The Tigers continue to add to their personnel, this time plucking Iowa pitching coach Robin Lund to work as an assistant pitching coach, reports Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball. The team has not confirmed the move. Lund had previously worked with Detroit’s pitching coach Chris Fetter and led one of the best collegiate pitching staffs. Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group adds that Tigers’ bullpen coach Juan Nieves, who has the title of assistant pitching coach, is expected to return to the team and that manager A.J. Hinch had said that the Tigers might be flexible in how they fill out coaching roles for 2023.
Lund joins the Tigers after five seasons at Iowa. During the 2021-2022 season, the pitching staff ranked third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.2), fourth in ERA (3.72), and 11th in WHIP (1.29). Over the last seasons, seven Hawkeye pitchers have joined MLB organizations under Lund’s watch.
Lund’s most recent success story is South Dakota State transfer Adam Mazur who was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after going 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 93 2/3 innings with 98 strikeouts. Mazur led a quartet of Hawkeyes selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, going in the second round (53rd overall) to the Padres.
Perhaps most notable for the Tigers is Lund’s kinesiology experience. Lund holds a Doctorate of Exercise Science and was an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at UNI from 2002-2018 studying biomechanics, anatomy, statistics, and research methods with a research focus on improving athletic performance. Last season, only one Tigers pitcher reached 20 starts, Tarik Skubal, with Tyler Alexander, Eduardo Rodriguez, Beau Brieske, and Matt Manning all missing time due to injuries.
Lund will work with a staff that pitched to a collective 4.05 ERA (10th highest), with a 19.8% strikeout rate (6th lowest) and 8.5% walk rate (12th highest).
Great hire by the tigs! Fetter vibes all over again
Why not Don Cooper former White Sox pitching coach.
I wonder If Cooper Is been Black Ball because he a support of Mitch McConnell. #Just Asking
That’s such an obscure statement.
Cooper is probably now viewed more as an old-time pitching coach. The game, at least for the moment, perhaps has passed him by, with college coaches or guys like Matt Blake more valued. The pendulum swings back often, as Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker can attest.
His description of Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez was “he’s got a good fastball and a good curveball”, whilst waving his hands and they went on to be terrible until Cooper got fired, old timers not wanted.
I got eyes.that see, Mr Harris…..
Maybe we can keep pitchers healthy, longer now…
Fetters and Lund. Awesome
Given his degree, I am curious if he has some of the same thought processes as the late Mike Marshall. If so, our pitchers should last longer in games (Marshall once pitched 200+ innings as a relief pitcher).
Congratulations, Robin Lund!
Welcome to Detroit!
Go Tigers!
I have known this man since I was 14 and the Tigers couldn’t have picked a better man. He knows how to coach to people’s strengths. Also, he taught me to hit the curveball.
Seems like a good hire. But a lot of Tigers fans seem to be thinking this is good as he will help avoid injuries. Not the case. First, his degree, teaching and research is on improving performance, not avoiding injuries. Tigers have had their share of pitching injuries this past year but they were not the worst. Pitching injuries league wide have been climbing for several years. The reasons for pitching injuries are complex. And for TJ surgeries, current evidence suggest that a pitchers use pattern as a young pitcher is the most important factor. Not something an MLB pitching coach can fix. Second, his record at Iowa was in developing pitchers, not avoiding injuries. One would hope that better mechanics would help avoid injuries, and that might happen, but not a guarantee.
But this seems like a good match for the Tigers. He and Fetter should work well together.
Nice!