Omar Vizquel leaves Angels to become Tigers’ first-base coach

Omar Vizquel, the 11-time Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop who spent this past season as the Angels’ roving infield instructor, is leaving the organization to become the first base coach for the Detroit Tigers, who recently hired Brad Ausmus as manager.

Vizquel retired in 2012 after a 24-year big-league career in which he amassed 2,877 hits, made three All-Star Game appearances and was considered one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history.

Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto, a Cleveland Indians teammate of Vizquel in 1994, believes Vizquel, 46, has the potential to manage in the big leagues.

But Vizquel was not interviewed for the vacant third-base coach job that was recently filled by Gary DiSarcina, and with Alfredo Griffin entrenched as the first-base coach, the Angels did not have a position on their big-league staff for Vizquel in 2014.

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