Dodgers hire Pat Corrales as special assistant

Come one, come all! The more the merrier. The Dodgers can always find another chair in their conference room.

When team part-owner and Chief Executive Stan Kasten first observed the Dodgers’ organization and stated that he thought the front office was thin in places, little did anyone realize how much he meant thin in management.

On Monday the Dodgers added yet another to General Manager Ned Colletti’s stable of baseball minds, hiring veteran Pat Corrales as a special assistant.

Corrales is a former major league manager, coach and player, and has spent 53 years in baseball.

He has previously served with Kasten as a coach with both the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.

Still, the official quote in the team press release came from Colletti:

“We are very happy to have Pat join us. His vast experience, especially from his years in Atlanta and Washington, will be a great strength to our organization. He will assist us in a variety of ways, including evaluating our player development system and helping us at the Major League level.�

Colletti has quite a collection of assistants these days. Previously the Dodgers announced the offseason additions of Gerry Hunsicker (senior advisor) and Bob Engle (vice president of international scouting).

And then there are holdovers De Jon Watson (assistant GM player development), Logan White (assistant GM scouting), Vance Lovelace (director player personnel), Rick Ragazzo (director pro scouting), Alex Tamin (director contracts, research and operations), Ken Bracey (special assistant to GM), Toney Howell (special assistant player personnel), Stan Conte (senior director medical services), Bill Mueller (special assistant), Mickey Hatcher, Aaron Sele, Jose Vizcaino and Juan Castro (special assistants baseball operations).

At least Ned always has somebody to talk to. Doesn’t hurt that he just signed his own contract extension, believed to be for at least three additional years.

Corrales, 71, was baseball’s first Mexican American manager. He managed nine seasons for the Rangers, Phillies and Indians, and also spent nine years in the majors as a catcher.

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