The Seattle Mariners hired John McLaren as their
bench coach Thursday, four years after he left the same job to go to
Tampa Bay with Lou Piniella.
Piniella was announced Tuesday as the Chicago Cubs' manager.
McLaren was scouting prospects in the Arizona Fall League this week
when Piniella asked him to become his bench coach.
But Mariners associate general manager Lee Pelekoudas saw McLaren
across the parking lot at the Mariners' spring training facility and
called his old employee over. Pelekoudas asked if McLaren was
interested in being Mike Hargrove's bench coach.
``It came out of the blue, really,'' McLaren said.
McLaren spent last season scouting for Tampa Bay. He replaces Ron
Hassey, Hargrove's good friend and former Cleveland Indians teammate
who left in September when it became apparent he wasn't wanted back.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
