It appears that major league front offices are taking Thursday as their opportunity to announce new coaching hires, as the Reds have announced the installment of Alan Zinter as the club’s new hitting coach and the promotion of Donnie Ecker to an assistant hitting coach and director of hitting role.
This announcement won’t carry the same impact of the managerial hires reported around the game today, but Zinter’s hire could still prove crucial for a club looking to get over the hump in 2020. A former hitting coach with the Padres, Zinter has been working in player development for the last two years in the Giants organization. Turner Ward, the club’s former hitting instructor, was relieved of duty earlier this month after one season in Cincy.
Zinter will inherit from Ward one of the game’s bottom-half offenses. The club’s 2019 cumulative 87 wRC+ figure–which accounts for park factors–placed Cincinnati 26th among major league teams last year. Though they did unlock a massive breakout from Eugenio Suarez and a nice half-season from Aristides Aquino, the Reds coaching staff received disappointing seasons from the since-departed Yasiel Puig and cornerstone Joey Votto. If hitting is the archetype of the inexact sciences, then Zinter and Ecker will be tasked with undertaking some bold experiments in 2020 to tap into the potential of a largely stagnant group of Reds hitters.
First
I was first out of your house last night, so…
Because you are so quick on the draw? I wouldn’t brag about that big guy
knew it.
Considering his career OPS was .548, I’m assuming his philosophy is “Do as I say, not as I did.”
I am unfortunately old enough to remember him as a minor leaguer for the Mets and that he was a decent prospect. His minor numbers are not bad, not sure why it took until 34 to be called up for a cup of coffee only.
I thought the name sounded familiar…
Similar to hitting coach James rowson of the twins. But, his was in the minors. So what’s your point?
In his 2 years with the Pads as hitting coach they were 14th and 15th in the NL in hitting…are weeee tryin to win or not?!
He seemed to have Padres hitters focused on getting into the right position to do damage. I saw a bunch of great-looking batting practice swings that could crush a fastball but were useless against anything off-speed. Guys were selling out for power and wound up looking silly at the plate. I can’t say that anything’s changed since he left really, but there was no sign of a positive impact during his time here.
Actually he messed up a lot of hitters swings
What hitters?!? Only 3 players accumulated enough at bats to qualify. Solarte had his 2 best seasons under him, and Manny Margot had how highest ops in 2017. That was an atrocious roster, can’t make chicken soup from chicken poop.
Lol dude sucks as a hitting coach
Lol you suck as a commenter
LOL, you suck as a heckler.
He needs to work with Vitto
Hey Vitto, you needs to work wit dis guy.
Isn’t Vitto, the head chef up in the Machine Room?
former mets alan zinter, still have his fleet baseball card
Why are hitting coach’s usually very bad at hitting? Even pitching coach’s for that matter. I bet the career averages of hitting coach’s is below 220