Tigers Announce Entire Major League Coaching Staff

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced their entire Major League coaching staff. The announcement was made by Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Al Avila and Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire.

The Tigers have named Rick Anderson as the club's bullpen coach, Chris Bosio as pitching coach, Dave Clark as third base coach, Phil Clark as assistant hitting coach, Steve Liddle as bench coach, Lloyd McClendon as hitting coach, Ramon Santiago as first base coach and Joe Vavra as quality control coach.

"I'm thrilled about the coaching staff we've been able to assemble," Gardenhire said. "Collectively, this group has extensive playing and coaching experience at both the Major and Minor League levels, and has a proven track record of developing young players. Lloyd and Dave, who were both here previously, stood out when looking at the pool of available candidates, and I'm really excited to have them continue to develop our players. Additionally, I've worked with many of these coaches before, and I've seen firsthand their passion for teaching the game of baseball and seeing it played the right way. I'm confident that our time in Detroit will be successful."

Rick Anderson – Bullpen Coach

Anderson, 50, most recently served as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins from 2002-14. During his tenure as pitching coach, the Twins advanced to the postseason six times, including three consecutive seasons from 2002-04. He guided Johan Santana to the American League Cy Young Award in 2004 and 2006, while Joe Nathan won the Rolaids Relief Man Award in 2009. Over his 13 seasons in Minnesota, the Twins issued the fewest walks among all Major League clubs with 5,462 walks, which were 674 fewer walks issued than the second place team (St. Louis, 5,719 walks).

Prior to joining the Twins Major League coaching staff, Anderson served as a pitching coach for several Minor League teams, including Triple A Salt Lake (1995-2002), Double A Nashville (1993-94), Single A Kenosha (1990-92) and Rookie-level Sarasota (1989). A 24th round selection by the New York Mets in the 1978 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Anderson played 11 seasons in professional baseball, including parts of three seasons in the Major Leagues. In 28 career big league appearances, including 10 starts, Anderson had a 4-4 record with a 4.75 ERA (96.2IP/51ER) and 42 strikeouts.

A native of Everett, WA, Anderson and his wife, Rhonda, reside in Fort Myers, FL. The couple has two daughters, Cortnie and Ashley, and one son, Ricky.

Chris Bosio – Pitching Coach

Bosio, 54, joins the Tigers coaching staff after spending the previous six seasons as the pitching coach for the Chicago Cubs. In his six seasons in Chicago, Bosio helped the Cubs to the 2016 World Series championship and three playoff appearances. Since 2015, Bosio guided the Cubs pitching staff to the Major Leagues lowest ERA (3.49), opponent OPS (.670) and opponent batting average (.228). Under his guidance, Jake Arrieta was named the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner, while Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks finished second and third, respectively, in the 2016 NL Cy Young vote. Hendricks won the 2016 MLB ERA title, making him the first Cub to earn that distinction since Bill Lee in 1938.

Prior to joining the Cubs, Bosio served in a variety of coaching positions with Seattle, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati and Milwaukee, including as a Major League pitching coach for Tampa Bay in 2003 and on an interim basis with Milwaukee late in the 2009 season. A second-round selection by the Brewers in the 1982 January secondary phase draft, Bosio played in 11 Major League seasons with Milwaukee (1986-92) and Seattle (1993-96), compiling a 94-93 career record with a 3.96 ERA (1710.0IP/753ER) and 1,059 strikeouts in 309 games, including 246 starts. Bosio tossed the second no-hitter in Mariners history on April 22, 1993 vs. Boston.

A native of Carmichael, CA, Bosio and his wife, Heather, have two children, Jensen and Jace.

Dave Clark – Third Base Coach
The 2018 season will mark Clark's fifth season as the club's third base coach. Prior to joining the Tigers, Clark, 55, spent five seasons with the Houston Astros as their first base coach (2013) and third base coach (2009-12). He served as the Astros interim manager for the final 13 games of the 2009 season and managed the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League from 2010-11. Clark spent six seasons as a Minor League manager from 2003-08, winning two league titles, while twice being named Manager of the Year. He began his coaching career in 2000 as the hitting coach for the Triple A Nashville Sounds and spent the 2001-02 seasons as the Pirates Major League hitting coach.

The 11th overall selection by the Cleveland Indians in the 1983 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Clark played 13 seasons at the Major League level with the Indians (1986-89), Cubs (1990, 1997), Kansas City Royals (1991), Pittsburgh Pirates (1992-96), Los Angeles Dodgers (1996) and Houston Astros (1998).

A native of Tupelo, MS, Clark and his wife, Vivian, reside in Collierville, TN. The couple has two daughters, Meki and Kiki.

Phil Clark – Assistant Hitting Coach

Clark, 49, joins the Tigers coaching staff after spending the previous three seasons as a hitting coach in the Tigers Minor League system, first with Single A West Michigan in 2015 and then Double A Erie in 2016-17. In his two seasons in Erie, the SeaWolves finished the 2016 season ranked tied for second in the Eastern League with a .265 team batting average, while they were fourth in 2017 with a .261 batting average. Under Clark's tutelage, outfielder Christin Stewart was named a 2017 Eastern League midseason and postseason All-Star, leading the league with 28 home runs, 60 extra-base hits and 243 total bases and ranking third with 86 RBI, tied for fourth with 29 doubles and fifth with a .501 slugging percentage.

