The San Diego Padres announced the dismissal of hitting coach Phil Plantier on Wednesday, after the team placed last in the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and runs per game in 2014.
Plantier had been the Padres hitting coach for the past three seasons, and is the sixth hitting coach the Padres have had since Petco Park opened in 2004.
With the announcement of Plantier’s firing, the Padres also announced that they will be returning the rest of the coaching staff for the 2015 season, including the team’s assistant hitting coach Alonzo Powell. The Padres noted that Powell is on a list among several candidates whom they are considering for the hitting coach position.
“Phil had been here for three years and had a lot of loyalty to the Padres,” new general manager A.J. Preller told U-T San Diego. “He’s a guy with a tremendous work ethic and knowledge, but I think ultimately a different voice and a different direction may be the way to go.”
Plantier may be brought back by the organization in a player development or baseball operations role, according to the U-T.
A graduate from Poway High, Plantier, had three different stints with the Padres as a player between 1992-97, and has been with the organization as a coach since 2011.