Former Brewer Seitzer gets the axe in Arizona

[MessiahRp]

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks changed hitting coaches on Wednesday, promoting Rick Schu to replace Kevin Seitzer.

 

Arizona trails San Diego by 3 1/2 games in the NL West. The Diamondbacks have stayed in contention despite a .248 team batting average.

 

Schu, in his 10th season with the Arizona system, was the organization's hitting coordinator. Seitzer was in his first year as the Diamondbacks hitting coach.

 

"I think for most of the season our offense hasn't been quite as consistent as we'd like, especially this last stretch, it really cost us some games," general manager Josh Byrnes said in a telephone interview. "It's unfair to say that Kevin Seitzer is to blame for that, but it's a change we need to make."

 

 

more at link

 

sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2933467

 

Rp

[And That]

I have a lot of good Seitzer memories. He always seemed like a smart ballplayer who would naturally turn into a coach. Hopefully he's worth a crap as a coach and someone will give him another chance.

[Paul77]

My favorite Seitzer moment had to be in about 1993 or so. He was signing at a card show. There was a girl in line ahead of me with a game bat that she wanted to get signed for her boyfriend. We get up to the front of the line and she hands him the bat and asks him to sign it. He takes one look at the bat and this look comes over his face that I can't describe. He pushed his chair back and says "Where did you get this?" and she says "it's my boyfriends, he loves you". Seitzer looks at the bat a few more seconds then looks back up at her and says. "Someone stole this bat from me." The girl starts laughing, thinking he's kidding but he wasn't. He says, "I'm serious, where did he get it from?" She turns bright red and you could tell she was completely embarrassed. He shakes his head and signs the bat anyway. How on earth he could tell that was a stolen bat I don't know, but I'll remember that forever. He was great, he signed my card and posed for a photo afterwards.

 

Anyhow, sad to hear he's been axed. Good luck to him in the future.

[DocLuna7]

What kind of guys sets up his own GF to get taken to task by a Major Leaguer for a stolen piece of equipment? In any case, I do think that Seitzer would be the ideal guy for a roving minor league instructor. If he can't catch on somewhere else I certainly wouldn't mind having a guy like him back in our system. Wasn't he Cirillo's mentor back when he first came up?

[bork]

Wasn't he Cirillo's mentor back when he first came up?

 

Yes, he was. And I remember how mad I was when they traded him the first time and put Surhoff at third. Didn't they trade him for Kevin Reimer? At least they got him back.

[1992casey]

Dante Bichette was traded for Reimer.

 

Seitzer was signed as a free agent, let go as a free agent, then re-signed as a free agent after being released by the Athletics.

[BrewCrewForever]

Big fan of Seitzer as well. Always was a gamer and good hitter. I will never forget when he got hit in the face and then wore that weird little shield on his batting helmet.

[JoeHova]

Quote:

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If he can't catch on somewhere else I certainly wouldn't mind having a guy like him back in our system.

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I think I would mind this, judging from the stories coming out of Arizona. Apparently Seitzer's approach is (to put it charitably) very unorthodox. The Brewers have had pretty good luck with hitting prospects lately, so I'd prefer it if they stuck with guys who fit their approach.

[ajgodson]

Here's a great take on the Seitzer, Dent, Rickey carosel:

 

bugsandcranks.com/the-clu...oundtable/