Dave Eiland

David William Eiland

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 205 lb.
• School University of Florida, University of South Florida
• High School Zephyrhills High School
• Debut August 3, 1988
• Final Game September 10, 2000
• Born July 5, 1966 in Dade City, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Dave Eiland was signed as a 7th round pick in the 1987 amateur draft by the New York Yankees and scout Jack Gillis. As a pitcher, Dave epitomized 'pitching to contact' and as a result owns one of the worst "K/9" averages in major league history for a pitcher with his amount of innings worked. At his worst, Eiland managed to strike out only 18 hitters over the course of an entire season in which he pitched in over 72 innings of baseball.

Eiland appeared in the movie For the Love of the Game, playing the fitting role of "Yankees Relief Pitcher." He was actually used as the body double of Kevin Costner during pitching scenes in the movie. It was Costner who was seen preparing to deliver the ball and starting his pitching motion, but the pitches that batters swung at were thrown by Eiland, and he can be seen on the mound in some wide angle shots.[1]

After a few years away, Eiland returned to professional baseball in a coaching capacity.

• 2003-2004 Pitching coach Staten Island Yankees
• 2005-2006 Pitching coach Trenton Thunder
• 2007 Pitching coach Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
• 2008-2010 Pitching coach New York Yankees
• 2011 Special Assistant to the GM Tampa Bay Rays
• 2012-2017 Pitching coach Kansas City Royals
• 2018-2019 Pitching coach New York Mets
• 2020 Manager Eastern Reyes del Tigre
• 2021 Pitching coach Lexington Legends
• 2022-2023 Pitching coach Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Following a 35-40 start to the 2019 season, the Mets fired Eiland on June 20th along with bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez. Eiland was replaced by Phil Regan. On a more positive note, Eiland was the pitching coach when the Yankees (2009) and Royals (2015]] won World Series titles.

In 2024, Eiland joined the Grand Central Sports Management firm as Head of Baseball Operations. He continued in that role in 2025.

Notable Achievements

• 1990 Pitcher of the Year International League Columbus Clippers

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
2020	Eastern Reyes del Tigre	Constellation Energy League	14-9	1st	Independent Leagues	none

Further Reading

• Bryan Hoch: "The Costner body double who threw a perfect game ... sort of", mlb.com, January 19, 2025. [2]