Getting to know: Lehigh Valley IronPigs hitting coach Adam Lind

Adam Lind was living out a dream in the midst of a 12-year major league career when, without warning, things changed.

“The phone stopped ringing,” the 2004 third-round pick of the Blue Jays said. “The writing was on the wall. I was not wanted.”

After nine seasons with the Blue Jays and one season each with the Brewers, Mariners and Nationals, Lind found himself released three times in 2018, twice by the Yankees and once by the Red Sox, without making the majors.

It was time for a life change. The timing was a blessing and a curse. Lind did not want to stop playing, but family life grew increasingly challenging for his group of five which included wife Lakeyshia, two daughters and a son.

“I really enjoyed playing professionally,” Lind said, “but it was difficult on the family. The kids weren’t in school when I was in Milwaukee and Seattle. We live in Florida. My last year, when I was in Washington, spring training was in Florida and my one daughter was in kindergarten so that was nice.

“But my last year in the minors, I wasn’t producing, my kids were in school. It was putting a strain on my personal life with the kids in school and activities.”

Lind stopped playing after 2018, focused on being a dad and husband for the next few years until his itch to for the game returned.

Dozens of phone calls later, Lind landed in high-A Jersey Shore in 2024 as the hitting coach. The 41-year-old Indiana native is spending this season with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the same capacity.

Here is look how Lind’s second baseball life evolved and what he took from his previous journey that is helping the IronPigs:

The Morning Call: When did a coaching career come on your radar while you were playing?

Lind: “Never. I thought I would play forever. My experience, though, like everybody else’s probably, ended overnight. I’m training for the upcoming season, and no one is calling.”

TMC: There was a gap after you stopped playing in 2018 before you got into coaching. What was life like then?

Lind: “I went back to Indiana for three summers, 2019 to ’21, just lived life and caught up on things I missed when I went to college [at the University of South Alabama], played in the Cape Cod League and was draft eligible as a sophomore. Those few summers in Indiana were outstanding.

“I went back to college to get my degree. I was really searching for things to do. I was looking for work, for that next chapter.”

TMC: How did that next door open?

Lind: “I connected with a lot of people who I had not spoken to in years. I called everyone I had in my phone. I saw [Phillies special assistant to the general manager] Howie Kendrick in the dugout during the NLCS or World Series in 2022 and was like, ‘I’m calling him.’

“I called him, then [director of player development] Luke Murton. It was a three-month process. The following January, I was employed.”

TMC: How did returning to the baseball life go over with the family?

Lind: “I had a conversation with my wife that last summer that was quite nice. I mean this with all the positivity I can: It was good for the relationship for me to get out of the house after five straight years. It strengthened all family ties.”

TMC: What was that first year of coaching like in Jersey Shore?

Lind: “We had a great manager, great support staff. We were winning. Travel in that league was awesome. We were close to the beach. It was as good a setup as I could have had.”

TMC: How does your major league experience help you here at Lehigh Valley?

Lind: “I had failure, but some would be like, ‘Yeah, but you played in the big leagues’ and think everything was great. The struggles are the same. Sure, the perks were better, but hitting .210 was probably worse there. You’re searching for answers. You’ve got a lot going on. So, I can sympathize in that regard.

“I always put a lot of pressure on myself. In reality, if the hitting coach had all the answers, well …”

TMC: How do approach your daily work with the hitters?

Lind: “Who that day’s starting pitcher is is the challenge of the day. When I was playing with some of the best players of my generation, I tried to learn from them. As a coach I want to learn from them, because that will help me coach [today’s players] when they are in a darker period of the season.”

TMC: It’s been a struggle recently for the team. What can you do to help without making it seem like you’re creating more pressure?

Lind: “Stay the course. The box scores don’t look great. In Charlotte, we hit the crap out of the ball, but they were not falling our way. Worcester, we split the series. We faced the best pitching staff all year other than Durham. We battled. This week, we had a tough game Tuesday. We’ve had base runners all over the place. If this were pre-COVID, it would be just part of the year. Unfortunately, the first half ends Sunday, so things have been amplified, and the team we’re battling against has, what, an 11-game win streak?

“This is where I fall back on days when I was a player. What did the hitting coach do then? What did the manager do? You keep it light, make a joke, take the weight off their shoulders. It’s hitting. The Yankees didn’t score in like five days. The Mets, too. It’s a bad time to be first place. You make jokes like that.”

TMC: What has this group of hitters been like to work with?

Lind: “It’s been a great experience this year. The numbers speak for themselves. Christian Arroyo, I’ve been leaning on him. [Garrett] Stubbs is a pro of pros. Oscar Mercado has a lot of big league experience. RodolfoCastro is the most talented player on our team. Everybody brings so much. There is a lot of diversity in this lineup. You can’t lose sight of what happened the last three months, what got us to this point.”

TMC: How have you approached things at Triple-A as opposed to last season in high-A ball?

Lind: “You massage a little more. In A-ball, the players are searching and will do anything you tell them. Here, Oscar is 30. Christian is 30, has heard everything. The way the game works today, you’re told your deficiencies over and over. I don’t want to do that and ruin a relationship from the get-go. I don’t want to tell them something they’ve been told for 12 years.”

TMC: Who was someone who was influential to you during your playing days that has carried over to your coaching career?

Lind: “Cito Gaston, by far, was the most important figure in my career. I use his techniques still. At this level, it’s about confidence, attitude, belief. Arroyo, Mercado, Stubbs, they are who they are. You have to give them belief in what they are trying to accomplish, to have them feel as confident as they can to go into a game and be the best they can be.”

Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com