The Phillies have announced that Matt Stairs will be their new hitting coach.
Stairs replaces Steve Henderson, who was dismissed the day after the season ended. Henderson’s hitters finished last in the major leagues in runs scored in 2016 and ranked 29th in batting average (.240), on-base percentage (.301) and slugging percentage (.385). He was the only Phillies coach to be axed, as the remaining staff — bench coach Larry Bowa, bullpen coach Rick Kranitz, pitching coach Bob McClure, catching coach John McLaren and base coaches Mickey Morandini and Juan Samuel -- were all asked to return.
Stairs played for the Phillies in 2008 and 2009. He was a .262/.356/.477 hitter in his 19-year big league career which saw him wear the uniform of 12 different teams in all. For the past three seasons he has been a Phillies broadcaster.
