Torey Lovullo Explains D-backs' Coaching Change

On Tuesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced J.R. House as their new third-base coach. But along with the duties of holding and sending runners at third comes another role — catching coach.

Working with catchers had previously been the duty of bench coach Jeff Banister — manager Torey Lovullo's right-hand man. But Banister will no longer serve that role.

Lovullo explained the shift in coaching duties in a recent press conference. He was sure to emphasize it was not due to a deficiency in Banister's coaching abilities, but said he wanted Arizona's bench coach to be closer to an "assistant manager" — not worrying about the catchers.

More on House's hiring: Why Diamondbacks Hired New Third-Base Coach J.R. House

Arizona Diamondbacks Torey Lovullo Explains Coaching Change

"We have two really good teachers. I just felt like, to get JR here, I wanted to give him that responsibility as well as being our third-base coach. Because it was going to allow [Banister] to pull back and be more by my side, giving Banny more responsibilities like an assistant manager, which he already is," Lovullo said.

"I wanted to strip him of everything I possibly could, so he can focus on one thing: being closer to me and being more like a manager, thinking like a manager. He already does that," Lovullo said.

The manager said the tangible changes won't necessarily be massive.

"If you were to ask him, you know, what will change? I know the answer is going to be nothing, but he's not going to have to worry about a conversation that he's going to have with a catcher in the bullpen... and, and going over some pluses and minuses from what happened the night before in teaching.

"He can be more engaged with me in my office, more engaged with me about some of the things that I want to do, more engaged with me about the responsibilities of what I'm talking about for that evening's game."

He said the added support from Banister will help Lovullo be a better manager and produce better results, as well.

"He is totally available to me at all times, and like an assistant manager, that, to me, is going to make me better. It's going to make the team better. And I just, I felt like at the end of the day, that was going to be the best decision for this ball club at this very point in time," he said.

Lovullo also praised House's coaching abilities.

"Wait until you see what some of [House's] teaching styles are. I'm always blown away whenever we go into Cincinnati [House's previous position]."

"J.R. is able to spend every minute of his day doing one thing, being a catching coach. Banny could, but when I pulled him away from that, he was my priority.

"So I would pull him away from that and I would not allow him to be an every-moment catching coach. We have an every-moment catching coach right now," Lovullo said.

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