Bruce Fields named Minor League Hitting Coordinator

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has named Bruce Fields the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator.

Fields returns to the Tigers organization after spending the last seven seasons working in various capacities with the Cleveland Indians. He joined the Indians organization as a coach at Triple A Buffalo for the 2006 season. Fields was named Cleveland’s minor league hitting coordinator prior to the 2007 season, a role he held until being promoted to the club’s major league hitting coach on June 19, 2011. He served as Cleveland’s hitting coach through the conclusion of the 2012 season.

He played 14 seasons of professional baseball after being selected in the seventh round of the June 1978 draft by the Tigers. Fields spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, seeing major league action with Detroit (1986) and Seattle (1988-89).

Following the conclusion of his playing career, Fields returned to the Tigers organization to serve as a coach with Double A London (1992) and Triple A Toledo (1993-94) before he began his managerial career with Single A Jamestown (1995-96).

Fields spent four seasons (1997-2000) as the manager at Single A West Michigan. He led the Whitecaps to the Midwest League championship in 1998, garnering the Dwight Lowry Award as the Tigers Player Development Man of the Year. He was named the Midwest League’s Manager of the Year in 2000 after guiding West Michigan to an 88-52 record.

He served as the manager of Toledo for two seasons (2001-02), leading the Mud Hens to the International League’s West Division championship in 2002.

Fields was named Detroit’s hitting coach on October 9, 2002, a role he held until being named the club’s bench coach on July 1, 2005.

He and his wife, Julie, reside in Detroit. Fields’ eldest son, Aaron, played two seasons at the minor league level with Cleveland after being selected by the club in the June 2010 draft. His youngest son, Daniel, was selected by the Tigers in the June 2009 draft, and he saw action with Single A Lakeland and Double A Erie in 2012.