| George Lombard | |
|---|---|
 Lombard with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 | |
| Detroit Tigers – No. 26 | |
| Outfielder /Coach | |
| Born: (1975-09-14)September 14, 1975 (age 50) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 4, 1998, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 2006, for the Washington Nationals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .220 |
| Home runs | 8 |
| Runs batted in | 21 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
As player
As coach
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
George Paul Lombard Sr. (born September 14, 1975) is an American professionalbaseballcoach and formeroutfielder who is the bench coach for theDetroit Tigers ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).
Lombard, aParadeAll America andUSA Today All America high schoolrunning back, had initially committed to play football for theGeorgia Bulldogs before changing his plans in favor of playing baseball.[1][2] Lombard earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from theUniversity of Phoenix in 2015.[3]
Lombard played baseball andfootball atThe Lovett School inAtlanta. He initially committed to playcollege football for theGeorgia Bulldogs.[4] Lombard was drafted in the second round by theAtlanta Braves in the1994 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed for $425,000.[5] He played for the Braves,Detroit Tigers,Tampa Bay Devil Rays, andWashington Nationals. In 2002, in 241 at bats he batted .241/.300/.373 for Detroit with 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases.[6] In his major league career, in 350 at bats he batted .220 with 8 home runs and stole 23 bases in 25 attempts.[6]
He was the first American baseball player to hit ahome run in China during theMLB China Series on March 15, 2008. During the 2008-2009 offseason, Lombard signed a minor league contract with theCleveland Indians. On July 4, 2009, Lombard was released by the Indians.
Lombard spent 2010 as thehitting coach for theLowell Spinners, Short-Season A affiliate of theBoston Red Sox and served as manager of the Rookie-levelGulf Coast Red Sox in 2011–2012. His teams compiled a 61–59 (.508) overall record, with the 2012 team winning the GCL's South Division. In December 2012, Lombard was promoted by the Red Sox to roving outfield and baserunning coordinator throughout the team'sminor leaguefarm system.[7]
He was hired by the Braves in September 2015 to fill the same role and to serve as overall minor league field coordinator in the Atlanta player development system.[8]
On December 17, 2015, it was announced that Lombard would be joining theLos Angeles Dodgers as first base coach, a position he held through the 2020 season. The Dodgers played in three World Series during that time, winning one of them.[9]
On November 7, 2020, Lombard was named the bench coach for theDetroit Tigers.[10]
George's late mother, Posy Lombard, of Weston, Massachusetts, who died in a car accident with his grandfather at the wheel when he was 10 years old, was a noted whitecivil rights activist and associate of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.[2][5][11][12] The Civil Rights Movement Archive lists Posy Lombard on its In Memory page.[13] His maternal grandfather taught at theHarvard Business School for 41 years and was the school's former senior dean and professor of human relations.[5][14]
Lombard has two sons,George Jr. and Jacob, who are both athletes. George Jr. was drafted in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft by theNew York Yankees with whom he signed.[15]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Gulf Coast League Red Soxmanager 2011–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach 2016–2020 | Succeeded by |