Scott Coolbaugh is out and Don Long is in as the Orioles’ new hitting coach for the 2019 season. Before coming to the Orioles, Long served as hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates for three years (2008-2010) and in the same role for the Cincinnati Reds for five years (2014-2018).
He must have been doing something right, especially for the Reds, because five years in the same role in baseball is nothing to sneeze at. That kind of continuity is rare.
But alas, the Pittsburgh Pirates were no offensive powerhouse during Long’s time as hitting coach.