The New York Yankees have found their new guy, rather quickly, to help get the Bronx Bombers back on track. Sean Casey, the former All-Pro, is the newest member of the Yankees staff.
After the firing of previous hitting coach Dillon Lawson on Sunday, the Yankees took no time in finding the man they believe is the right one for the job. The Yankees announced the hiring of Casey mid afternoon on Monday.
Casey, who has spent the last 15 seasons working for MLB Network Studios is ready to take on his first coaching role, as he agreed to finish the 2023 season as the Yankees Head Hitting Coach.
The hire of Casey might seem odd to the casual fan, but the Yankees bringing in the former Cincinnati Reds star actually makes a lot of sense. Casey was an excellent batter during his time in the majors. Over his 14 year career, Casey had a .302 batting average, .367 on base percentage and an OPS of .814. Casey also racked up 1,531 hits, 130 home runs, 735 RBI, 322 doubles and 12 triples.
During his MLB tenure, Casey was a three-time NL All Star (1999, 2001, 2004) and earned several team awards. Casey spent his career on multiple teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.
The connection to Casey and the Yankees all stems from his time in Cincinnati, where he was teammates with current Yankees Manager Aaron Boone. Casey and Boone were teammates on the Reds from 1998 to 2003.
Sean Casey and Yankees manager Aaron Boone were teammates with the Reds from 1998-2003. https://t.co/SmCWzp6TI0 pic.twitter.com/dmILTtxEFB
— Enquirer (@Enquirer) July 10, 2023
Sean Casey said that Aaron Boone being manager had a “huge impact” on his decision to reside in the Bronx. As for Boone, he had several positive words about Casey’s passion and his personality that he is excited to see in New York.
“I’ve had the great pleasure of knowing Sean for close to 30 years, and his passion for hitting is infectious. For anyone that’s ever come in contact with him, his ability to inspire is one of his greatest gifts, and I can’t wait for him to tap into our players and help them reach their potential. There’s no doubt in my mind that he will have a tremendous impact on our team.” - Aaron Boone
General Manager Brian Cashman has a lot of faith in Casey’s ability to turn the Yankees offense around because of his personality and ability to impact people, despite his lack of coaching experience.
“Anyone who knows Sean knows he is a very well-respected former baseball player with a big personality full of positive energy. We feel his abilities to connect with people with his experience will serve him well in his new role as our head hitting coach.” - Brian Cashman
As for Casey and his mindset when it comes to hitting, he believes that, “every guy is different” and that he wants players to “control the zone and hunt in the zone.”
If this is the mentality Sean Casey is bringing to the clubhouse I’m excited.
Plus I always give Jersey guys the benefit of the doubt (yeah I know I’m biased)
Let’s see what you can do Sean!!pic.twitter.com/WJvYSSKuSN
— Joey (@DJLeMVP) July 10, 2023
Only time will tell if Casey is indeed the right man for the job. As for now, everyone can only hope that Casey will shed some light on a struggling offense.
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