Jul 15, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph (19) and left fielder Cody Asche (25) and right fielder Peter Bourjos (17) take the field against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The New York Mets won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Orioles writer Roch Kubatko reported on Tuesday that the Orioles will make Cody Asche, who had been working in the O's organization as an "offensive strategy" coach, their hitting coach for the 2025 MLB season. Rubatko also said that Tommy Joseph, currently an assistant hitting coach with the Mariners, will join the O's in that same assistant coach role.
And hearing Cody Asche will be main hitting coach. #orioles https://t.co/nFaorxxyxg
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) November 6, 2024
Phillies fans may remember Asche and Joseph from their roles on the offensive juggernaut that was the 2016 Phils:
Today’s lineup as the #Phillies continue their series vs. the D-backs. https://t.co/v4NCLqRoPv pic.twitter.com/W9Zlwg3ILE
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 19, 2016
Asche actually played four seasons with the Phillies (2013 through 2016), then made his final major league appearance as a player with the White Sox in 2017. Joseph's two seasons with the Phils (2016 and 2017) constitute his entire major league career.
It's undeniably funny for the Orioles to hire these guys as hitting coaches when they're best known as pretty bad players on pretty bad Phillies squads.
But the skill of hitting a baseball is vastly different than the skills associated with successfully coaching others to hit baseballs. Asche and Joseph may excel as coaches for an Orioles team that features a lot of offensive talent.
What's the saying? "Those who can... do, those who can't... teach."
