Focused on division-title defense, Rainiers announce 2022 coaching staff
As his managerial debut approaches, Tim Federowicz says he won’t be a voice of power who rules over players but rather a resource for them.
In an interview with The News Tribune last month, Triple-A Tacoma’s newly named manager said he knew months before retiring from a playing career that he’d pursue another role in the game. In November, the Rainiers called.
After conversations with coaching personnel and a week of interviews, Seattle’s organization was the first to offer Federowicz a gig as their Triple-A manager.
“I definitely didn’t expect it to be as high as Triple-A, but I think (it’s) a perfect fit,” Federowicz said in December. “Just because it’s the same league I’ve been in for the last 11 years. The organization is a good fit for me, and (I’m a good fit) for them. I’m really excited.”
On Monday, Seattle announced the remainder of Triple-A Tacoma’s coaching staff in a news release.
Brad Marcelino joins the Rainiers as hitting coach. After five years in the Mariners organization, Alon Leichman takes over as Tacoma’s pitching coach. Zach Vincej, who played 109 games in a Rainiers uniform in 2018, joins the staff as a fourth coach.
Michael Feliciano, ATC will serve as Tacoma’s athletic trainer. Michael Sadler becomes Tacoma’s strength and conditioning coach after a season with Double-A Arkansas in 2021.
Federowicz appeared in eight major league seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-14), Chicago Cubs (2016), San Francisco Giants (2017) and Houston Astros (2018). In 878 career minor league games, including 26 against the Rainiers, Federowicz hit for a .286 average with 100 home runs and 504 RBI.
Tacoma’s newest manager called it a playing career after securing a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
“I am thrilled to join the Seattle Mariners organization as manager of the Tacoma Rainiers,” Federowicz said in the release. “I look forward to leading and further developing our players at the Triple-A level, and to working with Brad, Alon, Zach and the rest of our staff.”
Federowicz takes over after the promotion of former Tacoma manager Kristopher Negron, who will serve as Seattle’s first base coach in 2022.
Marcelino joins Seattle’s organization after working as a private hitting instructor in San Diego since 2018. For seven years prior, he served as a hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of San Diego.
Leichman earned a promotion onto Tacoma’s staff after two years as pitching coach for Double-A Arkansas (2020-21). He joined Seattle’s organization in 2017 as Coordinator of Organizational Learning, and in 2018, served as pitching coach for the Dominican Summer League Mariners.
Leichman was A-West Virginia’s pitching coach in 2019 before a promotion to Double-A Arkansas in 2020.
Monday’s announcement places former Rainier Vincej on Tacoma’s coaching staff. He appeared in 10 major league games and one with the Mariners in 2018. Selected in the 37th round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft by Cincinnati, Vincej hit .268 with 30 home runs and 297 RBI in 788 minor league games and won a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove Award at shortstop in 2016.
Feliciano, ATC begins his first season as Tacoma’s athletic trainer, after four seasons in Seattle’s organization. Sadler, who was the strength and conditioning coach for Double-A Arkansas last season, received a promotion for the same role in Tacoma.
The Rainiers won the Western Division of the Triple-A West after a 73-47 record in 2021. Their title defense begins on Apr. 5 with a six-game homestand against Triple-A Salt Lake.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 12:44 PM.
