Major League Baseball

Sources: Hansen to join Dodgers staff

Published Nov. 8, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Dave Hansen is on the verge of joining the Dodgers’ coaching staff as a hitting instructor, multiple major-league sources told FOXSports.com.

One person close to the situation said nothing has been finalized “yet,” but some others in the industry view it as a “done deal” that Hansen will return to the franchise that selected him in the amateur draft 24 years ago.

The Dodgers have had two hitting coaches on their major-league staff since 2008. Formerly, Don Mattingly and Jeff Pentland held those positions. Now that Mattingly is the manager, the Dodgers’ intent is to keep Pentland and hire a second hitting coach.

It’s not clear whether Pentland or Hansen would be designated as the primary hitting coach.

Either way, Pentland and Hansen should work well together. Hansen enjoyed one of his finest seasons as a major leaguer in 1997 — when Pentland was his hitting coach with the Chicago Cubs.

Hansen, who retired after the 2005 season, spent all or part of 11 seasons with the Dodgers. He was most recently a hitting coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ farm system.

Hansen ranks among the all-time leaders with 138 career pinch hits. Ironically, he became a pinch hitter when Tim Wallach replaced him as the Dodgers’ third baseman in 1993; Wallach is likely to join Mattingly’s staff, as well.

Hansen seemed like a coach even before the end of his playing career. He kept logs of information on pitchers and was an early student of scouting video.