Another ex-major leaguer on coaching staff

The Wild Things completed their coaching staff Tuesday by hiring former major leaguer Jim Tatum as hitting coach. Tatum played parts of five seasons in the majors with five teams: Milwaukee, Colorado, Boston, San Diego and the New York Mets.

His major-league career ran from 1992 through 1998. Tatum played in 172 major-league games, including a career-high 92 for the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1993. In 14 minor-league seasons, including eight at Class AAA, Tatum played in more than 1,200 games with a .292 batting average and 152 home runs.

 "Jimmy Tatum has spent 19 seasons as a professional player. His experience and success will help our offense tremendously," Wild Things manager Chris Bando said.

Tatum's task will be to improve Washington's offense, which ranked last in the Frontier League in batting average, runs and walks last year.

Tatum, like many on the Wild Things' coaching staff and roster, is from San Diego.

The Wild Things will have a four-player coaching staff: Bando, Tatum, Lenny Randle and Tim Ferguson. Each is new to the Wild Things and Frontier League.

During an interview with the Observer-Reporter last summer, Wild Things owner Stu Williams said a priority for 2012 was to have a coaching staff with plenty of major-league experience. Bando, Randle and Tatum each played in the major leagues. In their first 10 seasons, the Wild Things had only three coaches/managers who played in the big leagues: Kent Tekulve, Joe Charboneau and Greg Jelks. Bando, Randle and Tutum played in a combined 1,809 major-league games and had 2,435 at-bats in The Show.