The first casualty of the Los Angeles Angels' surprising slow start has arrived. Hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was fired Tuesday night and will be replaced by Jim Eppard who was promoted from Triple-A Salt Lake.
"It's a results-oriented business we're in and we need to find a way to string together something better than what we are right now. It's a decision to find a different voice," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said.
The Angels were expected to challenge for the American League West title against last year's A.L. champion Texas. However, the Angels have largely failed to live up to expectations. They are currently 16-21 and seven games back from first place.
The problem lies largely with the offense, where Los Angeles is near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category. They rank 13th in runs scored, seventh in batting average and 12th in on-base percentage.
"Offensively we have underachieved, and everyone shares in the responsibility of what has transpired thus far," Dipoto said.
Most of the criticism will be pointed towards the newly signed Albert Pujols. Pujols, widely considered the best hitter in baseball, was a three-time Most Valuable Player while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. During the offseason, the Angels signed him to a 10-year, $254 million contract.
Pujols' arrival only increased expectations for the team. However, Pujols has struggled mightily as he is off to the worst start of his career. In 36 games, he is batting .212 with 31 hits and only one home run.
But Pujols is not alone. Several key players on the Angles roster have contributed to their offensive woes. Shortstop Eric Aybar, outfielder Peter Bourjos and catcher Chris Iannetta are all batting below .200. Well-paid outfielder Vernon Wells has a .242 batting average while former All-Star Howie Kendrick is hitting .272.
Just three years ago, Hatcher coached a lineup that had nine .300 hitters.
Hatcher has been unpopular amongst fans for some time, as the Angels have struggled offensively for the past two seasons. There were also rumors that he and Pujols got into a disagreement after Hatcher discussed details of a team meeting with the media.
Hatcher played professionally for 12 years. He joined the Angels in 2000 when Mike Sciosca was named manager. He was the hitting coach when the Angels won their only World Series title in 2002.
