Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lopes Becomes Our New CrazySexyCool 1B Coach; Dodgers Also Add Hitting Instructor With MmmBop And Pack Mighty Wallach

Don Mattingly solidified his coaching staff Monday, allowing Davey Lopes to fill the role of Mariano Duncan, Tim Wallach to fill the role of Larry Bowa, and Dave Hansen to bring his creative juices as well to the Dodgers in 2011:

More than seven weeks after the end of their season, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally announced new manager Don Mattingly's coaching staff on Monday. The group, which includes six major league coaches, two additional hitting instructors and two bullpen catchers, also features four newcomers, the most notable of which is first-base coach Davey Lopes.

Lopes, who with first baseman Steve Garvey, third baseman Ron Cey and shortstop Bill Russell formed an infield that stayed together for a major league-record eight consecutive seasons with the Dodgers from 1974-81, became available last month after a contract impasse ended his four-year stint as the Philadelphia Phillies first-base coach. He will be donning a Dodgers uniform for the first time since he was traded to the Oakland A's on Feb. 8, 1982.

Lopes will be joined on the primary staff by bench coach Trey Hillman, hitting coach Jeff Pentland, third-base coach Tim Wallach, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and bullpen coach Ken Howell. Pentland, Honeycutt and Howell are the only holdovers from former manager Joe Torre's staff, and Wallach was the Dodgers' Triple-A manager for the past two seasons.

Additionally, former Dodgers infielder and pinch-hitting specialist Dave Hansen joins the club as a secondary hitting instructor, along with longtime Dodgers fixture Manny Mota. Bullpen catchers Rob Flippo and Mike Borzello also will be returning.

Yes, I know we've used the "packs a wallach" line before. But at least we gave you doses of Hanson and TLC! (Now good luck getting Mmmbop out of your mind this morning.)

19 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

RIP Left Eye and the middle Hanson

Kyle Baker said...

I never thought I'd see a TLC reference in this space, but I'm damn glad I did.

RIP Left Eye.

*burns someone's house down in her honor*

Eric Karros said...

Did something happen to the middle Hanson?

Eric Karros said...

WTF happened to the middle Hanson??

ANYBODY?!?!

Fred's Brim said...

EK, I am waiting for someone to tweet this. After that, I will tell that I made it up

Steve Sax said...

RIP Adam Rich.

(Yes, it's that Dave Eggers.)

Eric Karros said...

Jeezus, FB. Some things you don't joke about.

Steve Sax said...

Yeah, FB. And Hanson is definitely one of those things you don't joke about.

And let me also add, Mmmbop, ba duba dop. Ba du bop, ba duba dop. Ba du bop, ba duba dop. Ba du. Yeah.

Steve Sax said...

SoSG logo black armbands memorializing a Hanson death.

I smell the next smonkstakes item.

Fred's Brim said...

They should have his picture and "RIP The hot one" on it

QuadSevens said...

RIP The hot one. HAHAHA!

Dave Hanson is part of the Baseball Hall of Fame at my former high school. It'll be cool to see a fellow Rowland Raider back in the Dodgers uniform again.

Nostradamus said...

OT (Or back on topic as the case may be):

Were there any cards more excellent than the 1987 Topps faux-wood paneling? That's good stuff right there, Wallach.

spank said...

Anyone who uses a condom as eyewear is alright in my book.

MR.F said...

So the middle Hanson is not dead, right?

Fred's Brim said...

Not yet, Mr F, not yet...

Eric Karros said...

Sounds like FB's working on it, Mr F. Try not to micro-manage.

MR.F said...

Thanks FB. I only have the urge to micro-manage when I have to deal with people I don't trust.

Steve Sax said...

Hanson, with its expanding-width logo, really should have done a tie-in with Bed Bath and Beyond.

Eric Karros said...

I noticed Hanson's expanding logo too, it made me think of this.