Little Leaguers step up their game

By FRED SWEGLES

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

 

Story Highlights

Former big-leaguer Dave Hansen conducts a two-day instruction camp in San Clemente.

San Clemente Little League players are getting a head start on the 2010 season this wekend with two days of pro-level instruction.

SCLL teamed up with the Dave Hansen Baseball Academy to offer a Saturday-Sunday instruction camp at San Clemente's San Gorgonio Park. Hansen played for the Dodgers, Cubs, Padres and Mariners during a 14-year career in the majors. He is a hitting coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

 

The camp continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Sign-ups for the single day are available at 9:30 a.m. for $87.50.

 

Opening day for San Clemente Little League is Saturday, Feb. 20 at San Gorgonio Park. 

 

Games are played at nine fields around town.

The league's third annual fundraiser will be Saturday, March 20, at OC Tavern featuring music by Flock of '80s. Tickets are $50 before March 1, $55 after that.

Visit www.sclittleleague.com to learn more.

Dave Hansen Join Dodgers

Don Mattingly's first coaching staff has been announced by the Dodgers.

As reported last week, the Dodgers made official their 2011 coaching staff today, who will serve under new manager Don Mattingly. Newcomers Davey Lopes (who will coach first base) and Dave Hansen (hitting instructor) both played with the Dodgers, while new bench coach Trey Hillman was the former manager of the Royals. Here is the full coaching staff:

• Dave Hansen – Hitting Instructor (first season)
• Trey Hillman – Bench Coach (first season)
• Rick Honeycutt – Pitching Coach (sixth season)
• Ken Howell – Bullpen Coach (fourth season)
• Davey Lopes – First Base Coach (first season)
• Manny Mota – Coach (32nd season)
• Jeff Pentland – Hitting Coach (fourth season)
• Tim Wallach – Third Base Coach (first season)
• Rob Flippo – Bullpen Catcher (10th season)
• Mike Borzello – Bullpen Catcher (fourth season)

"I’m extremely excited about this coaching staff, which has a great combination of experience and youth that will create a positive environment for our team," said Mattingly. "We’ve been able to reach back and bring in a number of coaches with Dodger roots and that’s one of the things that was very important to us. Not just the quality of the people and the experience they bring with them, but the history of this organization – where it came from and where we want to go."

Hansen to join Dodgers staff

Dave Hansen is on the verge of joining the Dodgers’ coaching staff as a hitting instructor, multiple major-league sources told FOXSports.com.

One person close to the situation said nothing has been finalized “yet,” but some others in the industry view it as a “done deal” that Hansen will return to the franchise that selected him in the amateur draft 24 years ago.

The Dodgers have had two hitting coaches on their major-league staff since 2008. Formerly, Don Mattingly and Jeff Pentland held those positions. Now that Mattingly is the manager, the Dodgers’ intent is to keep Pentland and hire a second hitting coach.
It’s not clear whether Pentland or Hansen would be designated as the primary hitting coach.

Either way, Pentland and Hansen should work well together. Hansen enjoyed one of his finest seasons as a major leaguer in 1997 — when Pentland was his hitting coach with the Chicago Cubs.

Hansen, who retired after the 2005 season, spent all or part of 11 seasons with the Dodgers. He was most recently a hitting coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ farm system.
Hansen ranks among the all-time leaders with 138 career pinch hits. Ironically, he became a pinch hitter when Tim Wallach replaced him as the Dodgers’ third baseman in 1993; Wallach is likely to join Mattingly’s staff, as well.

Hansen seemed like a coach even before the end of his playing career. He kept logs of information on pitchers and was an early student of scouting video.

A Tale Of Dave Hansen

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers and baseball

Dave Hansen's signing with Seattle this week earned agate-level recognition in most places.

The best way I can think of to describe the piece Matt Welch has generously written for Baseball Analysts on the former Dodger pinch-hitting great is that it is the 1/agate version:

But most of all I'm thrilled because I know Hansen to be a genuinely good, generous, and humble guy who deserves success more than most ballplayers you'll ever meet. I know this because I played with him growing up. And not just on the diamond, but in a rock band. In fact, he announced his signing with the Dodgers (who drafted him with the 47th pick in 1986) on stage, at the St. Maria Goretti carnival, where our cover band, The Ladds, was playing the second of two triumphant shows. It was definitely one of the best days in either of our lives up to that point. And it was one of the last times I ever talked to him.