Detroit Tigers announce former SF Giants catcher as minor league manager

Catchers tend to make good managers. Former SF Giants manager Bruce Bochy was a catcher and so was current Giants manager Bob Melvin. The Detroit Tigers continued that trend recently, announcing veteran catcher Tim Federowicz as the manager of their Triple-A affiliate.

Detroit Tigers announce former SF Giants catcher as minor league manager

The position was previously held by Anthony Iapoce, who has since been promoted to be the Tigers' first base coach. Federowicz's staff includes Mike Hessman as the hitting coach.

Hessman was drafted in the 15th round of the 1995 draft by the Atlanta Braves out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. His pro career began as an 18-year-old prospect in 1996 and he played professionally through his age-37 season before retiring after the 2015 campaign. In 19 minor-league seasons, he blasted 433 home runs and tallied 14 major-league home runs during brief stints with the Braves, Tigers, and New York Mets.

On the other hand, Federowicz completed an eight-year major league career after the 2021 season. In 2021, he played with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, but his last major league appearance was in 2019. His career included a brief stint with the Giants in 2017. With San Francisco, he recorded three hits, including two home runs, in 14 at-bats.

Overall, he posted a .568 OPS while making stops with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Giants, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers. He rarely had consistent playing time as he accumulated over 100 plate appearances just once in his career.

However, the 36-year-old does hold a minor footnote in Giants history. He encouraged outfielder Mac Williamson to work out with a private hitting coach, Doug Latta, who is well-respected throughout baseball. This paid immediate dividends for Williamson and it looked like he was on the cusp of breaking out in 2018 before a concussion derailed his career.

For Federowicz, he jumped into coaching immediately after retiring, becoming the manager for the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate for the 2022 season. He was named the catching coach on A.J. Hinch's staff for the Tigers last year before being reassigned to be the manager of their Triple-A team for the 2024 season.