Link to Washington Nationals naming Matt Williams as new manager (Weidemaier joins Williams)
Link to Washington National Coaching Staff Page
 
JACKSON, Tenn. – Mark Weidemaier, a graduate of Union University and former Bulldog baseball player, will spend the 2014 Major League Baseball Season on the bench for the Washington Nationals as a coach. Newly named Washington manager, Matt Williams, named Weidemaier the Defensive Coordinator/Advance Coach, for the Nationals. The two came to Washington after working together three seasons for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Weidemaier played on Union's team in the mid 1970's with current athletic director Tommy Sadler, and current golf coach Andy Rushing. They all played for former Union AD and coach, David Blackstock.

In a statement from a source close to the team, "Williams will demand and coerce strong defense, aided by a new assistant coach who will determine how best to position fielders. Mark Weidemaier, a baseball lifer who spent the majority of his career as an advance scout, will follow Williams from Arizona and become the Nationals' seventh coach. He will gather information from the Nationals' video and scouting staffs and determine defensive alignments."

Weidemaier says, "My duties will include preparing the Advance Scouting Reports prior to each series, while also running pre-series and pregame defensive meetings. I will be in the dugout during games and in charge of defensive positioning and alignment, moving the infielders and outfielders according to how we plan to pitch the opposition."

He adds, "Newly hired Nationals manager Matt Williams and I came over from the Arizona Diamondbacks where this past season the Diamondbacks led the National League in defensive runs saved above average along with ranking first in the Ultimate Zone Rating. Those two defensive metrics have become paramount in today's game. The playoffs were an example of a number of teams that shift more and have had positive results. Washington finished 13th in the National League in team defense and it will be one of my main responsibilities to improve this area for the Nationals. I will also be responsible for setting up the workouts and practice schedules and coordinating Major League Spring Training in Viera, Florida. Pregame duties will include throwing batting practice, hitting fungos, and various other things."
 
Now in his 34th year of professional baseball,  Weidemaier joined the Nationals after three years with the Arizona Diamondbacks where he was a Special Assistant to the General Manager and the Diamondbacks Major League Advance Scout. During his time with Arizona, Weidemaier also served as a working coach and as the camp coordinator for Major League Spring Training. In 2011, his first year as the team's advance scout, the Diamondbacks won the National League West Division.
 
Prior to his time with Arizona, Weidemaier spent 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers working in a similar capacity as the club's Special Assistant to the General Manager. After joining the Dodgers in 1999 as the Major League Advance Scout for then manager Davey Johnson, Weidemaier added the Special Assistant title in 2003. During his tenure with the Dodger organization, Weidemaier aided managers Jim Tracy and Joe Torre and their staffs to three National League West Division Championships in 2004, 2008, and 2009. Prior to joining the Dodgers, Weidemaier was the Major League Advance Scout for the Chicago White Sox ( 1996-98 ). The bi-lingual Weidemaier has also spent 28 years in Latin America having scouted or coached Winter Ball every year since 1985 in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
 
Weidemaier holds a master's degree in sports management and administration from Ohio State University where he was an assistant baseball coach. He was also the head coach at Montreat-Anderson Junior College, as well as, the field manager for the Waynesboro Generals in the Shenandoah Valley Summer College Baseball League. He received his bachelor's degree in English and journalism from Union University in 1977, while playing baseball for four seasons. The Columbus, Ohio, native graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1973 where he played baseball and basketball.
 
His wife, author Tracy Crow, is a former Marine Corps Officer. They live in Liberty, North Carolina, with their three dogs, Molly, Cash, and Fenway.    
 
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