Dodgers to hire Dino Ebel as third base coach

The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to hire Dino Ebel as their new third base coach, filling the void left by departed Chris Woodward.

As the coaching situation around the league begins to resolve itself, more names are being slotted into open positions with incredible speed. Sunday, it became just a little clearer who one of those names might be, at least for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, the Los Angeles Dodgers are hiring Dino Ebel to be their new third base coach, replacing Chris Woodward, who recently left to become the manager of the Texas Rangers. While nothing has been confirmed by either organization, Plunkett, along with several others, figure this to be the case.

Ebel, 52, was previously the third base coach for the neighbouring Los Angeles Angels. Prior to that, he spent 17 years in the Dodgers organization, coaching various minor league affiliates since 1991. He also spent a couple of seasons as the bench coach for the Angels’ major league squad.

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A native of Barstow, California, Ebel, who attended San Bernadino Valley College, was a player between 1986 and 1990, playing mostly in the lower minors before retiring to manage and coach at those same levels.

Many Angels fans have expressed their chagrin at the fact that the Dodgers, a team very close to them geographically, have hired Ebel away from the organization. A noted genuinely nice guy, he was constantly a well-regarded baseball mind and clearly gained a lot of respect with the organizations he worked with.

While the role of third base coach isn’t exactly a radically impactful job, it could pay dividends in the long run. Considering the Dodgers are expected to once again be competitive in 2019, having an experienced and solid coaching staff should be one of their top priorities entering the winter.

The Los Angeles Dodgers coaching staff now has one piece filled, and it’s a guy who has also coached outfielders and baserunning, so he can add plenty of experience to the staff.