The Phillies announced today that they’ve hired former Major Leaguer Matt Stairs as their new hitting coach. Additionally, the team announced that bench coach Larry Bowa, pitching coach Bob McClure, first base coach Mickey Morandini and third base coach Juan Samuel will all reprise their roles next year. Additionally, 2016 bullpen coach Rick Kranitz will now be McClure’s assistant pitching coach, while 2016 catching coach John McLaren will take over as the bullpen coach.
Despite going undrafted and signing with the Expos as an amateur free agent in 1989, Stairs enjoyed a highly productive 19-year career in the Majors, during which he batted .262/.356/.477 with 265 home runs and 294 doubles. Stairs appeared with 12 organizations over the of his career and holds the all-time record for pinch-hit home runs at 23. Perhaps the best-remembered moment of his career came in one of his final years while playing for the team for which he’ll now coach. In Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS, Stairs teed off on a Jonathan Broxton fastball and hit a massive two-run homer that put the Phillies in front 7-5 and ultimately propelled them to a 3-1 series lead (video link). Philadelphia, of course, would go on to not only win the NLCS but also to top the Rays in the 2008 World Series.
Stairs has been working in broadcasting over the past several years, including the past three with the Phillies. While he doesn’t come with coaching experience, he did serve as a special guest instructor with the Phillies during Spring Training this past year, and between that and his work in the booth he should be familiar with the majority of the team’s young players. However, he’ll have a tall task on his hands in improving a Phillies offense that collectively batted .240/.301/.385 last season. All three of those ratios rated in the bottom three among Major League teams, and no club scored fewer runs in 2016 than Philadelphia’a 610.
Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer sat down with the Phils’ newest coach, with Stairs explaining that his work in the booth for the Phillies has prepared him for the job in a way. “Honestly, the last three years, by sitting in that booth, I can tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of every swing,” said Stairs. “…I just love hitting. And I’m not tooting my own horn, but I know hitting. A lot of people might think, ‘He was the guy that swung from his heels to try and hit home runs.’ That was only later in my career. I can break down a swing.”
I always liked that barrel chested Canadian.
Luv it. Close your eyes and swing hard.
Phils needed a change. Good call
Isn’t that what the Phillies did this year?
I’m a Phillies’ fan, but that was hilarious.
Good move, Knowledgeable and has the ability to communicate to this to modern Players !
I’m going to miss him in the booth, but hopefully he can help out.
I can see him doing really well. Nice move and best of luck to him.
Great hire. Stairs will do well in his new role, though a loss in the broadcast booth – I enjoyed Stairs’ work behind the microphone. Good to see a fellow Maritimer sticking around the big leagues.
It is a lot easier analyzing swings sitting in a cushy chair in a broadcast booth than being down in the trenches. You know what it takes to makes a good hitting coach at the ML level????…Good hitters so the Philadelphia front office better get to work if they want Mr. Stairs to look good.
Congrats to Matt…I’m from his hometown up in Canada and he’s a super community guy…a friend to all. For those who think he had it “cushy” – he fought for every break he got and wound up one of the dozen greatest Canadian-born players in MLB history
Phillies FO: Forget about the corporate ladder, man. Our dude has stairs.
I like this hire a lot. He already knows about all the players tendencies from being in the both the past few years.