Davey Lopes, Tim Wallach and Trey Hillman officially named to Dodgers' coaching staff [Updated]

The Dodgers officially announced their 2011 coaching staff Monday, the news value of which had long ago dissipated as it was leaked out in pieces for weeks.

Manager Don Mattingly’s first coaching staff will look largely familiar, with even the new faces being old friends.

Officially out: bench coach Bob Schaefer, third base coach Larry Bowa, first base coach Mariano Duncan and, of course, hitting coach Mattingly.

The replacements: bench coach Trey Hillman, third base coach Tim Wallach, first base coach Davey Lopes and hitting instructor Dave Hansen.

Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, hitting coach Jeff Pentland (up from instructor), bullpen coach Ken Howell and coach Manny Mota all return.

Schaefer decided it was time he moved on, but Bowa and Duncan wanted to return. I’d have liked to have seen the no-nonsense Bowa back, never feeling that leading a popularity contest in the clubhouse among coaches was a requirement.

Mattingly, too, wanted Bowa, but General Manager Ned Colletti said the coaching staff would be a mutual decision between him and Mattingly, so you can see how that went down.

"We’re really happy to have this group here," Colletti said. "In my tenure here, this has a chance to be the strongest group we’ve had."

Though I don’t have any personal insight about the American League’s Hillman, Mattingly and Colletti deserve some props for putting together a strong staff. And one largely with Dodgers roots.

Mattingly gets credit for not being threatened by Wallach, the former Dodger who had managed the last two seasons at triple-A Albuquerque and was favored by many to succeed Joe Torre.

And although Lopes, 65, isn’t exactly the old-school taskmaster like Bowa, he brings a certain veteran edge. Plus, as the Phillies first base coach, he was given great credit for their success running the bases. His first assignment: Matt Kemp.

"It’s a thrill to come back," Lopes said. "I started with L.A., as everyone knows, and hopefully I will finish with L.A. It’s a great organization and I’ll do whatever I can to help bring this team back to where we’d all like it to be, and that’s with championships and World Series.''

Lopes, who like Torre has battled prostate cancer, reportedly did not re-sign with the Phillies over financial differences. Which naturally makes it curious he signed with the Dodgers. A hometown discount? He lives in San Diego.

Wallach previously served as the Dodgers’ hitting coach for two seasons (2004-05) and was well-liked by his Albuquerque players. He will be a big-league manager somewhere.

Lopes and Hillman add former major league managing experience to the staff of Mattingly, who, of course, has never managed anywhere except for the recently concluded Arizona Fall League.

Lopes managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2000-02 (144-195) and Hillman the Kansas City Royals from 2008-10 (152-207), a pair of highly unimpressive results, albeit for teams with something less than overflowing talent.

Hillman, 47, previously managed in the Yankees’ system for 12 years, so there’s your link to Mattingly. He was fired 35 games into last season by the Royals, who were on pace for a 100-loss season.

He originally became something of a managerial sensation in the Japanese Pacific League with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, leading them to the championship in 2006.

Hansen, 41, spent 11 seasons with the Dodgers. He spent the last three years as the Diamondbacks' minor league hitting instructor.

Lopes knows Kemp through the outfielder's agent, former Dodger Dave Stewart. Lopes said he already spoke to Kemp last week about preparing for next season.

"He has extraordinary ability,'' Lopes said. "How far he takes that ... you have to make a commitment to winning. And that’s what we’ll talk about once we get into spring training.

"Sometimes players need somebody they can talk to. When I played, I could go and talk to Tommy (Lasorda), and he motivated me. He gave me the confidence I needed my first year or so in the big leagues. Baseball can humble you very quickly. To have a guy like that to talk to, building you up, elevates you.

"Then there is going to be a certain time in the course of his career, where he won’t need it anymore. Our job right now with this young team, sometimes they need something not necessarily from the playing aspect but from the psychological aspect."

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: First base coach Davey Lopes congratulates infielder Wilson Valdez after he hit a two-run single for the Phillies last season. Credit: H. Rumph Jr. / Associated Press

Comments

[Pete]

I can't get the grin off my face ... Davey Lopes is 65-years-old! We get older fast in this life.

Good staff. I like it myself. However, I hope Mattingly surprises me on the positive side.

[Gangstaslapped]

We need players, don't give a damn about coaches.

[N.P.Krohn]

Even during the rare times when we beet the phillies in recent years the pleasure was always dulled with having to see Lopes wearing red. That's putting it mildly. This is the best dugout decision upper management has made since making Tracy manager. Still have 3 on the wish list.

3)Fire Honeycutt

2)Hire Hershiser

1)Scocia!(As much as Lopes wearing red upset me, I may need professioal help if I have to watch Scocia wear a uniform other than the one he wore his entire career previous to his journey behind the orange curtain much longer)

[sarah]

good staff a lot of veteran edge under Mattingly lets hope it works out on the positive side.