Prior to joining the Tigers organization, Clark served as a coach in the Cleveland Indians Minor League system for eight seasons, serving as the hitting coach for Single A Mahoning Valley (2009, 2014), Triple A Columbus (2012-13), Single A Kinston (2011) and Single A Lake County (2010). Additionally, he worked as a coach for the Gulf Coast League Indians from 2007-08. The 18th overall selection by the Tigers in the 1986 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Clark played professionally for 15 seasons, including parts of five seasons in the majors with the Tigers (1992), San Diego Padres (1993-95) and Boston Red Sox (1996).

A native of Crockett, TX, Clark resides in Ocoee, FL with his wife, Judy. The couple has three children.

Steve Liddle – Bench Coach

Liddle, 58, most recently worked in the Minnesota Twins organization, spending 11 seasons on the Major League coaching staff, first as the club's bench coach from 2002-10 and then as the team's third base coach in 2011-12. The Twins advanced to the postseason six times, including three consecutive seasons from 2002-04. Before joining Minnesota's Major League staff, Liddle worked in various roles in the Twins minor league system from 1989-2001, including serving as manager of Single A Kenosha (1989-90), Single A Visalia (1991-92), Single A Fort Myers (1993-94) and the GCL Twins (1997-98). Liddle also served as the hitting coach for Triple A Salt Lake in 1995-96 and was the Twins Minor League field coordinator from 1999-2001.

Originally signed by the California Angels as a free agent on June 15, 1981, Liddle played eight minor league seasons, playing in both the Angels (1981-86) and Twins (1987-88) organization.

A native of Nashville, TN, Liddle resides in Smyrna, TN, with his wife, Anne. The couple has two sons, Benjamin and Jake, and a daughter, Sarah.

Lloyd McClendon – Hitting Coach

A veteran of 37 years in professional baseball, McClendon, 58, was named the Tigers hitting coach on October 21, 2016. McClendon joined the Major League club after serving as the manager for Triple A Toledo in 2016. Prior to rejoining the Tigers organization, McClendon was the manager of the Seattle Mariners from 2014-15. In his first season with the Mariners, McClendon led the team to an 87-75 record, a 16-game improvement over the team's record in 2013. In his previous stint with Detroit from 2006-13, the Tigers advanced to the postseason in four of eight seasons he was on staff, including the 2006 and 2012 World Series. In 2013, the Tigers led the majors with a .283 batting average and were second in runs scored.

McClendon served as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001-05. As the Pirates manager, McClendon was a coach for the National League squad at the 2003 All-Star Game at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. McClendon spent four seasons as the Pirates Major League hitting coach from 1997-2000 and began his coaching career as the Pirates roving Minor League hitting instructor in 1996. McClendon's playing career spanned 16 seasons (1980-95) after he was selected in the eighth round of the June 1980 draft by the New York Mets. He saw action at the major league level with the Cincinnati Reds (1987-88), Chicago Cubs (1989-90) and Pirates (1990-94). McClendon was a member of four division winning clubs with the Cubs in 1989 and the Pirates from 1990-92.

A native of Gary, IN, McClendon and his wife, Ingrid, reside in Chesterton, IN during the offseason. The couple has two children, daughter Schenell, and son, Bo.

Ramon Santiago – First Base Coach

Santiago, 38, joins the Tigers coaching staff after enjoying a 16-year professional playing career, including 13 seasons at the Major League level with the Tigers (2002-03, 2006-13), Seattle Mariners (2004-05) and Cincinnati Reds (2014). In 920 career games in the big leagues, Santiago posted a .243 (592x2436) batting average with 30 home runs and 214 RBI. He was a part of four postseason teams in Detroit, including the Tigers 2006 and 2012 American League Championships clubs.

A native of Las Matas de Farfan, DR, Santiago and his wife, Andreina, reside in Miami, FL and have three sons.

Joe Vavra – Quality Control Coach

Vavra, 57, spent the previous 16 seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization, including the last 12 on the Major League coaching staff, most recently serving as the Twins bench coach from 2015-17. Vavra helped the Twins capture one of the American League's two wild card spots in 2017, earning the organization's first postseason appearance since 2010. Prior to his time as the Twins bench coach, Vavra was Minnesota's third base coach from 2013-14 and the club's hitting coach from 2006-12. He worked as the Twins Minor League field coordinator from 2002-05.

Before joining the Twins, Vavra spent 13 seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the first nine as a Minor League manager for Rookie League Great Falls (1989-90), Single A Yakima (1991-92, 1994-97) and Single A Vero Beach (1993), before spending four seasons working in a variety of player development roles, including Minor League field coordinator, Minor League baserunning/bunting instructor and as Interim Director of Player Development. Vavra also spent the 1987 season as a coach for Single A Sarasota. An eighth-round selection by the Dodgers in the 1982 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Vavra played for five seasons in the minors, hitting .288 (342x1187) with 110 RBI in 365 career games.

A native of Chippewa Falls, WI, Vavra and his wife, Lesa, reside in Menomonie, WI. The couple has three sons, Tanner, Treysen and Terrin.

In:
• Detroit Tigers