The Orioles announced three hires Tuesday evening, highlighted by one with a familiar name to the organization and the Baltimore area.
Lee MacPhail, IV will join the organization as a special assistant to his uncle, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, and the team also added former Orioles outfielder John Shelby as first base coach and Brian Graham as a minor league official.
After two potential hires to replace departed vice president Jim Duquette were promoted within their current organizations, Andy MacPhail was forced to continue his search. He turned to his nephew, who spent last season as a scout for the Minnesota Twins.
“My nephew has, in my view, a good background evaluating talent and the education to put it all together,” Andy MacPhail said. “He?s been out in the field and in the office, so he can cross-pollinate different disciplines for me.”
Lee MacPhail, a native of northern Baltimore County who graduated from Friends School, started his major league career as an assistant in the Orioles? front office in the early 1990s,
Shelby, 49, and Graham, 47, join the Orioles from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shelby, who was Pittsburgh?s first base coach the past two years, played for the Orioles from 1981-87. Graham was an Orioles coach in 2001 under manager Mike Hargrove, and has also coached with Cleveland and Florida. Graham was Pittsburgh?s senior director of player development from 2001 through this season.
“We have three different guys we think can help make us better,” Andy MacPhail said. “And they all have Oriole ties in one shape or form.”
Orioles manager Dave Trembley has one staff opening ? bench coach ? which will likely remain open until other managerial positions are clarified.
In other baseball news, the Yankees announced on Tuesday the hiring of former catcher Joe Girardi as former manager Joe Torre?s replacement. Girardi turned down MacPhail?s offer this past summer to manage the Orioles.
Various news reports Tuesday tied Torre to the Los Angeles Dodgers after manager Grady Little resigned last night.
