The Reds announced a number of changes to their coaching staff this afternoon. The biggest news is the promotion of Joel McKeithan from assistant hitting coach to the lead hitting coach position. Terry Bradshaw has been named assistant hitting coach; he’ll pair with Tim LaMonte, who has been named assistant hitting coach/integrated performance coach. McKeithan joins returning bench coach Freddie Benavides and pitching coach Derek Johnson as the top staffers for fifth-year skipper David Bell.
McKeithan, 31, first joined the Reds last offseason. A former Vanderbilt and North Carolina State infielder, he also spent some time working with minor leaguers in the Tigers organization. McKeithan was tabbed as assistant hitting coach under Alan Zinter last offseason, and he’ll take the reins after Zinter was let go at the end of the year. It’ll be McKeithan’s first crack in a lead hitting coach position.
Bradshaw, 54, had spent four-plus seasons as the top hitting instructor with the Royals. He was dismissed by Kansas City in May but brings a fair bit of experience working with big league hitters to help the younger McKeithan. LaMonte also steps onto the MLB staff, with the Reds joining a number of other teams in adding a third hitting instructor. He’s previously spent time with the Astros and Mets, working with New York’s minor leaguers this year.
Cincinnati also announced a few more minor hires. Former MLB outfielder Collin Cowgill has been brought on as first base coach. The 36-year-old suited up with five teams from 2011-16. A University of Kentucky product, he had some post-playing experience as a manager in the Seattle farm system. He replaces Delino DeShields, who was let go at the end of the season.
Matt Tracy, who made one MLB appearance with the 2015 Yankees, has been named bullpen coach to replace Lee Tunnell. Joe Singley joins the staff as bullpen catcher, while Kyle Arnsberg was promoted to coordinator of advance scouting.
More household names this offseason!
That’s the problem ! They are all household names from the reds household. A house of mediocrity
The Reds offered him an office with wifi, a company phone, tuition reimbursement and a $50,000.00 salary. 40K of which will be deferred.
Love the sarcasm guys, keep it coming…
How come “Terry Bradshaw has been named assistant hitting coach” hasn’t become an issue of humor?
Didn’t he play football
tstats, You’re ALIVE!!
Indeed I am. You have been gone for a while mate. How’s it going?
I still love humor, but alas, not everyone thinks the same, keep on posting tstats, i always liked hearing from you, don’t stop…
You as well! Some people do not like your work here calling you a troll (a la Samuel who has muted me as well in an attempt to quell free speech) but I personally find you funny.
Thanks for the honesty tstats, I really don’t give a crap who doesn’t like my posts. I won’t stop & there are plenty of cowards who don’t want to deal with you or me. Keep posting & don’t let the bullies stop you, peace out…
Peace out
Congratulations, Joel! Whoever you are.
Maybe he can get Moustakas to push away from the buffet table to take some BP.
I love fat jokes…
Remember when Michelle Obama was first lady? Cut them calories back, become healthy!
Now all the woke ads you see have, overweight women included in clothes, underwear, & my favorite, women’s personal hygiene.!!
A long way from Moustakas, but at the same time all you can eat bar!!!
Curly, you are my favorite stooge
Moe, Larry & Shemp wouldn’t like that, but I do, thank you my comedic friend…
Favorite stooge and loved your comments
First “lady”
Unclear to me how Michelle Obama relates to advertising on this site, or why so many find fault in trying to help our kids live longer.
Curly no one is ever gonna stop you from packing yourself a big greasy burger, buddy. Chow down. It’s gonna be ok, You can let it rest, The scary healthy lady is gone now.
You totally missed the point.
Played summer ball with him in Virginia for the Winchester Royals in 2011. Good to see him doing well.
Reds have invested millions in Latin talent, because it’s cheaper than players coming out of the draft. But they need to develop all of them into successful major leaguers and I think the hitting coach (and pitching coach for that matter) should be bilingual so they can communicate with both halves of the team. It makes me think of Barrero who has all the talent and professional success until Major League promotion struggling at the plate horrendously. And he has his brother sitting in the stands video taping him with a cell phone so he can find out how to improve. I love the work ethic and proactivity on his part but it’s a shame the Reds are rebuilding with a DIY attitude. This is Major League Baseball not building a deck in the backyard.
Let’s keep that losing culture strong by continuing to promote losers from within.
Mckeithan is a pretty progressive guy, he is a driveline guy who uses a lot of modern tech and data to develope hitters.
Sure the reds haven’t been hitting well last year but you have to consider whom they traded away the last 2 years.
Sometimes simpler is better. Worked for 100 years. Nobody is doing anything out of the ordinary from what I can see. You can either hit or you can’t.