Elliott: Vitale, Boyd land major-league coaching jobs

Former North Shore Twins INF Louis Boyd (North Vancouver, BC) headed for the Seattle Mariners coaching staff.

November 26, 2024

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The day Nov. 26 will go down as a Grrrr-eat day in Canadian coaching history.

Carson Vitale, the Seattle Mariners major league field coordinator since 2020, is leaving to join new Miami Marlins as new manager Clayton McCullough’s bench coach.

And to replace Vitale the Mariners promoted Louis Boyd to their major-league staff, as major league field coordinator.

Vitale (Victoria, BC) has been with the Mariners for seven season, the past two as field coordinator. Drafted in the 38th round as a catcher out of Creighton University by the Rangers in 2010, he played two minor league seasons at the rookie-class Arizona league Rangers and class-A Spokane Rangers.

Former Victoria Mariners Carson Vitale is headed to the Miami Marlins as skipper Clayton McCullough’s bench coach.

Vitale knows both Marlins skipper McCullough and assistant general manager Gabe Kapler from their days with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Boyd was drafted by the Mariners in the 24th round in 2017 from the University of Arizona after attending Cochise College. He played for the rookie-Class Arizona Mariners, class-A Everett AquaSox, class-A Clinton LumberKings and class-A Modesto Nuts.

He has worked six years with the Mariners before his promotion to the coaching staff, managing Everett in 2019 and 2021 to a combined 98-95 record.

The other Canuck coaches in the majors duirng the 2024 season ...

_ Dave McKay Arizona Diamondbacks.

McKay (Vancouver, BC) spent his 40th year as a coach and 35th straight as first-base coach. He’s the longest-tenured coach in the majors. After a brief stint with the Cubs, the Diamondbacks offered McKay a job in 2014.

_ Jimmy Van Ostrand New York Mets.

Van Ostrand (Richmond, BC) is the mental skills coach at Citi Field. The 2024 season was his eighth year in the majors after three with the Seattle Mariners, four with the Blue Jays and this was his first with the Mets. He has his master’s degree in psychology from Cal Southern University after playing eight years in the minors.

_ Stubby Clapp, St. Louis Cardinals.

Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) played only 23 games with the Cards, yet he made an organizational impact having his uniform No. 10 painted on the outfield wall at AutoZone Park, home of the triple-A Memphis Redbirds. In 2009, he was named one of the Memphis Athletes of the Decade. He just completed his sixth season.

_ Jonathan Erlichman, Tampa Bay Rays.

Erlichman (Toronto, Ont.) just completed his fifth year as the Rays’ process and analytics coach. The Rays moved the Princeton grad, former Jays intern and front office analyst to the dugout as the club constantly does things outside the batter’s box. Erlichman departed after the season to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.

_ Jim Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers.

Henderson (Calgary, Alta.) is the Brewers bullpen coach after winning 10 games and saving 31 more for Milwaukee. He is a member of the Okotoks Dawgs Hall of Fame as the first graduate to make the majors.

And assistants ...

_ Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) assistant hitting coach, game planning, Chicago Cubs.

_ Jamie Pogue (Guelph, Ont.) assistant coach and bullpen catcher, St. Louis Cardinals.