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Hough replaced as L.A. pitching coach

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Posted: Wednesday May 26, 1999 05:51 PM

Unable to dodge the noose: Charlie Hough took the blame for L.A.'s futility. Ezra O. Shaw/Allsport

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Charlie Hough was fired as pitching coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday and replaced by Claude Osteen.

The highly regarded Los Angeles pitching staff has been a major disappointment so far this season with a 4.47 ERA -- sixth-best in the NL -- entering Wednesday night's game at Cincinnati.

Despite the addition of ace Kevin Brown, who signed a seven-year, $105 million contract with the Dodgers last December, the team ERA has gone up by two-thirds of a run from last season, when it was 3.81.

Brown, a hard-luck loser at Cincinnati on Tuesday night when the Dodgers lost 3-2, has a 5-3 record with a 2.39 ERA.

Hough and Osteen both pitched for the Dodgers during their playing careers.

Hough, 51, who has been offered another assignment within the organization, was hired as the team's pitching coach last June after serving in the same capacity with San Bernardino of the California League from 1996-98.

Osteen, 59, has been the pitching coach at Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League for the last three seasons. He has 13 years of experience as a pitching coach in the major leagues.

San Bernardino and Albuquerque are both farm clubs of the Dodgers.

“Claude is a former Dodger pitcher and an experienced pitching coach with a proven major league track record,” Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone said in a news release. “He is familiar with many of our pitchers since he has been in the Dodger organization for eight of the last 11 years as a pitching coach in the minor leagues.”

The Dodgers also announced that Glenn Hoffman and Rick Dempsey will switch assignments -- Hoffman will now coach third base, and Dempsey will assume the bullpen coaching duties.

 

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