Baltimore Orioles Reportedly Hire Don Long To Replace Scott Coolbaugh

The Baltimore Orioles have reportedly hired Don Long to be the next hitting coach in Baltimore.

In what seems to be a great hire, the Baltimore Orioles have reportedly hired Don Long to replace Scott Coolbaugh, per masnsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Long spent the past half-decade as the hitting coach of the Cincinnati Reds. He brings with him great baseball experience, from the minors to the majors, and that’s a good thing for new manager Brandon Hyde and what is expected to be a young Orioles’ lineup in 2019.

Long’s resume is a good one. From being the minor league hitting coordinator of the Atlanta Braves to the Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach. He was also the hitting instructor for the Philadelphia Phillies and has 11 years of minor league managerial experience in the Los Angeles Angels organization.

The offense under former Orioles hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh under-performed and Don Long should provide critical instruction for this young Orioles roster. Let’s see how he works with Chris Davis since he’s been bad since signing that massive contract.

Long had the opportunity to work with Joey Votto, one of the games better players and pure hitters. He has continued to perform at a high mark, even as he enters his mid-30’s, hopefully, Long can now help turnaround some of the few veterans on the roster, including Davis.

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Brandon Hyde and General Manager Mike Elias are doing whatever they can to bring in the best coaches for the Orioles organization. This hire is a success to me, even before the results are in, because of Long’s experience in the game.

I’m confident that Don Long will do a great job in Baltimore. He knows the game and he knows how to handle minor league talent. It won’t be hard for him to connect with all the young players the Orioles have on the roster. I’m hoping that he can connect with Mark Trumbo so he can help with his game, making him more attractive at this year’s trade deadline. The better Trumbo performs, the higher return the Orioles can receive.

Last season, Long’s lineup in Cincinnati ranked 10th in batting average and 9th in on-base percentage.

Are you happy with the Baltimore Orioles recent hiring of Don Long? Do you think he will be able to make an impact on Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo?