Chip Hale

Born in San Jose, California, Hale played baseball for Campolindo High School in Moraga, California.[2] He attended the University of Arizona, where he played college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats. He was a part of the 1986 College World Series champions. He also set school records in hits and walks for a career.[3] In 1984 and 1985, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star in 1985.[4][5]

The Minnesota Twins selected Hale in the 17th round, with the 425th overall selection, of the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.[1] Hale made his major league debut with the Twins in 1989, and played in parts of six seasons with the team. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent prior to the 1997 season, and appeared in 14 games for the Dodgers, in what would be his final major league season.[1]

Hale is associated with one of the most famous bloopers in baseball history.[6] On May 27, 1991, while playing for the Class AAA Portland Beavers, Hale hit a deep fly ball to right field where Vancouver Canadians outfielder Rodney McCray ran through the outfield wall attempting to catch the ball.[7]

Hale joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as the manager of the Missoula Osprey for the 2000 season.[8] He managed the El Paso Diablos in 2002 and the Tucson Sidewinders from 2004 to 2006.[9] Under Hale's leadership the minor league Sidewinders finished the regular season with a record of 91–53, a new franchise record; and Hale was named Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year.[10][11][2]

Hale with the Nationals

For the 2007 Major League Baseball season, Hale served as a coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks under manager Bob Melvin.[12][13][2][14]

In 2009, Hale was hired as the third base coach for the New York Mets.[15][12] He was a candidate to become manager of the Mets after Jerry Manuel was fired at the end of the 2010 season;[16] however, the position went to Terry Collins.

On October 5, 2011, Hale signed a two-year deal to become bench coach of the Oakland Athletics.[17][12] On the same day, the Mets announced that Hale would not be returning to the league club for the 2012 season and would be replaced by Tim Teufel.[18]

On May 29, 2013, Hale was ejected for the first time in his MLB playing or coaching career for arguing a spectator interference and runner placement call. Brian Knight was the ejecting umpire.[12][19]

Hale then went back to the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2015 and 2016 seasons as the club's manager, compiling a 148–176 record.[20][12] He was fired from the managerial position on October 3, 2016.[21]

Hale was re-hired by the Oakland Athletics on October 18, 2016, this time as the team's third-base coach.[22][12]

Then, in November 2017, the Washington Nationals hired Hale as their bench coach.[23][12] On October 29, 2019, in Game 6 of the World Series, he became the acting manager for the Nationals after Dave Martinez was ejected in the 7th inning. Hale and the Nationals maintained their lead, garnering a 7-2 win to force a Game 7, thus paving the way to winning the franchise’s first World Championship, the following night.[24]

On November 7, 2020, Hale was named the third base coach for the Detroit Tigers.[25][26]

On July 5, 2021, Hale left the Tigers so he could become the head baseball coach at the University of Arizona.[27]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chip Hale.

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
• Chip Hale managerial career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com