Jeff Pentland named Mariners' Triple-A affiliate hitting coach

SEATTLE, Wash -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced today the team has hired Jeff Pentland as Triple-A Tacoma’s Hitting Coach.

Pentland, 65, spent the last four years working in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, including last season as the Major League Hitting Coach. Prior to 2010 he served as the Dodgers minor league hitting instructor. The 2012 season will be Pentland’s 23rd season in professional baseball, including two season playing minor league baseball. Pentland has 13 years of experience as a Major League hitting coach with the Dodgers (2011), Mariners (2005-08), Royals (2002-05) and Cubs (1997-2002). Before becoming a Major League coach he served as the minor league hitting coordinator for the New York Mets at the beginning of the 1997 season and from 1992-96 he served the Florida Marlins in different capacities as he was a scout (1992-93) and minor league hitting coach (1993-96).

He began his coaching career as an assistant at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College in 1971 and was the Junior Varsity Coach at Arizona State in 1973. He spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at University of California-Riverside, where the Highlanders won a pair of national titles during his tenure.  

Pentland played college baseball at Arizona State, where he was a member of the Sun Devils 1967 national championship team. He was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 2002. Jeff played minor league baseball in the San Diego system from 1969-71.