Barstow's Dino Ebel, LA Angels Coach

By MATTHEW PETERS Sports Editor April 27, 2007 - 6:44AM

Los Angeles Angel third base coach and Barstow native Dino Ebel, left, shares a laugh with Vladimir Guerrero, right, during a spring training practice session at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

TEMPE, Ariz. - Although it took Dino Ebel almost two decades to make it to the big leagues, no one expects it to take that long for Ebel to reach the top in terms of coaching. A manager's job may not be far off. "Right away, when you first met him, you could see what a great baseball mind he has," Angels Manager Mike Scosica said. "He's got a passion for this game, and he makes a quick study of everything. He's a coach now, and he has the potential to be a terrific manager someday. He is quickly understanding the league and becoming a terrific third base coach." Ebel acknowledges he is in a position to eventually take the reigns of some MLB club but has no timetable to do so. He said he would like to work as a bench coach before managing a team. "He could do it," Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher said. "There's nothing I could say that says this guy cannot be a manager in the major leagues. He's done it his whole life, and he's very experience at it. "Dino's a good baseball player and a good baseball coach. He always has been. I've always been impressed with his knowledge of the game. He's taught me a lot about the game." At 41 years old, time is in his favor to climb up the managerial food chain. For now his next biggest challenge will come some time during the summer when his wife, Shannon, delivers their second child, expected to be a boy. The Ebel's daughter, Destiny, recently completed her freshman year of high school in Las Vegas. "The time is now," Ebel said. "We're happy; we're excited." When asked whether that means he will be forced to take a day off, Ebel quickly responded that that won't be the case. If Shannon is far enough along during the All-Star break in July, Dino said the doctors will induce her into labor. If not, Dino is under instructions to keep patrolling the Angels third base line. "She knows if we have an off day or if it's during the All-Star break, I'm going to fly home for four days," Dino said. "If I can't be there, I know she's going to have plenty of company. Plus she doesn't want me to miss a game. She's a great wife."