Darnell Coles facts for kids

Darnell Coles (born June 2, 1962) is an American professional baseball player. He is now a hitting coach for the Washington Nationals. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Darnell played mostly as a third baseman and outfielder. His playing career lasted from 1983 to 1997. He has been a coach in MLB since 2014.

Early Life and High School Sports

Darnell Coles grew up in San Bernardino, California. He went to Eisenhower High School. There, he was a star athlete. He played four different sports. He was also named the best baseball player three times.

Playing Baseball Professionally

Starting His Career

On June 3, 1980, Darnell Coles was picked by the Seattle Mariners. This happened in the first round of the 1980 Major League Baseball Draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall. He had a big decision to make. He turned down scholarships to UCLA for both baseball and football. Instead, he chose to sign with the Mariners.

Highlights as a Player

Darnell Coles played for many teams during his career. In 1986, he played for the Detroit Tigers. That year, he hit 20 home runs. This was the most home runs he hit in a single season. He also had two special games where he hit three home runs. One was in 1987 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The other was in 1994 when he played for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Coaching Baseball

Early Coaching Roles

After his playing days, Darnell Coles became a coach. In 2006, he started working for the Washington Nationals. He was a "roving hitting instructor." This means he traveled to different teams in their system to help players improve their hitting.

He also managed minor league teams. In 2007, he managed the Vermont Lake Monsters. In 2008, he managed the Hagerstown Suns.

Moving Up as a Hitting Coach

In 2008, he became the hitting coach for the Syracuse Chiefs. This team was the Nationals' top minor league team. Later, in 2013, he was chosen to manage the Nashville Sounds. This team was the top minor league team for the Milwaukee Brewers.

However, he soon got a new opportunity. In November 2013, the Detroit Tigers hired him. He became their assistant hitting coach.

Current Coaching Position

In 2014, Darnell Coles became the main hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers. He stayed with them until 2018. After that, he became the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2021, he left the Diamondbacks.

After the 2021 season, the Washington Nationals hired him again. He is currently their hitting coach.