WILLMAR - Former Major League Baseball All-Star catcher Terry Steinbach is joining the Willmar Stingers coaching staff this season.
Steinbach will serve as a hitting instructor and bench coach for the Stingers. He will be in the dugout for about a dozen games during the summer as he works with position players from colleges across the country.
Since retiring in 1999, the former Oakland Athletic (1986-96) and Minnesota Twin (1997-99) has taken various coaching positions, including most recently where he served as the bench coach for the Minnesota Twins for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
“We are thrilled to have Terry be a part of the organization this summer,” Stingers co-owner Ryan Voz said in a press release. “This will be an unbelievable experience for our players being able to learn from someone of this caliber.”
Steinbach is a native of New Ulm and went on to attend the University of Minnesota where he played third base for the Gophers and was named the 1983 Big Ten Co-Player of the Year. That same year he was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the ninth round of the amateur draft. Three years later, he homered in his first major league at-bat.
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After a decade with the A’s, three All-Star appearances and three trips to the World Series - and one ring - Steinbach returned to his native Minnesota, where he finished his career with the Twins. He ended his career after appearing in 1,546 games, hitting 162 home runs, 745 RBIs and a .271 batting average.
Steinbach will join manager Matt Passauer as well as fellow coaches Nate Johnson, Zach Stuart and Rob Swendra this season.
The Stingers, who finished 47-24 last season, which was good for second in the North division of the Northwoods League, will start their season May 31 at 7:05 p.m. at Bill Taunton Stadium against the Duluth Huskies. Steinbach will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
