OAKLAND, Calif. — In a piercing staccato, Dino Ebel's whistle can penetrate through the noise from tens of thousands of rowdy baseball fans. And it can trigger a defensive alignment shift in one quick adjustment.
More than anything, the Angels bench coach's method gets his players' eyes on him in a hurry when necessary.
The longtime Los Angeles coach whistles while he works — how appropriate for a team that plays its home games within a 10-minute drive from Disneyland — and has done so dating to his days managing in the minor leagues.
His signature, split-second chirp is all it takes to get a wayward outfielder's attention if by some chance the player has not looked toward the dugout for instructions between batters or, in some cases, even between pitches.