Coaching/Front Office Career
Named the Mets pitching coach on November 15, 2017...In his first season with New York, Mets starters, including NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, set the club record with 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings, breaking the old mark by over 1.0 K/9 (the 2017 Mets starters fanned 8.1 per nine innings)...The 2018 Mets rotation ranked sixth in the majors with a 3.54 ERA...Served as the pitching coach for Kansas City from 2012-2017...The Royals ranked in the top five in bullpen ERA among American League clubs from 2012-2016...The club's 3.04 bullpen ERA in that time was the lowest in MLB...In 2015, the Kansas City bullpen set a franchise record with 56 saves...The Royals' bullpen finished second in MLB with a 2.72 ERA...Under his direction, the Royals' pitching staff led the American League in ERA in 2013 with a 3.45 mark...It was Kansas City's lowest ERA since 1978 and first ERA title since 1986... Spent 2011 in the Tampa Bay Rays organization as a special assistant to Executive VP of Baseball Operations Andrew Freidman...Served as the New York Yankees major league pitching coach for three seasons from 2008-2010, including the 2009 World Championship club...Led the Yankees pitching staff to improvements in club ERA over each of his three seasons in New York...Began his coaching career in 2003 as the pitching coach with the Staten Island Yankees (A) of the New York-Penn League...Also served as a pitching coach at Trenton (AA) of the Eastern League from 2005-2006 and Scranton/Wilkes Barre (AAA) of the International League in 2007.
Playing Career
Appeared in 92 major league games, including 70 starts over 10 seasons with the New York Yankees (1988-1991), San Diego Padres (1992-1993, 1995) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-2000)... Compiled a 12-27 career record with a 5.74 ERA...Two Tommy John surgeries led to his retirement in 2002...Selected by the Yankees in the seventh-round of the 1987 June Draft...Was both the Yankees Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the International League Pitcher of the Year in 1990...Is the only player in major league history to hit a homer in his first career at-bat (off of Bob Ojeda) and surrender one to the first batter he faced (Paul Molitor).
Background
David William Eiland graduated from Zephyrhills High School (FL) where he played baseball, football, basketball and golf...Had his baseball number retired at Zephyrhills...Began his collegiate career at the University of Florida in 1985, originally to play football for the Gators, before transferring to the University of South Florida in 1986 to play baseball...Earned All-Sun Belt Honors and was a pre-season All-American in 1986...In 1999, he served as a consultant as well as a body double for Kevin Costner in the film For the Love of the Game... Inducted into the International League's Hall of Fame in 2012...Is active in charity work with the Pediatric Cancer Foundation...In 2016 Honored with the Ted Williams Leadership Award by the Ted Williams Museum in Tampa, FL...Dave and his wife, Sandra, make their home in Wesley Chapel, FL... They have two daughters, Nicole and Natalie.