Tim Laker
Tim Laker | |
---|---|
Catcher | |
Born: Encino, California, U.S. | November 27, 1969|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
August 18, 1992, for the Montreal Expos | |
Last MLB appearance | |
June 18, 2006, for the Cleveland Indians | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .226 |
Home runs | 11 |
Runs batted in | 79 |
Teams | |
Timothy John Laker (born November 27, 1969) is an American professional baseball catcher and coach. He was most recently the hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians from 1992 through 2006.
Early life[edit]
Laker was born in Encino, California and graduated from Simi Valley High School in Simi Valley, California.[1] He played college baseball at Oxnard Community College in Oxnard, California.[2]
Career[edit]
The Montreal Expos selected Laker in the sixth round of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft.[3] During his professional baseball career, Laker played for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He last played professional baseball with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in 2006.
Mitchell Report[edit]
Laker was named in the Mitchell Report, which detailed anabolic steroid use in MLB, on December 13, 2007. As a current ball club employee, Laker was required to consent to an interview, in which he admitted to purchasing Deca-Durabolin and testosterone from Kirk Radomski from 1995 to 1999. Laker claimed he was introduced to Radomski by teammate David Segui.[4] In March 2008, Laker admitted regretting his decision to take performance-enhancing drugs stating, "I made a poor decision, a mistake, and all I can do is ask for forgiveness and move on."[5]
Coaching and managing[edit]
Laker first managed the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, the Cleveland Indians' Short-Season A affiliate, in 2007.[6] He led the New York–Penn League side to a 37-37 record. However, after just one season, he was moved to the position of "roving catching instructor" within the Indians organization and replaced by Travis Fryman.[7] Laker cited health concerns related to colitis, as the reason for the change.[5]
In December 2009, Laker was named the manager of the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.[8]
Laker became hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox triple-A affiliate the Charlotte Knights for the 2011 season. In 2016, he was the hitting coach for the Akron Rubber Ducks in the Cleveland Indians minor league system.[9]
In December 2016, Laker was named assistant hitting coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2017 season.
The Seattle Mariners announced their hiring of Laker as their hitting coach for the 2019 season.
On November 15, 2021, the Mariners announced that Laker declined the club's offer to return as its hitting coach.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Tim Laker Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
- ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. 9 July 1994.
- ^ "Tim Laker". Baseball-Reference.Com. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
- ^ "Mitchell Report pp. 159-61" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Laker admits taking steroids, regrets shortsightedness". ESPN. 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
- ^ "Indians finalize 2007 staff alignment for player development system | indians.com: Official Info". Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians hire Travis Fryman to manage at Mahoning Valley". 30 November 2007.
- ^ "Mariners announce Minor League coaching staff for 2010 season". Major League Baseball. seattle.mariners.mlb.com. December 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ http://www.sportspagemagazine.com/content/baseb/mp-baseb/ln-mp-baseb/joe-mcewing-named-charlotte-knights-manager.shtml?44317[dead link]
- ^ Daniel Kramer (November 15, 2021). "Mariners announce 2022 coaching staff". MLB.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Tim Laker at Baseball Almanac
- 1969 births
- Living people
- American expatriate baseball players in Canada
- American sportspeople in doping cases
- Arizona Diamondbacks coaches
- Baltimore Orioles players
- Baseball coaches from California
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Cleveland Indians players
- Major League Baseball catchers
- Major League Baseball hitting coaches
- Minor league baseball managers
- Montreal Expos players
- Nashville Sounds players
- Oxnard Condors baseball players
- Sportspeople from Simi Valley, California
- People from Encino, Los Angeles
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Seattle Mariners coaches
- Baseball players from Oxnard, California
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays players
- Durham Bulls players
- Harrisburg Senators players
- Jamestown Expos players
- Ottawa Lynx players
- Rochester Red Wings players
- Rockford Expos players
- West Palm Beach Expos players
- Simi Valley High School alumni