The German Baseball and Softball Federation (DBV) announced on Monday that 37-year-old Tom Gillespie takes over as new head coach for the U18 National Team. The American, who is living in Hamburg, Germany, is succeeding Chris Dresel at the head of the coaching staff.
Gillespie is originally from Iowa and had been playing in Germany, Great Britain and Sweden after graduating from college. After retiring he became a coach and worked for MLB International in helping developing baseball in Europe and Africa. With former MLB Envoy chief Pat Doyle he is involved in Play Global!, a foundation to support baseball development in Africa. Besides his work in baseball development he has been a scout for the Oakland Athletics (2009-2011) and Pittsburgh Pirates (since 2011).
“We’re happy to have found an international experienced coach like Tom for the post. We are convinced that the team and the players will take advantage of his personality and skillset in the future.” said DBV’s general manager Dirk Fries. Germany finished in fifth place in the U18 European Championship last summer.
Photo: Tom Gillespie and DBV Vice President Philipp Hoffschild