{{Short description|American baseball player and coach (born 1959)}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Jeff Datz |image=Jeff Datz 2012.jpg |image_size=240px |caption=Datz throwing batting practice for the Mariners in 2012 |position=Catcher |team= |number= |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1959|11|28}} |birth_place=Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 5 |debutyear=1989 |debutteam=Detroit Tigers |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 30 |finalyear=1989 |finalteam=Detroit Tigers |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.200 |stat2label=Hits |stat2value=2 |stat3label=Walks |stat3value=1 |teams= ;As player *Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1989}}) ;As coach *Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2002}}–{{mlby|2009}}) *Baltimore Orioles ({{mlby|2010}}) *Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|2011}}–{{mlby|2013}}) }}'''Jeffrey William Datz''' (born November 28, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and coach who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1989, and who is currently a scout for the New York Yankees.
==Playing career== A native of Camden, New Jersey, Datz grew up in the Mullica Hill section of Harrison Township, New Jersey and graduated from Clearview Regional High School.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Carchidi |first=Sam |date=April 4, 2004 |title=Family again witnesses history |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/201065455/ |access-date=September 5, 2021 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |via=Newspapers.com |quote=Jeff Datz was a lifelong Phillies fan when he grew up in Mullica Hill in Gloucester County. He attended Clearview High, where he was a baseball and football standout, and later played baseball at Glassboro State College.}}</ref> He attended Rowan University. In 1981, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=Cape Cod Baseball League}}</ref> He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 19th round (485th overall) of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=19th Round of the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?year_ID=1982&draft_round=19&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Baseball Reference |language=en}}</ref>
Datz signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers prior to the 1989 season, and appeared in seven games for the team that year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jeff Datz Statistics and History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/datzje01.shtml |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Baseball Reference}}</ref>
==Coaching career==
Datz was manager of the minor league Buffalo Bisons in 1998 and 1999. He led the Bisons to the league championship crown in 1998.
On March 19, 2002, Datz was hired as the bench coach for the Cleveland Indians under manager Charlie Manuel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 19, 2002 |title=Roundup: Indians hire Datz to replace Little on bench |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2000/0605/569061.html |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=ESPN}}</ref> In 2003, Manuel was replaced by Eric Wedge, and he moved Datz to first base coach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Justice B. |date=November 27, 2002 |title=Wedge hires Bell as bench coach |url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cle/news/cle_news.jsp?ymd=20021127&content_id=181480&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021219012151/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cle/news/cle_news.jsp?ymd=20021127&content_id=181480&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp |archive-date=December 19, 2002 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Cleveland Indians |publisher=MLB.com}}</ref> Datz served on Cleveland's coaching staff until the end of the 2009 season, when general manager Mark Shapiro fired the entire coaching staff.<ref>{{cite web |last=Castrovince |first=Anthony |date=September 30, 2009 |title=Indians dismiss Wedge, coaching staff |url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090930&content_id=7241814&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014083849/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090930&content_id=7241814&vkey=news_cle&c_id=cle&fext=.jsp |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Cleveland Indians |publisher=MLB.com}}</ref> At the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, Datz pitched for Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Langosch |first=Jennifer |date=July 14, 2008 |title=Sizemore relaxes, has fun at Derby |url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080714&content_id=3135684&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718164553/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080714&content_id=3135684&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle |archive-date=July 18, 2008 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Cleveland Indians |publisher=MLB.com}}</ref>
On October 29, 2009, Datz was hired as the bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fordin |first=Spencer |date=October 29, 2009 |title=Orioles hire Datz as bench coach |url=http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091029&content_id=7574726&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091102052150/http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091029&content_id=7574726&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal |archive-date=November 2, 2009 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=Baltimore Orioles |publisher=MLB.com}}</ref>
On November 4, 2010, Datz was hired to be third base coach for the Seattle Mariners starting with the 2011 season. The hiring reunited him with Eric Wedge, who had recently been hired as the Mariners' manager.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 4, 2010 |title=M's Kotchman refuses outright assignment, is FA |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5764756 |access-date=October 21, 2024 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref> Before a Mariners game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 27, 2013, Datz announced that he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer,<ref>{{cite web |date=April 27, 2013 |title=Mariners' 3B coach diagnosed with cancer |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/mariners-3b-coach-diagnosed-cancer-013030717.html |access-date=April 28, 2013 |website=Yahoo! Sports |publisher=The Sports Xchange}}</ref> and Tacoma Rainiers manager Daren Brown was promoted to substitute for Datz.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 2, 2013 |title=Mariners add Brown to coaching staff |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/mariners-add-brown-coaching-staff-212853534--mlb.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701163508/https://sports.yahoo.com/news/mariners-add-brown-coaching-staff-212853534--mlb.html |archive-date=2020-07-01 |access-date=May 2, 2013 |website=Yahoo! Sports |publisher= |agency=Associated Press}} </ref> On August 23, 2013, Datz resumed his position on the team as an extra coach.
==Scouting career== On November 25, 2013, it was announced that Datz will serve the Mariners as a member of the club's professional scouting staff for the {{mlby|2014}} season.<ref>{{cite web |last=Johns |first=Greg |date=November 25, 2013 |title=Mariners announce McClendon's coaching staff |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/sea/mariners-announce-manager-lloyd-mcclendons-coaching-staff?ymd=20131125&content_id=64197268&vkey=news_sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131130084038/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/sea/mariners-announce-manager-lloyd-mcclendons-coaching-staff?ymd=20131125&content_id=64197268&vkey=news_sea |archive-date=November 30, 2013 |access-date=December 27, 2013 |website=Seattle Mariners |publisher=MLB.com}}</ref>
Datz later joined the New York Yankees, where he was listed as a professional scout for the {{mlby|2016}} season.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Baseball America 2015 Directory |publisher=Baseball America |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-932391-56-5 |editor1-last=Leventhal |editor1-first=Josh |location=Durham, N.C.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Baseball America 2016 Directory |publisher=Baseball America |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-932391-62-6 |editor1-last=Norris |editor1-first=Josh |location=Durham, North Carolina}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|br=d/datzje01|brm=datz--001jef|retro=D/Pdatzj001}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110917165540/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=sea&coachorstaffid=113066 "MLB.com Mariners Bio"]
{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Datz, Jeff}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Auburn Astros players Category:Baltimore Orioles coaches Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) managers Category:Chatham Anglers players Category:Clearview Regional High School alumni Category:Columbus Astros players Category:Columbus Clippers players Category:Daytona Beach Astros players Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Cleveland Indians coaches Category:Cleveland Indians scouts Category:Major League Baseball bench coaches Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches Category:Major League Baseball third base coaches Category:New York Yankees scouts Category:Seattle Mariners coaches Category:Seattle Mariners scouts Category:Toledo Mud Hens players Category:Baseball players from Camden, New Jersey Category:People from Harrison Township, New Jersey Category:Baseball players from Gloucester County, New Jersey Category:Rowan Profs baseball players Category:20th-century American sportsmen