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New Orioles manager Craig Albernaz is dipping into his past again with the hiring of Donnie Ecker as bench coach, which a source confirmed this afternoon.
Ecker, 39, served as Rangers' bench coach and offensive coordinator from 2022-24. They removed his bench coach duties prior to the 2025 season and fired him on May 4.
The shakeup included the hiring of former All-Star second baseman Bret Boone as hitting coach.
Ecker was on the Rangers’ staff when they swept the Orioles in the 2023 Division Series and won the World Series.
The Giants hired Ecker as one of their two major league hitting coaches prior to the 2020 season, which is where his career intersected with Albernaz, the team’s bullpen and catching coach from 2020-23.
Ecker was hitting coach for the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals in 2015-16 and moved up to High-A Peoria in 2017. He served as Triple-A Salt Lake hitting coach in the Angels’ system in 2018 and Reds assistant hitting coach in 2019.
The Reds added the director of hitting title before Ecker joined the Giants.
Ecker was a 22nd-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2007 out of Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho. He lasted two years in the minors as an infielder and outfielder, batting .268/.360/.371 in 36 games in rookie and Class A ball, and spent two years playing in independent leagues.
The Orioles needed a replacement for bench coach Robinson Chirinos, who was let go after the season. Ecker will be the third person to hold the job in three seasons after Fredi González in 2024.
Ecker is the third confirmed hire under Albernaz after hitting coach Dustin Lind and first base coach and outfield instructor Jason Bourgeois. Assistant hitting coaches Sherman Johnson and Tommy Joseph won’t return.
Buck Britton began the season as major league coach and shifted to third base after Tony Mansolino was named interim manager. The Orioles have shown some interest in possibly retaining Britton, perhaps as third base coach, according to a source, but nothing is official.
There are no updates on the status of pitching coach Drew French, assistant pitching coach Ryan Klimek, bullpen coach Mitch Plassmeyer, development coach Grant Anders and senior advisor John Mabry.
The Baltimore Sun first reported Ecker’s hiring.
