The Braves completed a reshaping of their pitching instruction department by bringing back veteran specialists Dom Chiti and Dave Wallace after each spent the past three seasons on the Baltimore Orioles staff.
Chiti, 57, returns as Braves director of pitching after three seasons as the Orioles bullpen coach. Wallace, 69, will serve as a Braves special assistant to pitching after spending the past three seasons as Orioles pitching coach. Both will work extensively with young Braves pitchers and pitching prospects.
Chiti’s 41 years of experience as a player, coach, scout or front-office employee including five years with the Braves through 2013, a period in which he held a variety of roles including major league scout and special assistant to former general manager Frank Wren.
Wallace has 45 years of professional experience as a player, coach, front office official and advisor, including four seasons as Braves minor league pitching coordinator through 2013. He was praised for his work with Braves prospects and left for the Orioles position after clashing with a since-fired member of the Braves front office.
“We are excited to bring Dom Chiti and Dave Wallace back,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said. “They are both highly regarded and will bring a wealth of knowledge to assist our young pitching prospects.”
The Braves last month declined to exercise a 2017 option on the contract of major league pitching coach Roger McDowell and replaced him by promoting Chuck Hernandez from the minor league pitching coordinator. Hernandez previously served as major league pitching coach with four organizations.
Marty Reed returns as Braves major league bullpen coach after moving up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take that position in May when the Braves fired manager Fredi Gonzalez and bench coach Carlos Tosca, replacing Tosca with first-base coach Terry Pendleton and moving Eddie Perez from bullpen coach to first-base coach.
