[Totalshock]

10/25/2016

I’d never got along with Miguel Angel Mireles, the man who Joe had picked to be our first pitching coach. I didn’t think he had what it took to be the kind of coach that we wanted, or needed, with what was likely to be a young and impressionable ball club. I let Joe know it, too. I was sure he’d do an okay job of handling the pitchers. But could he really teach? I wasn’t sure. And I let Joe know. Finally, he made me the offer I’d been hoping for – if I had a better candidate, I was welcome to reliever Miguel of his duties and replace him.
It just so happened that I did.

39-year-old pitcher Mark Long had retired from baseball earlier this month. He’s a guy I watched pitch in Boston in 2014 and 2015. And I’d heard the stories about how was sort of a de facto assistant pitching coach there, even then. He had a knack, it appeared, for teaching pitching, and especially loved to work with younger pitchers. He’d tired to make a comeback this year down in AAA Oklahoma City. It hadn’t gone well, but a phone call to some contacts in the know down there confirmed what I’d heard – Mark may not have added much to the team with his pitching this year, but he sure made a difference with some of the kids down there.

I knew right away this was the guy I wanted for the job – and even through he cost me a hearty $420,000 a year to have him, I was glad to have him as the first ever pitching coach for the San Diego Sunshine.