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Mariners Hire New Pitching Coach

The Mariners chose the inexperienced Rafael Chaves over Yankees pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre. For Stottlemyre, this would be his first major league gig. The new pitching coach will be subbing for Bryan Price, who left the team after last season. Seattle had a busy week hiring Jeff Pentland as their new hitting coach and promoted Dan Rohn as the team?s administrative coach.

Bill Bavasi, Seattle general manager says, ?Chaves turned out to be the right man for the job?. Bavasi was also quoted saying, ?There were quite a few guys available to us with really good experience. We had a lot of good names?. The 37-year old Chaves has been the pitching coach at Tacoma for the couple of years. Over all, Chaves has been with the Mariners organization for the past eight seasons.

Commenting about his first opportunity in the majors, Chaves says, ?I?ve worked with these guys in the past and I think we?ve had a lot of success working together?. Chaves added, ?I have some good ideas, and if we?re able to put a couple of things together, I think we?ll get out of the funk we?ve been in the last couple of years?.