The Mariners Monday added Casey Candaele and Mike Hampton to their major league coach staff, Candaele as the first base coach and Hampton as the bullpen coach. They join previously hired Tim Bogar (bench), Edgar Martinez (hitting), Mel Stottlemyre Jr. (pitching) and Manny Acta (third base).
“Casey brings a great presence and high baseball IQ to our staff,” said manager Scott Servais in a statement. “He’ll be working with our outfielders and on base running, both areas that he is uniquely prepared for given his experience over the past five years. Mike brings a tremendous amount of experience. His competitive nature will team well with Mel Stottlemyre as they help guide our pitching staff through the season.”
Candaele, 54, spent the 2015 season as the Texas Rangers field coordinator, overseeing on-field instruction for minor league position players while also organizing spring training and the team’s instructional league. He spent the previous four seasons (2011-14) as the organization’s minor league infield and base running coordinator.
Candaele had an 18-year playing career (1983-2000) in the Montreal, Houston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles-NL, Pittsburgh and Florida organizations. In parts of nine seasons with the Expos (1986-1988), Astros (1988-1993) and Indians (1996-97), he hit .250 with 11 home runs and 139 RBI in 754 games. Candaele was primarily a second baseman, but played nearly every position.
Hampton, 43, served two seasons as a pitching coach in the Angels minor league system with the Arizona League Angels (2014) and AA Arkansas (2013) following a 20-year playing career.
In 16 seasons with Seattle (1993), Houston (1994-99, 2009), New York-NL (2000), Colorado (2001-02), Atlanta (2003-05, 08) and Arizona (2010), he compiled a 148-115 record with a 4.06 ERA with 1387 strikeouts in 419 games, including 355 starts. Hampton had five consecutive seasons of 200-plus innings (1997-2001) and made 32+ starts in each of those years.
Hampton appeared in the postseason six times with Houston (1997, 1998, 1999), New York-NL (2000) and Atlanta (2003, 2004), combining to go 2-4 with a 3.74 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 11 games, including 10 starts.
The two-time All-Star (1999 with Houston and 2001 with Colorado) won five Silver Slugger Awards (1999-2003) as well as a Gold Glove in 2003. He was the NLCS MVP with the Mets in 2000. In 2003 he became the first pitcher to win a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger in the same season.
Hampton was drafted by the Mariners in the sixth round of the 1990 amateur draft out of Crystal River High School (Crystal River, FL). He made his debut with Seattle in 1993, appearing in 13 games including three starts.
Along with OF Mike Felder, he was traded Dec. 10, 1993 by the Mariners to Houston for OF Eric Anthony.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2211822 https://sportspressnw.wpengine.com/?p=2211822">4 Comments
Robinson Cano is less than content and wants out. Let’s see…yep, right on schedule.
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/11/23/robinson-cano-reportedly-unhappy-in-seattle-would-like-to-go-back-to-new-york/
Seems like Dipoto is assembling a staff familiar with the AL West which makes sense. Nice to see Hampton return. Never liked him leaving in the first place. At least we got Eric Anthony for him though.
Dipoto moves. Decisively. Quickly. Undoes the pathetic work of the lazy Z — but stuck with Cano’s idiotic contract for damn near perpetuity. Does Howard sit in place, squirming with anxiety that he won’t find an executive opportunity to meddle, to claim credit or assign blame… or to make another moronic, condescending statement to the media in order to exalt himself in his reality-proof hubris? Let’s hope the franchise may finally have outlived the times when Howard’s Clownship pilotage had consequences and that it may actually be on a course towards being an authentic MLB franchise, about baseball, honoring the game and the people who built the Safeco palace– for the “public benefit.” We can almost dream again. Fingers crossed.