Former Major-Leaguers Brandon Allen, Travis Tartamella Among St. Louis Cardinals’ New Coaching Hires
Two former major-leaguers will begin their respective coaching careers in the St. Louis Cardinals organization this season.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced a flurry of front office promotions and hires on Sunday morning, and among the eight new hires, there were a couple of particularly intriguing names. Two players who recently saw major-league action, Brandon Allen and Travis Tartamella, will become coaches in the Cardinals organization this season.
Allen, who just turned 31 years old, spent 13 years in pro baseball as a first baseman and outfielder. He played in 116 major-league games over four seasons, spending time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, and Tampa Bay Rays. He also spent three days on the Cincinnati Reds’ active roster last season but did not see action in a game. Allen is fresh off being an active player, having played the entire 2016 season with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, the Louisville Bats, after being outrighted there in early April.
A lefthanded hitter who posted a .203/.290/.375 slash line with 12 homers in 389 major-league plate appearances, Allen will serve as the hitting coach for the advanced rookie level Johnson City Cardinals this season. At that level, he’ll have a particularly strong influence over hitters who are just beginning their professional careers, assisting with swing and approach changes as they acclimate to a more difficult level of play.
The 29-year-old Tartamella, meanwhile, ended his pro career at the conclusion of the 2015 season after finally reaching the majors with the Cardinals in September. Tartamella already filled a de facto coaching role during much of his seven-year minor-league career, serving primarily as a bullpen catcher while frequently spending time on the phantom disabled list. From 2009-15, the former 19th-round pick appeared in just 305 minor-league games across four levels, posting a .197/.251/.266 slash line with 10 homers in 1,091 plate appearances.
Tartamella, who was much more highly-regarded for his receiving skills than his bat, received a surprising call-up in mid-September of 2015 after Yadier Molina went down with a hand injury. He saw reserve action in three games for the Cardinals, collecting one hit in two at-bats.
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He’ll serve as the organization’s minor-league catching instructor, imparting his defensive wisdom upon the backstops developing in the system. His instruction could really help a pair of 2016 draftees–Jeremy Martinez, who has significant question marks surrounding his ability to stay behind the plate, and Andrew Knizner, a former third baseman who is relatively new to the catching position.
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Tartamella is the latest in a long line of former Cardinals who have gone on to fill coaching roles within the organization. Beyond major-league coaches Mike Matheny, John Mabry, and David Bell, former Cardinals Stubby Clapp, Bryan Eversgerd, and Jason Simontacchi are also on Cardinals minor-league coaching staffs this season.