The Braves have hired former Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee as their new minor league pitching coordinator. He headlines a group of four coaching hires the Braves announced Monday to replace four members of their minor league staff who were recently promoted to major league jobs.
Dubee, who spent the past nine seasons as pitching coach for Charlie Manuel before being let go by the Phillies after the season, replaces Dave Wallace, the veteran pitching coach who was hired by the Orioles as their major league pitching coach.
Ronnie Ortegon, the former Reds assistant hitting coach, was named Braves minor league hitting coordinator. He replaces Don Long, whom the Reds hired as their new major league hitting coach earlier this month.
Ortegon actually has an old Texas connection to Braves catcher Evan Gattis, whom he’s known since Gattis was 8 years old. He used to give Gattis hitting lessons, according to Gattis’ father Joe. Ortegon was the head coach at Forney (TX) High where Gattis played his sophomore and junior seasons but left to take his first major league job in the Phillies’ organization in 2002 before Gattis’ sophomore season started.
“We think the number of Braves minor league personnel who have been recently promoted to Major League jobs speaks volumes about our player development program,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said in a statement. “We are proud that they had opportunities within Major League Baseball, and we are also very excited about the quality of the four men we are announcing today.”
The Braves also named Rick Williams a special assistant to the general manager to oversee pitching development. Williams, who spent the last seven seasons as a major league scout for the Yankees, replaces Dom Chiti, who was hired as bullpen coach for the Orioles.
And Bobby Mitchell, a former major league outfielder for the Dodgers and Twins, will be the Braves’ roving minor league outfield and baserunning coach. Mitchell, who spent the past two years managing the Cubs’ Single-A affiliate in Mesa, AZ, replaces Doug Dascenzo, who was promoted to the Braves third base coaching job when the Braves reassigned Brian Snitker. Snitker will manage Triple-A Gwinnett next season.
