TORONTO, ON — DeMarlo Hale was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday as associate manager under John Schneider after three seasons as Terry Francona's bench coach in Cleveland.
The 62-year-old Chicago native was Toronto's bench coach from 2013-18, became an Atlanta minor league coach and special assistant in 2019, then was the Braves' interim first-base coach in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when Eric Young decided not to travel.
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Hale served as Cleveland's acting manager from July 29, 2021, through the end of the season while Francona was sidelined by health issues. The team went 30-33 with Hale in charge.
Francona stepped down last month after 11 seasons in Cleveland, and while Hale was considered by some to be a candidate to replace him, the organization instead went with Seattle Mariners bullpen coach and former AL All-Star catcher Stephen Vogt. The Guardians offered Hale the chance to stay on as bench coach under Vogt, but he declined.
Toronto went 89-73 in Schneider's first season, finishing third in the AL East behind Baltimore and Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays were swept by Minnesota in an AL Wild Card Series.
Hale coached for first base and outfield for Texas (2002-05), then was a third-base coach (2006-09) and bench coach (2010-11) with Boston and a third-base coach with Baltimore (2012).
After playing for five minor league seasons, Hale became hitting coach of Boston's Double-A New Britain team in 1992, then managed the Red Sox Class A team at Fort Lauderdale in 1993 and spent one season with Class A St. Petersburg in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.
Hale returned to the Red Sox to manage Class A Michigan in 1995 and Double-A Trenton from 1997-99, then managed Texas' Triple-A Oklahoma team in 2000 and 2001.
Besides Hale, the Guardians will also have to replace third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh, among others. Holdovers from Francona's staff will include first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. and pitching coach Carl Willis.