Indians name former Braves base coach DeMarlo Hale bench coach

The Indians announced Monday that they hired DeMarlo Hale as their new bench coach.

A veteran of 15 seasons as a member of a major league coaching staff, the 56-year-old Hale goes way back with Cleveland skipper Terry Francona. Hale served as both a base coach and bench coach under Francona while serving as a member of the Boston staff from 2006-11. He was the Red Sox’s third base coach for their World Series win in 2007.

Hale spent this past season as the Braves’ first base coach, taking over that post when Eric Young Sr. opted out of the 2020 season. Hale initially was hired as a special assistant by general manager Alex Anthopoulos, whom he knew well from his days as a bench coach in Toronto during Anthopoulos’ tenure there.

The Indians announced on Oct. 31 that longtime bench coach Brad Mills wouldn’t return to that role in 2021. Mills, who opted out of the 2020 season, is being reassigned to a yet-undetermined role elsewhere in the organization. He was Cleveland’s bench coach since 2014 and a member of the coaching staff dating back to 2012.