In the surprise move of the All-Star Break, the New York Yankees announced that former Cincinnati Reds slugger Sean Casey will become the new hitting instructor of the major league club.
Casey agreed to take on the job through the end of the year, despite not having any coaching experience.
The move comes 24 hours after the Yankees agreed to part ways with hitting coach Dillon Lawson who was only in his second season on the job as hitting coach.
While Casey may not have previous coaching experience he was a phenomenal hitter over a 13-year career that spanned five different organizations. Casey hit .302 with a .367 on base percentage in his career with 130 homers. He was a three-time All-Star with the Reds, and was the glue of their lineup in the late 90s/early 00s.
As I wrote on Fox Sports New Jersey, this is an interesting hire. For starters, Casey has the strong connection to Aaron Boone, whom he was teammates with in Cincinnati from 1998 to 2003. Moreover he does not come with the analytical background that Lawson was steeped in. This is going to be pure baseball 101, "see the ball, hit the ball" kind of stuff the Yankees will get from Casey.
He should be a coach that commands respect, and will definitely have the ear of the younger players when he walks in the door.
For a team hitting at .230 on the year, there is no way to go but up at this point.
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