"Matt, Matt, Matt, you're being glib"

Anyways, huzzah! I'm glad to see Joe go. I don't think coaches can polish a turd into gold but at the same time I think they can help.

I can't remember what game it was this year, but the Giants were getting shutout and by the 7th inning or so the other pitcher had only thrown 70 pitches at most. They did a in-game interview with Joe and he rambled off this piece of advice "I think we just need to be more aggressive" I couldn't believe it. I expected to hear "Maybe take a few pitches, be selective, look for something to drive" but, instead, his response was "HACK AWAY FELLAS!"

I'd like to see JT get the job as hitting coach. If not, he can coach first base and work as an infield instructor, doing what Ron Washington did with the A's before he went to the Rangers. I think JT would make a great coach in any capacity.

Then again, I'm pretty damn sure Rene Lachemann was also drooled over in that same book, and he's just as canned.  

Bad day for dudes with weird French names.

Why not Mr. San Diego? Yes, he is managing SDSU but he is also doing some tv work for TBS for MLB playoffs. Go ahead Bochy, give Tony Gwynn a call. He has the hitting credentials and has coached/managed so he knows how to instruct the kids. Would be nice to see a team full of hitters who have a plan and also use the entire field.

seriously, I'm thrilled about this. It shows that at least SOMEONE in SFG HQ is paying attention and making noises about being accountable.

Wooooo.

This after the GM's candidate for team MVP had a .298 OBP with 15 walks and 53 strikeouts.

Hearing how good Bobby Bonds was at identifying pitchers' pitch-sequence tendancies and identifying them tipping their pitches made me wish he was still alive and coaching our guys.

Unless I have completely missed on my guess, Flannery failed Durham and Aurilia in that he couldn't correct their mistakes even enough to get them close to their career averages.

I think Snow is definitely worth a shot.

I do think a pitching coach can make a difference at the big league level, but only when the hitters actually need help (which the Giants obviously did), and when the hitters listen.

I have no in-house candidates I'd suggest.  None of the Giants hitting coaches in the minors have impressed me much.  Although, maybe Roberto Kelly....

But I would speculate that a hitting coach matters less on any team that has a great hitter like Bonds on it, even if the rest of the team is young. Bonds wasn't taking advice from Joe Lefevbre, I'm sure. And rookies who see Bonds not working with the hitting coach are (possibly even subconciously) going to be less likely to go to the coach themselves. By Lefevbre's own account, he mostly waited for players to come to him rather than approaching the players.

So, hypothetically, you might as well keep Lefevbre around as long as Bonds is on the team. With Bonds gone, you've got a better chance of having the coach make a difference, so you should make sure you actually have a good one...

The new hitting coach should preach patience, especially to the young guys. The 2008 version of the Giants probably won't score much more than the 2007 version, but they have a fighting chance by getting the starters out early and forcing opponents to use their bullpen sooner.

Seriously, guys don't need a ton of power or superior physical skills to take pitches and foul off close ones and shorten their swings with 2 strikes. If they can't do that, they shouldn't be in the bigs.

Lefebvre absolutely ripped him.  What I remember most was a quote that went something like this:

"You aren't Barry.  You aren't Moises.  You dont have the bat-speed that those guys have.  You have to stride on every pitch or else you aint hittin' shit."

Lefebvre was right to point out Tucker's bad habit but the way he was communicating with him led me to believe that he probably didn't earn a lot of respect in the clubhouse.

"Sabean said he will consider in-house and outside candidates to fill the slots. Logical candidates for hitting coach include Jim Bowie, the Giants' Triple-A hitting coach; Padres minor-league hitting coordinator Tony Muser and onetime A's first baseman Mike Epstein, who is out of organized ball but long has had Bochy's ear on hitting."

(I forget where I read the quote, someone remind me or post a link if you recall reading the same thing).