarulo (hitting), Fredi Gonzalez (third base), Dean Treanor (bullpen) and Brian Schneider (catching).