NewsBraves add Wallace to Minor League staff
Veteran coach joins organization as pitching coordinatorBy Mark Bowman / MLB.com
11/10/09 4:29 PM EST
ATLANTA -- Having helped mold the careers of Pedro Martinez and Orel Hershiser, Dave Wallace became recognized as one of the game's most respected pitching coaches.Long gone from his successful stints with the Dodgers and Red Sox, Wallace's newest venture will provide him the opportunity to once again give the Braves confidence that they are fully developing their Minor League pitchers before sending them to the Majors.
The Braves announced on Tuesday afternoon that Wallace has accepted the offer to become their Minor League pitching coordinator. The 62-year-old veteran coach held the same position with the Mariners this past season.
"With the hiring of Dave Wallace as our pitching coordinator, we feel that our Minor League pitching program couldn't be in better hands," Braves director of player development Kurt Kemp said. "Dave's depth of experience, his knowledge and his leadership give us great confidence that the pitchers in our system will have the greatest opportunity to grow, learn and develop into the best pitchers they can be."
Over the past few years, the Braves have seen highly-regarded pitchers like Jo-Jo Reyes and Charlie Morton arrive in Atlanta lacking some of the skills the organization expects its pitchers to develop at the Minor League level.
While assuming this role from Kent Willis, who is no longer with the Braves organization, Wallace should not find it difficult getting on the same page with Atlanta's pitching coach, Roger McDowell.
During McDowell's four-season stint (1991-94) as a member of the Dodgers bullpen, he was first introduced to Wallace, who was serving as a coach in the organization's Minor League system.
While overseeing all of the Dodgers Minor League operations in 2002, Wallace welcomed McDowell into the coaching profession by making him the pitching coach for the South Georgia Waves, the club's Class A affiliate in Columbus, Ga.
"We have a history and I think for a lack of a better word he's the best," McDowell said. "He'll make the kids better and I think he'll make the coaches better. The body of work that he's had under him speaks for itself. Dave is as quality as you get."
Wallace served as the Dodgers pitching coach from 1995-97. His other stints as a Major League pitching coach came with the Mets (1999-2000), Red Sox (2003-06) and Astros (2007).
The Braves also announced Tuesday that they've hired Garey Ingram to serve as Double-A Mississippi's hitting coach. Coincidentally, the Waves coaching staff in 2003 included Garey as the hitting coach and McDowell as the pitching coach.
Garey also played parts of three seasons (1994,'95 and '97) with McDowell in Los Angeles. On May 19, 1994, the Columbus, Ga. resident became the 67th Major Leaguer to homer in his first plate appearance.
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
