Diamondbacks To Hire Chip Hale As Manager

[Davis_Mike]

Diamondbacks To Hire Chip Hale As Manager

The Diamondbacks are expected to announce the hiring of Athletics bench coach Chip Hale as their new manager today, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link). Hale’s contract covers the 2015 and 2016 seasons, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.

It is something of a homecoming for the 49-year-old Hale, who played college ball at the University of Arizona and began his coaching career in the D’Backs organization, working both as a minor league manager and as a Major League third base coach. He has also worked as the Mets’ third base coach and has spent the last three years in Oakland under Bob Melvin.

Hale has been a contender for several open managerial positions over the last few offseasons, and was reportedly a finalist for the Mets (before they hired Terry Collins) and Mariners (before they hired Lloyd McClendon). Most recently, the Twins sought to interview him during their manager search, though Hale reportedly canceled that interview in order “to see though this chance” at the D’Backs job, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

Hale is the first hire for D’Backs GM Dave Stewart and chief baseball officer Tony La Russa as they look to turn around the last-place Snakes and move on from the Kirk Gibson/Kevin Towers era. The club interviewed at least nine men for the manager’s job and had narrowed the field to Hale, former Rockies manager Jim Tracy, Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and two internal choices in assistant hitting coach Turner Ward and triple-A manager Phil

I am not sure what to think with this hire. On one hand, I've always liked Chip Hale & thought he would make a good manager. But on the other hand I was hoping they would bring someone outside of the organization to be the manager. Hale is basically an organizational guy even though he has been with Bob Melvin the last few seasons.

I do prefer him over Nevin & some of the other candidates that were interviewed. I can't wait to see who he hires as his coaches. They better keep Dave McKay.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

I like the hiring. Seeing how Matt Williams is doing in WSH probably helped Hale's case. Hope he can bring some life to this team...

 

[johnson]

Eh...I'm not able to get real excited about this. After the Dave Stewart hiring, I suppose we can't expect much more.

 

[The Derski]

UofA alum