December 5: The Giants made Bernard’s hiring official today, per Justice Delos Santos of Mercury News (X link). They also hired Damon Minor as another assistant hitting coach and promoted Taira Uematsu to quality control coach.
December 4: The Giants are hiring Oscar Bernard as an assistant hitting coach, reports Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic (on Bluesky). He’ll work alongside lead hitting instructor Pat Burrell.
Bernard, 41, comes over from the Padres. He spent the 2023 season as an assistant hitting coach in San Diego underneath Bob Melvin. Bernard moved back to a minor league hitting coordinator role this year after Melvin departed to take over the dugout in San Francisco. He’d also worked as a hitting coordinator with the Friars between 2016-22. Bernard has previously worked with minor league hitters in the Rangers and Cubs systems.
Baggarly indicates the Giants could still hire another assistant hitting coach. Prior co-hitting coach Justin Viele departed to join the Rangers last month.
Wishing him luck just not against the Friars.
Rocking that Abe Lincoln style beard.
Honestly wish him well.
Abe had no mid-cheek beard…but it helps with seeing/feeling the spin of a slider.
Unless he is bringing a couple duffle bags full of steroids and greenies with him I’m expecting him to have minimal impact
Agreed. It doesn’t get much worse than that Giants line up. A collection 0f 1.5 -2.0 WAR guys and Zero Impact bats.
Isn’t that the reason for the off-season?
Cal2,632,
One thing the comments could do without is the hyperbole.
It doesn’t get much worse than the Giants’ lineup? Last season they underperformed, yet still posted a team OPS+ of 101. That put them in a 3-way tie for 12th best in MLB. If it can’t get much worse, what does that say about the 15 teams ranked worse? Or the 13 teams that scored fewer runs? Or the 13 teams with fewer HRs, some of which play in parks more homer-friendly?
Yes, it can be, and could get much worse.
The last few years have brought the Giant haters out of the woodwork, kinda like cockroaches. Besides the actual problems holding the Giants back there aren’t any reasons to hate the team.
I guess it makes the Keyboard Warriors feel superior.
Bluesky. LMAO
“Tinz” is a hint at the best mental tools available to poster.
@Atinz. Exactly
The Disgusting Beard sport.
This might be good. With all the young players the Pads have that he’s worked with. Hopefully more RBIs that’s the name of the game.
And the Oscar goes to…the Giants.
Hopefully Oscar Bernard wasn’t just hired for his Spanish speaking ability.
Hopefully he was. Or do you think Pat Burrell can convey the finer points of hitting to Luis Matos or Marco Luciano? Or anyone, for that matter.
I’m hopeful. The approach at the plate by the 2024 Giants was terrible. They were overly aggressive. They swung for the fences far too much. There were too many strike outs with RISP on big swings instead of just trying to put the ball in play. Too many swings on the first pitch on balls that weren’t good pitches to swing at.
Much of the team last season performed worse than their career averages. Not sure these hires will make a difference, but at least I’m not pessimistic of more of the same. IDK, but if it is more of the same, it may fall on Pat Burrell as the problem.
They probably would have been better with Marvin Benard. At least he would have brought the “juice”…
I’d guess Damon would be a minor hire.
Great now let’s start signing player’s cause the way they are going fans are questioning their desire to improved its time to do somethings and get going
And Willy Adames better be the first. He solves so many issues for the Giants. HSK can’t do that.
I would love Adames as the first, but it isn’t entirely up to the Giants. As Judge, Ohtani, Harper, and Yamamoto, have shown. a great offer can come up short, even if it’s the best one, if the guy wants to go elsewhere.
So is he now Damon Major? Inquiring minds…