[Jeff570]

Do not understand how Honeycutt survives another season in Dodger Blue. A new piching coach would have sent a bigger message that things will be different. Coletti is an average GM at best. His trades and signings have been a mixed bag. There should have been a strong referendum on his performance, but with the McCourts in limbo he has escaped.

[Lakeshowinphx]

great staff, hated to see bowa go. i guess his abrasiveness didn't wear well with some of the sissy, thin-skinned dodger players. welcome back davey lopes, dave hansen and local boy tim wallach. this staff has its work cut out for them!

[OldBrooklynFan]

It's great to see some old blue blood in the Dodger coaching veins. I'm especially happy that it's finally confirmed that Davey Lopes is with us. This should really improve our running game. Yes Kemp mainly and others. Now Lopes can finally wear a Dodger uniform when he posses with Garvey, Russell and Cey.

[Zen]

Great news Lopes is with the team.

[Brian]

Do these guys get paid with IOU's or is their pay spread out over five years? They might want to wait until the McBankrupt divorce case is settled.

[West Coast Ram]

@ Jeff570, please detail the positive signings and trades that allows Colletti to have a mixed bag. He has been a total bum as a GM and for almost every angle has been a determent to long term success. His one asset was bringing Manny for the end of 2008. Every other move has had a big down side.

[Stan]

McCourt got what he wanted. Positive feedback. Will Lopes be a yes man to Colletti?

[4th Place Finish in 2010]

I might prefer Lopes play second and Wallach play third instead.

[Bob Valenzuela]

Please let's unite new Dodger coachs and win a Championship.

[skyharbor]

We all love Davey Lopes but once again he is the right guy in the wrong place just like his stint in Milwaukee. It's all about selling tickets and it looks like Frank will sell a few with this move.

[pardon my smirk]

OK, let's see here,,,, what's wrong with this picture?
Its that Mattingly, Lopes, Wallach and Hillman ALL think that they're the smartest guy in the room.
Sadly, Larry Bowa probably had them ALL beat!

[Aortiz]

Too bad Lopes cant play..

[Casey Reschert]

This is excellent news!!! Wallach and Lopes will have the respect from the players and a former Dodgers who will bring back some of the pride from wearing the Dodger uniform. I liked Bowa and his fire but unfortunate that it turned off some of the key guys and while that's unfortunate, it gives guys like Wallach and Lopes a chance to start fresh!!! So far, not too shabby an off season and if the Dodgers can get a bat added to the lineup, we're looking at 92-95 wins.

[snoopy1]

I love how Bowa's abrasiveness is always referred to as 'fire' and 'passion' buy people. Maybe the guy was just a jerk who needed to go, did that ever occur to anyone? I don't know that to be the case, but if he was, then good riddance.

[Steve Dilbeck]

snoopy1: Bowa was no jerk. People seem to get the idea he was ranting and raving all the time. Far from it. I never once saw him loose his temper. He was just brutally honest, too honest for some sensibilities. You ask him his opinion, he gave it truthfully. Which is supposed to be the idea. But GM Ned Colletti clearly, and after last season, understandably, wanted a fresh approach.

[gmoney1]

I dont know whats worse = me being a Raiders, Clippers or Dodgers fan? FYI Dodger fans, this is our "big" free agent signing.We're done for the rest of the year.

[Gregory Kampf]

Welcome back Davey!

[Steve Wimer]

I like this move. Lopes is a good baseball man. I like ex-Dodgers coming back to coach the Dodgers.

[Bill Clinton]

To "gmoney1" above regarding his/her entry:
.
"I dont know whats worse = me being a Raiders, Clippers or Dodgers fan?"
.
I feel your pain.

[BlueinAZ]

I remember how happy I was when we finally beat the Yankees in '81 in the Series. It was wonderful! It was fabulous! And then, before I could even turn around, they broke up the infield and traded Lopes. I couldn't believe it. We had just barely gotten the monkey off our backs and beaten the hated Yankees! How could they trade Davey after a Series victory? It wasn't right!

Well... ... ... so that didn't take very long to fix that, did it? Davey is finally back where he belongs, and we can get on with business. And fwiw, I don't think Lopes (or Wallach, either, for that matter) ever thought he was the smartest guy in the room. But he always did work hard, and try hard, and he never let up (in that sense he was similar to Bowa), and he took a big lead off first and watched the pitcher really closely and then got a nice big break for second and was gone. Oh, and I do think he blew the biggest bubble-gum bubbles in the NL while playing second base - so there's that.

[Jon]

West Coast Ram
On the mixed bag question. Coletti got Ethier on a steal from the A's did he not? Pretty good one there. How about signing Kuroda both times? He has been solid.

Not sure why people keep saying Honeycutt should go? I mean both Kershaw and Billingsley improved and overall the starting pitching was pretty good (once we no longer had to rely on Ely and Heager--not major league ready guys).

Where is the proof that Honeycutt is not doing a good job? The pitching was not the problem the last half of 2010, the hitting was!

[rondo]

Davey Lopes is a better coach and has more class then then Larry Bowa. I am glad the no good geezer gone.