Padres coaching staff to return for 2014
The San Diego Padres today announced that all seven members of manager Bud Black's coaching staff will be returning for the 2014 season, including pitching coach Darren Balsley, bullpen coach Willie Blair, third base coach Glenn Hoffman, hitting coach Phil Plantier, assistant hitting coach Alonzo Powell, bench coach Rick Renteria and first base coach Dave Roberts. Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcement.
Balsley, 48, returns for his 11th full season as the Padres pitching coach for 2014. Since the beginning of his first full season in 2004, the Padres pitching staff has posted a 3.93 ERA (6354 ER/14549.0 IP), the fifth-best mark in baseball in that span and fourth-best among National League teams. Balsley is the second-longest tenured pitching coach in the National League behind the San Francisco Giants' Dave Righetti. A native of Newport Beach, Calif., Balsley graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego and attended Palomar College.
Blair, 47, returns for his second season as the Padres bullpen coach and his second coaching at the Major League level. During his first campaign with San Diego this past season, the club's bullpen posted a 3.39 ERA (197 ER, 522.2 IP), the sixth-best mark among National League teams and 10th-best in all of baseball.
Hoffman, 55, returns for his ninth season as the Padres third base coach, his 16th as a coach at the Major League level and his 39th year overall in professional baseball.
Plantier, 44, and Powell, 48, will both enter their third seasons as the Padres hitting coach and assistant hitting coach, respectively. The two joined Black's staff prior to the 2012 season and have overseen the development of such players as Everth Cabrera, Jedd Gyorko and Will Venable this past season, as well as Chase Headley during the 2012 season in which he finished fifth among National League Most Valuable Player voting.
Renteria, 51, returns for his seventh season as a member of the Padres coaching staff in 2014 and his fourth as the club's bench coach. He originally made his Major League coaching debut as the Padres first base coach from 2008-10. This past spring, Renteria served as manager for Team Mexico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Roberts, 41, returns for his fourth season as the Padres first base coach and his fourth as a coach at the Major League level. Prior to making his coaching debut, Roberts served as special assistant to baseball operations for the Padres during the 2010 season. The Padres have stolen a Major League-leading 443 bases since Roberts joined the staff prior to the 2011 season.