Posted at 12:54 p.m., Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Baseball: Oakland hires Wakamatsu to be bench coach
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics hired Don Wakamatsu away from Texas today to be their bench coach, agreeing to terms on a two-year contract with the Bay Area native.The 44-year-old Wakamatsu replaces Bob Schaefer on manager Bob Geren's staff. Oakland announced earlier this month that the contracts of Schaefer, bullpen coach Brad Fischer and third base coach Rene Lachemann would not be renewed.
Wakamatsu, who was considered a managerial candidate last offseason for the skipper jobs in both Oakland and Texas, was the Rangers' third base coach this past season following four years as bench coach. A former catcher who played primarily in the minor leagues, Wakamatsu worked closely with Texas players at his position.
