New Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale is beginning to assemble his coaching staff. That staff will include a somewhat surprising name in Mark Grace.
Source: Mark Grace will become #Dbacks assistant hitting coach. Appears Turner Ward remains hitting coach. Blanco shifting to new role.
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) October 16, 2014
Grace being hired as a hitting coach isn’t the surprise. As a career .303 hitter with an .825 OPS, he presumably has plenty to share with hitters about their approach at the plate. The former Cubs and D-Backs first baseman also has an affable personality that would seem to help his relationship with players and getting his message across.
What makes this a somewhat curious choice is that Grace was dismissed by the D-Backs as their TV analyst late in the 2012 season after the second of two DUI arrests within the span of 15 months. Grace was appropriately accepting of the firing, taking responsibility for his actions and blaming himself for losing his job.
Since then, the D-Backs have stood by Grace and offered him positions throughout the organization. In 2013, he participated in the team’s fantasy camp, indicating that there was still a place for him. Grace also served as the hitting coach for the D-Backs’ rookie league club last year. This past season, he held the same role with the team’s short season Class A affiliate in Hillsboro, OR.
Obviously, the D-Backs are happy with Grace’s work and decided he warranted a role on the big league coaching staff.
