Former Dodger batting coach Ben Hines has passed away

Published in
2 min read Jan 15, 2021

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by Rowan Kavner

Former Dodger batting coach Ben Hines passed away Wednesday at Pomona Valley Hospital at the age of 85.

Hines, born in Yeager, Oklahoma, on Nov. 7, 1935, joined the Dodgers as a roving instructor in 1984 and began his tenure alongside Manny Mota as a Dodger batting instructor in 1985 after a successful 20-year coaching career at the University of La Verne.

After serving as an organizational hitting instructor for the Dodgers in 1985 and 1986, Hines spent the 1987 season as batting coach for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, helping the Dukes win a championship and the league’s batting title. He returned to the Majors in 1988 and served in multiple roles on Tommy Lasorda’s staff through 1993, including batting instructor, first base coach and bench coach.

“Ben played a key role in the world championship of 1988 as our hitting coach,” said former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire. “Ben had the respect of our players and everyone in the game. I had the pleasure of knowing Ben dating back to his days as a highly successful coach at La Verne College. Ben’s knowledge and passion for the game enabled him to make contributions to the Dodger organization at both the minor and Major League levels during his years with us.”

Hines was a three-sport athlete at the University of La Verne and graduated in 1958. He was signed as a catcher by Baltimore in 1959, though he played the majority of the time as a corner infielder in his first two pro seasons.

Moving to the coaching ranks, Hines helped La Verne advance to the NAIA World Series five times, winning the title in 1972. He was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1977. The University of La Verne renamed its baseball field to Ben Hines Field in November 1989.

Before joining the Dodgers as a coach, Hines managed the Fairbanks Goldpanners of the Alaskan League from 1978–82, coaching them to two titles. In the early 80s, Hines served as an assistant baseball coach at Arizona State University for three years before working as the Angels’ minor league hitting instructor in 1983 and the Mariners’ batting coach in 1984. Hines also wrote a book on hitting fundamentals entitled “Swing’s The Thing.”

“Ben was loved by all that worked with him,” said Dodger great Orel Hershiser. “He was more than a coach for me, he was a good friend.”

Hines was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1989. He was also inducted into the Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

He is survived by his wife, Wanda, sons Steve and Bruce and daughter Kristi.

Editor, Digital & Print Publications for the Los Angeles Dodgers | Twitter: @RowanKavner