That voice again
Every morning when I get out of my car (I park near the indoor batting cages), I can hear the booming voice of Mike Easler, the Dodgers' new hitting coach, coming from inside the cages. I don't know what Don Mattingly would have been like, but this guy is a refreshing change from the grumpy Eddie Murray and the camera-shy Bill Mueller, the two men who held the job last year. Besides being a great guy who never shies away from a conversation, Easler has a boisterous, infectious personality that I think will play really, really well with this team. Although I haven't seen them yet, Kim Ng was telling me yesterday that he also likes to wear these spring-loaded shoes to help relieve back pain, but they create this really funny-looking bounce when he runs or walks. So far, it looks like Ned Colletti and Joe Torre made the right choice.
Tony Jackson has covered the Dodgers for the Daily News since 2004 and has covered Major League Baseball on a regular basis since 1995. He previously covered the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds. He is a native of Springdale, Ark., and a graduate of the University of Arkansas.
Comments
Thanks for the reassurance about Easler. I was looking forward to seeing what Mattingly could do; it's nice to know that Easler has style and presence as well as baseball savvy. Really enjoying your reports!
Posted by: Andrea | February 17, 2008 10:41 AM
Easler was the batting coach for the Cardinals when McGwire had his big run. They were on a tv documentary re the power hitters at the time. He really understands how the power swing works, and judging by the results of Loney, Kemp, Martin, Young, and Abreu, he is really good at getting his message across. I am very happy that he is the hitting coach. Before Mattingly was initally appointed, I wanted Easler to have the position. This should help Kemp and Loney alot this year. Great post, I enjoy your work.
Posted by: 68elcamino427 | February 17, 2008 12:47 PM