The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, aka, Dave Kerwin, will return next season. Dejan Kovacevic reports on the PBC Blog that the team didn’t disclose the length of the deal, or the specifics. However, they will add a second pitching coach to be mentored by Kerrigan, and to help reduce the workload.
That last part is especially good, as not only do the Pirates retain Kerrigan, but they could potentially replace him down the line with a pitching coach trained to be just as good. There’s no question the impact Kerrigan has had on the Pirates this season. Consider the following success stories:
-Ross Ohlendorf had a BB/9 ratio of 4.76 with the Pirates last year. His BB/9 ratio this year is 2.70, which is a cut of over two walks per nine innings.
-Zach Duke lowered his BB/9 ratio from 2.29 in 2008 to 1.90 in 2009, and raised his K/9 ratio from 4.23 to 4.50. He also is having a breakout season under Kerrigan.
-The Pirates had a 5.08 team ERA last year, with a 4.1 BB/9 ratio. This year the Pirates have a 4.63 team ERA, with a 3.5 BB/9 ratio.
Next goal: bring back Perry Hill.
