Pat the Bat is back and will try to mentor the next generation of Giants sluggers.
The organization announced Monday that Pat Burrell, a key piece on San Francisco's 2010 championship team, will be the hitting coach for the San Jose Giants. The A-ball affiliate will be managed by Dennis Pelfrey, who joins the organization after five seasons in the Independent Frontier League.
Former Giants pitcher Matt Yourkin will return as pitching coach and Gary Davenport (fundamentals) and Ray Ortega (bullpen) also will join the staff.
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Burrell, 43, will be taking a new step in his post-playing career. He played 12 big-league seasons, including two with the Giants, and served as a well-regarded scout for the organization after finishing his playing career in 2011.
He was an analyst for NBC Sports Bay Area last season and has been a regular at Oracle Park over the years.
For Burrell, this is a homecoming in multiple ways. He still lives in the South Bay and was a star at Bellarmine College Prep, which is a short drive from Excite Ballpark in San Jose.
The Giants have familiar names in place in Sacramento and Richmond, but Pelfrey is a newcomer to the organization. He's from Arlington, Texas and played at Northwood University in Texas before a short professional career. Pelfrey played in the Frontier League for the Dubois Country Dragons, Kenosha Mammoths and Springfield/Ozark Ducks.
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San Jose had Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos and Sean Hjelle come through last season and should see 2019 first-rounder Hunter Bishop this year. Marco Luciano, regarded by some as the organization's top prospect, isn't far behind.