Lloyd McClendon is back in the big leagues.
After spending a season managing Triple-A Toledo, the baseball man nicknamed "Legendary Lloyd" will return to the Detroit Tigers coaching staff as hitting coach in 2017, the team announced Friday.
McClendon previously served as the team's bullpen coach in 2006 and hitting coach in 2007-13.
"I appreciate the opportunity to be back with the major league staff in Detroit," McClendon said in a statement released by the team. "I am grateful to (general manager) Al (Avila) and (manager) Brad (Ausmus) for having the confidence in me to once again work with some of the game's best hitters."
Joining McClendon on the Tigers' coaching staff as assistant hitting coach is Leon "Bull" Durham, who spent the previous 16 years with Triple-A Toledo. McClendon and Durham will replace Wally Joyner and David Newhan, respectively. Joyner left the team to pursue other opportunities in baseball earlier in the month.
McClendon, 57, has extensive experience in Major League dugouts. He has managed seven seasons _ with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001-05 and Seattle Mariners in 2014-15 dsah and has spent 11 seasons as a hitting coach with the Tigers and Pirates. He played parts of eight seasons in the big leagues with the Reds, Cubs and Pirates, hitting .244 with 35 home runs and 154 RBI.
"Mac knows our personnel well and has worked with a number of current hitters, so we're fortunate to have him as part of our staff," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said in a statement. "Bull's experience and familiarity with our Triple-A players is a plus for us, too."
It's Durham's first appointment to the major league as a coach.
He played 10 seasons with the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds, hitting .277 with 147 home runs, and was a two-time National League All-Star.
The appointments complete the Tigers' coaching staff for the upcoming season.
