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Mottola getting up to speed with Rays hitters
- Updated: September 8, 2016
NEW YORK — New Rays hitting coach Chad Mottola spent his first day on the job doing exactly what he expects to do for the next few weeks.
Even before his first game, Mottola was meeting with his hitters, watching and listening and trying to learn. For a coach who says his biggest strength is communication, these will be crucial days as the Rays look into the offseason and ahead to 2017.
“It’s going to take a little time to settle in,” said Mottola, who was promoted to the big league job when the Rays dismissed Derek Shelton on Tuesday.
Mottola had been the Rays’ Minor League hitting coordinator the last three years, so he already knows many of the hitters he’ll be working with. He also worked with Brad Miller and Nick Franklin in the offseason in Orlando, Fla.
Still, there’s a difference in working with guys for a few days in the Minor Leagues or a few weeks in the offseason. Mottola and the Rays believe the next few weeks will be invaluable in gaining an understanding of how he can help hitters during the season.
“Every hitter has a different routine, and a different mindset,” manager …
