Mike Barnett
Michael Lee Barnett
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.
- School Ohio University
- Born February 1, 1959 in Columbus, OH USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Mike Barnett was a catcher at Ohio University before a shoulder injury ended his baseball career. He graduated with a degree in sports administration. He was a coach at the University of Tennessee from 1988 to 1989 and served as the Vols interim head coach in 1989 after the resignation of Mark Connor.
In 1990, Barnett joined the Chicago White Sox organization as a hitting coach for the South Bend White Sox of the Midwest League. He moved to the Florida State League's Sarasota White Sox for the 1991 and 1992 seasons. He was the hitting coach for the Birmingham Barons in the Southern League from 1993 to 1995, the Hickory Crawdads (South Atlantic League) in 1996 and the Gulf Coast White Sox (GCL) in 1997. Barnett became the Tucson Sidewinders' hitting coach from 1998 to 2001.
In 2002, Barnett joined the Toronto Blue Jays as the team's hitting coach, a position he remained in through 2005. After a stint as the Kansas City Royals' minor league hitting instructor, he became the team's hitting coach in the middle of the 2006 season. He retained this position until being let go after the 2008 season. In 2009, Barnett was the Houston Astros' minor league hitting coordinator, a position he returned to in 2010. In 2011, he succeeded Jeff Bagwell as the big league team's hitting coach. He was fired along with manager Brad Mills and first base coach Bobby Meacham on August 18, 2012 with the team in last place and in danger of setting a new franchise record for losses for the second straight year.
In 2013, Barnett returned to the Blue Jays organization as minor league hitting coordinator; his colleague with the Astros the previous season, Bobby Meacham, joined him as the manager of the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays.
Barnett also served as the hitting coach for the United States in the 2001 Baseball World Cup and the 2006 Olympic Qualifiying Tournament.
| Blue Jays Hitting Coaches | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous | Current | Next |
| Cito Gaston | Mike Barnett | Mickey Brantley |
| 2002 to 2005 | ||
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