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Jose de Jesus Ortiz spoke to Atlanta Braves’ first base coach Eric Young, Sr. yesterday, and put up a quick video on Twitter in which the former major leaguer said his son, Eric Young, Jr., had been hired as the Washington Nationals’ new first base coach.
“My son is going to be first base coach for the Washington Nationals,” Eric Young, Sr. said, breaking the news apparently, which hadn’t been reportedly elsewhere (that we are aware of) beforehand.
I just caught up with former radio partner Eric Young Sr., the 1B coach of the Atlanta Braves. After he fixed my collar, we caught up a little bit. He tells me his son Eric Young Jr. was just hired as 1B coach of the Nationals. #ForTheA
— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) October 26, 2021
He’s a good dude! We were good radio. pic.twitter.com/eG8sMjlad8
Both Washington Post writer Jesse Dougherty and MASN’s Mark Zuckerman have since been able to confirm the news.
Eric Young, Jr., 36, played in 10 seasons in the majors, between 2009-2018, before retiring a year later after playing the 2019 campaign in the Seattle Mariners’ system.
Young had seasons of 30, 38, and 46 stolen bases in his major league career, leading the NL in steals in that 46-steal season in 2013, and he comes to the Nats after coaching at Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners’ organization in 2021.
Randy Knorr served as Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez’s first base coach in 2021, but he was reassigned within the organization earlier this winter.
Martinez already hired a new hitting coach this winter, bringing Darnell Coles on after four years with Kevin Long as his hitting coach in D.C., and the club still has to replace the third base coach in 2021, Bobby Henley, who was reassigned within the organization as well.
Where will Martinez find his third base coach?
Can confirm that Eric Young Jr. will be the Nationals' new first base coach (as was reported yesterday by @OrtizKicks, who was told by Eric Young Sr. himself). Young Jr., 36, last played in the majors in 2018.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) October 28, 2021
Eric Young Jr. will be Nationals’ new 1B coach, source confirms. Speedy former MLB outfielder (mostly with Rockies and Mets) is only 36 but knows baserunning and outfield defense as well as anyone. His father, Eric Sr. (who broke the news to @OrtizKicks) is Braves 1B coach.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) October 28, 2021