11:37 am: The Tigers have officially announced the hirings of Fetter and Nieves. Additionally, quality control coach Josh Paul and base coach Ramon Santiago will return to the staff, per the team.
9:06 am: Detroit is also set to hire Juan Nieves as assistant pitching coach, reports Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic (via Twitter). Previously a member of the White Sox, Red Sox and Marlins’ MLB staffs, Nieves had most recently been pitching coach for Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate in Toledo.
8:05 am: The Tigers are hiring Chris Fetter as their pitching coach, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link). The 34-year-old had been in the same position at the University of Michigan, one of the better Division I programs in the country. He’ll replace Rick Anderson, who had been on the Detroit staff since 2017 but was expected to depart after former manager Ron Gardenhire retired.
Fetter will become the first addition to new skipper A.J. Hinch’s staff in Detroit. He joins a growing rank of young, data-oriented pitching coaches making the jump from the top of the college ranks into pro ball. Reds’ pitching coach Derek Johnson was on the staff at Vanderbilt before taking a position in the Cubs’ system in 2012. He parlayed his stint as a Chicago minor-league pitching coordinator into eventual big league coaching jobs with the Brewers and Reds. Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson, meanwhile, made the jump directly from college to an MLB staff when he was hired away from the University of Arkansas in 2018.
Fetter himself interviewed for the Yankees’ pitching coach position last offseason. He also reportedly drew the attention of the Mets and Giants over the winter. He does have some experience coaching in pro ball, working in the Padres’ organization earlier this decade. As Morosi notes, that stint overlapped with Hinch’s time in the San Diego front office.
The hiring is also notable for one of the Tigers’ divisional rivals. Morosi points out that some in the White Sox’s front office thought he’d be the best fit for their pitching coach vacancy. Instead, he’ll take the same position in Detroit, where he’ll be tasked with guiding the development of top young arms like Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning.
i know nothing about the program in question, but i like the idea of hiring a coach from a college program.
If you like cutting edge technology and a focus on data collection and analytics, he’s your guy.
Has he also been involved in a scandal? That’s an important qualification now that’s seemingly valued.
Dude… let it go already.
Just beginning. Wait until fans are let back in the park.
Karen?
You win the internet for the day
Mixed feelings about this. Love his work in Ann Arbor so sad to see him leave the Wolverines. But super excited about him coming to work in Detroit! I guess Bakich will have to find someone new but suspect given the interest in Fetter he probably already has a plan in place.
This is a monster get for Detroit. I know the White Sox and also one other NL team was hot on his trail, and he sits a great job with the rotation in Ann Arbor. Hoping that AJ Hinch goes with more of these types of hires as he fills out his staff in Detroit! Getting more excited about the Tigers future by the day!
Earlier this decade? Aren’t we in a new decade just this year?
Technically we are in the final months of the first decade of the 21st century. I know it sounds weird.
This is why we can’t trust math and you dam libz makin the frogz gay
Scott has horns and smells of sulfur.
pplama: ScottCFA is 100% correct. Were you taught to count 0-9 or 1-10. Just saying…
Wow, guys. Just wow. I am a small-government conservative Christian and you think I’m a liberal and the devil? You guys give ammunition to liberals who think conservatives are a bunch of barefoot, hood-wearing hicks with few teeth, a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other, uninformed about the world.
A cross-section of us picture you wearing shoes, if that helps.
ScottFCA.
I was 100% joking. Thought A. Jones was as well. So sorry I didn’t make the sarc. more obvious. Your original post was, of course, correct. One of those “likes” came from me.
Again, apologies. Should have taken into account how charged up folks are right now.
The thought of sarcasm occurred to me, but you did inspire a good riff on liberal perceptions of conservatives. Good luck to you and your (baseball) team.
There is no accepted official standard whether a decade begins with a year ending with 0 or begins with a year ending with 1. Organizations that study time say that “The Teens” are defined as 01Jan2011 – 31Dec2020. There is no year 0 AD (It fits with MLB since the AL began in 1901). However, culturally, “The Twenties” are defined as 01Jan2020 – 31Jan2029 because it doesn’t sound right saying year 2020 was part of “The Teens”.
The decade ended in 2019. This is a new decade. 2020 is part of the 20’s not the teens. 1950 is part of the 50’s not the 40’s.
Was really hoping the White Sox would make a competent hiring decision and get Fetter. Guess we’ll settle for mute Harold Baines as the bench coach. Jose Canseco for strenghth and conditioning coach and Juan Agosto or LaMarr Hoyt for pitching coach.
Nicely done! Lol, haven’t heard the name LaMarr Hoyt in awhile!
Whos going to be thier alcohol consumption coach,Matt Harvey? Hiccup
As a White Sox fan, I said, S%&# when I heard about that hire. White Sox still have plenty of other options, namely raiding the Indians and Rays, as well as Giolito’s HS coach who set him straight. I’m just hoping they won’t hire from inside the organization simply because of Reinsdorf’s over-developed sense of loyalty.
I think it would probably be Richard Dotson or Britt Burns.
The rumor is, unfortunately, Dotson.
Dotson wasn’t bad in Birmingham.
Yes, he was. He was part of the group that caused an across the board velocity drop and injury spike over a 2+ year period.
BHam is also the most pitcher friendly park in AA. And the splits of Sox’ pitchers was glaring.
It’s a great stadium but I don’t think you can blame all the injuries on him. He was only here one year.
@pplama
First, you called it a couple weeks ago, the Sox should’ve hired Fetter. Nicely done. Unfortunately the Sox weren’t the team that grabbed him.
Second, I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if it’s Dotson (especially since he was one of LaRussa’s pitchers with the Sox), and that’s very concerning. These are huge hires for Hahn and he’s letting golden opportunities slip through his fingers.
I should’ve said “These are huge hires for the Sox FO…” instead of Hahn. I put the LaRussa hire on Jerry, not Hahn. The pitching coach will be on Hahn, though.
Why have one pitching coach when you can have two! #2022 draft #Rangerstank
Glad.to see.positives on this board.for this hire. My only concern is that the White Sox wanted him, and they have a history of poor hiring choices, IMO.
@stymeedone
Dumb comment. You’re basing how good a potential coaching hire is by what team is interested in him? Personally, I’d base it more on his body of work than what team is interested in him.
Just take the win in this case.
No, simply getting my shot in at the ineptitude of the current white Sox regime.
Just don’t turn on this comment when the Sox are contending consistently over the next several years.
I used to be good at math. But now… I could understand the argument this is the end of the 2nd decade of the 21st century( but personally feel its the start of the 3d decade) but wouldnt 2010 be the end of the first decade?
Wouldnt 1/1/2000-12/31/2010 be the first decade of 21st century?
Great hired Detroit!!!
Is fetter that pitcher when he came set he turned his head really fast trying to being intimidating?
Nice ! ][V][ Go Blue !!