Astros name four to Major League Field Staff

HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros have named four members of their 2013 Major League field staff today, including two new members: John Mallee (hitting coach) and Dave Trembley (coach). Doug Brocail (pitching coach) and Dave Clark (coach) will also both return in 2013. Trembley and Clark’s field positions will be announced at a later time. The Astros will add two more to the staff in the coming weeks. The announcement was made by Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow.

“We strive to have the best coaching staff in baseball to teach and develop our players and to instill a winning mindset for our club,” said Luhnow. “This is an exceptional group of individuals with varied experiences and proven track records in coaching at the highest levels.”

The four will join Manager Bo Porter, who was hired by the Astros on Sept. 27. Porter spent each of his last two seasons working under Manager Davey Johnson as the third base coach for the Washington Nationals. Washington finished with the best regular season record in the Major Leagues this season.

“A manager is only as good as his coaching staff and I’m confident these four will contribute to a terrific staff that can help us accomplish our goals,” said Porter. “I played for Dave Trembley and I worked with John Mallee in the past.  Doug Brocail and Dave Clark are excellent coaches, who will provide the continuity to the past. These members of our staff give us our best chance to win ballgames and develop winning players.”

Mallee, 43, has 17 seasons of experience in professional baseball, primarily as a hitting coach in both the Major Leagues and minor leagues. Most recently, he spent a year as the Major League hitting coach for the Marlins between 2010-11. Prior to being named the Marlins big league hitting coach, Mallee spent eight and a half seasons as the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator. While at that position, Mallee worked with Porter, who was also a coach and manager in the Marlins farm system at the time (2005-06).

Trembley, 60, spent the last two seasons as the minor league field coordinator for the Atlanta Braves. Trembley brings a wealth of experience to the staff, having spent his last 28 years in professional baseball, including four years as Baltimore’s Major League manager (2007-10), and 20 years as a minor league manager with Pittsburgh (1987-89), San Diego (1991-93), Chicago-NL (1994-2002) and Baltimore (2003-06). Trembley managed Porter for three seasons from 1995-1997, while managing in Chicago’s minor league system.

Brocail, 45, returns for what will be his second full season as the Astros pitching coach. He took over the position midseason in 2011 after serving nearly two years (2010-11) as a special assistant to the Astros general manager. Brocail had a long professional career (1986-2009), which included three stops in Houston (1995-96, 2001, 2008-09). A resident of nearby Missouri City, TX, Brocail has been with the organization in some capacity, as a player, special assistant or coach, since 2008.

Clark, 50, will return for his fifth consecutive season on the Astros coaching staff. A member of the Astros organization since 2005, Clark has also spent time as a minor league manager in the organization at the Double A (2005-07) and Triple A levels (2008), and also served as the Astros interim manager for the final 13 games in 2009. Clark had a 13-year Major League playing career (1986-98), which included a one-year stint with Houston in 1998, the same team that won a franchise-best 102 games.