The Washington Nationals have named Jim Hickey their next pitching coach, the club announced. Hickey, 59, spent the past two seasons as a special assistant for player development for the Dodgers.
The move does not come as a surprise, as manager Davey Martinez had been expected to bring in people from his past to join the coaching staff. Martinez, having recently been extended, has been granted the opportunity to hand-pick his coaching staff for the first time since taking over as Washington’s manager. He will also be selecting a new bench coach at some point this offseason.
Hickey and Martinez go all the way back to their days together on Joe Maddon’s staff in Tampa Bay. The pair worked together in Tampa for seven seasons from 2008 to 2014. Hickey, of course, comes with his own set of qualifications, having spent 15 years as a pitching coach – most recently with the Cubs in 2018.
Paul Menhart had been the Nationals pitching coach for the last year and a half, taking over midway through 2019. His ascension to the bench coincided with the Nats’ turnaround, and Menhart was credited with helping Stephen Strasburg make key adjustments during their World Series victory over the Astros. A long-time organizational coach, Menhart was informed recently that he would not be brought back.
Hickey has plenty of material to work with in Washington, who boast a three-headed monster at the top of their rotation in Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and Patrick Corbin. The back half of the rotation tells a different tale, however, as Joe Ross, Erick Fedde, and Austin Voth have been unable to fully claim rotation spots. Along with a bullpen that’s perpetually in question, Hickey will be tasked with steering their pitching corps back in the direction of the foundational unit it’s been for the franchise prior to 2020.
Great hire.
Good pitching coach. He really helped develop a lot of good Tampa pitchers.
If he’s wearing a Rays or Dodgers hat in the pic then I approve of this hiring by Rizzo lol
Solid hire, but not sure what a pitching coach really does with such a veteran laden staff with great track records. They just need to stay healthy.
There’s plenty he can do with a veteran laden staff to help it get better. Changes in throwing and strengthening programs, adding/fine tuning a secondary pitch, small adjustments based of differing mechanics philosophies (ie. The glove placement as it relates to the body as the pitch is being delivered), etc.
I have had the honour of guest instructing at pitching clinics with pro ballplayers, and everyone of them, whether it be a fringe MLB’er or a star are all looking to make the adjustment, however slight it is, to continue to improve. A new voice with some new thoughts may unlock that one small thing that makes Steven or Max just that tiny bit better.
Hickey is only 59????? Wasn’t he Walter Johnson’s PC???
I don’t know, I’ll have to ask Al Spalding’s pitching coach Don Cooper
LMAO
Nothing better than a retread who wore out his welcome everywhere else.
I’m very surprised no one picked him up before this. Great pick up
The Nationals are hoping he leaves a mark on their organization.
Took me a minute lol
Sorry to see Menhart wasn’t offered some kind of role on the Nat’s organization, considering his contributions over the years. But maybe once he’s been the pitching coach at the MLB level, letting him go gives him the best chance to get the same gig somewhere else.