The New York Yankees are turning to Sean Casey as their new hitting coach, the team announced Monday.
Casey, 49, has been working as an analyst for MLB Network since he retired as a major league player in 2008.
“I’m just really excited about having this opportunity in the second half to impact the guys in the lineup,” Casey said in a statement released by the team. “The Yankees have a lot of professional hitters, and I’m looking forward to connecting with them and getting on the same page. I’ve already spoken with both [assistant hitting coaches] Brad Wilkerson and Casey Dykes, and I can’t wait to utilize their skills and everything they have to offer. As far as our hitters go, I think every guy is different.
“There’s no way to cookie cut hitters, and if you start doing that, you get into trouble and underutilize strengths they may have. I’m going to get to know each player and their approach at the plate. One thing I will stress is controlling the zone and hunting in the zone. I want them to control their process and stick to their approach with the goal of winning every pitch. At the end of the day, we’re going to focus on making sure each hitter has a process that brings out the best version of himself.”
The Yankees fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson after their 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, which ended the team’s first half.
Casey, a three-time All-Star who hit .302 in 12 major league seasons, was a teammate of Yankees manager Aaron Boone when both played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1998 to 2003. Casey said that “having Aaron Boone in the dugout was a huge factor in me taking this position — with how well I know him and how much respect I have for him as a manager.”
Boone said in a statement that Casey’s “passion for hitting is infectious.”
“For anyone that’s ever come in contact with him, his ability to inspire is one of his greatest gifts, and I can’t wait for him to tap into our players and help them reach their potential. There’s no doubt in my mind that he will have a tremendous impact on our team,” Boone said.
New York’s .231 batting average is 28th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Detroit and Oakland. The Yankees are batting a major-league-worst .218 in 31 games since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3, going 14-17 and entering the All-Star break in fourth place of the AL East at 49-42.
Lawson’s dismissal was New York’s first in-season coaching change since Nardi Contreras replaced Billy Connors in July 1995 as pitching coach on Buck Showalter’s staff.
The Yankees headed into the break with Giancarlo Stanton hitting .203 and Anthony Rizzo hitting .168 with no homers and seven RBIs since hurting his neck in a collision May 28. Josh Donaldson is batting .152, while DJ LeMahieu is hitting .220 after slumping last September because of a toe injury and then missing the playoffs.
ESPN’s Buster Olney and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com