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January 25, 2014
Fan favorite and three-time All-Star Charles Nagy has joined the Cleveland Indians organization in a yet-to-be-defined staff position.
The 47-year-old won 129 games in 13 seasons with the Tribe. He last pitched professionally in 2003. The Akron Beacon Journal’s Stephanie Storm first reported the news over at the TribeFest event at Progressive Field today. The role will be precisely defined during spring training in Arizona.
Nagy served as the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coach from 2011-2013. He was then somewhat surprisingly fired shortly after this past season ended. SB Nation’s Rob Neyer theorized that Nagy and bench coach Steve Sax were fired because Arizona pitchers were not hitting enough opposing batters. Seriously.
Shortly after the firing, some Indians fans started clamoring for Nagy to return to Cleveland. Wahoos on First’s Steve Kinsella wrote such a post the next week. He suggested the Indians make him a roving minor league pitching coach. Reports are circulating Nagy will have some type of coaching/advising role.
Nagy’s post-playing career began with two seasons as a special assistant to then-Tribe general manager Mark Shapiro in 2004-2005. He then was the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A pitching coach from 2006-2007. After three years away from the game with his family, he returned to become the Columbus Clippers’ pitching coach in 2010. Arizona hired him from there.
Amid the excitement of TribeFest, this certainly should be well-received news among Indians fans. Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway had a phenomenal season in 2013. His presence is regarded as a significant reason for the team’s pitching improvement last year and subsequent run to the American League Wild Card game. Nagy’s presence, in whatever role, can only help the organization further.
Specifically, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian pointed out that Nagy worked with eccentric Indians pitching prospect Trevor Bauer over in the Diamondbacks organization. That familiarity should help out too.
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Photo: Jordan Megenhardt/Arizona Diamondbacks
6 Comments
Always a fan of Nagy’s. No nonsense team player. A true pro!!
Friend of mine met Charlie this morning at Fan fest, and Charlie took a picture with (and signed a ball for) his son. Said he was very nice. It’s always good to hear when one of your favorite players growing up is as good a guy as you’d hoped.
Stud-muffin
i just hope Nagy isnt one of the reasons the Diamondbacks got rid of Bauer
Charlie Nagy was hired likely to oversee the entire organization’s pitching, and will likely help Callaway with guys like Bauer and Carrasco. The latter might pan out as a starter yet with a more deceptive delivery and benefitting from the Subway diet.
Hello. My name is Miguel Angel Montero. You have questioned my pitch calls. Prepare to die!