Jays dismiss Mottola, Murphy retires

Remaining coaches will be back next year, team says in release

As expected, a coach has taken the fall following the Toronto blue Jays’ season of unfulfilled expectations.

but after a year in which the starting rotation was the primary culprit, the Jays decided to drop first-year hitting coach chad Mottola, refusing to renew his one-year contract. Mottola, 41, had developed a strong reputation as a minor-league coach in the Jays system before joining the big-league staff this year.

First-base coach dwayne Murphy, who assisted Mottola in coaching some of the hitters, has retired. The rest of the coaching staff will return in 2014, the club announced in a news release Monday.

Murphy, 58, reportedly told the front office at the end of the season that he was tired of the big-league grind and planned to retire.

Murphy was hitting coach from 2010 through 2012, under managers cito Gaston and John Farrell. When John Gibbons took over in 2013, Mottola was named hitting coach, with Murphy taking over as first-base and outfield coach.

Gaston and Murphy were widely credited with helping Jose bautista make changes in his swing mechanics that helped turn him into one of the game’s top power hitters. After Mottola arrived, Murphy continued to work with veterans bautista and edwin encarnacion with the blessing of Mottola and the club.

Murphy’s retirement broke up the hitting coach tandem and somehow changed a dynamic generally assumed to be working for the hitters. Neither general manager Alex Anthopoulos nor manager John Gibbons returned messages seeking an explanation for Mottola’s dismissal.

The Jays’ offence, which was depleted by injuries to key members, finishied eighth in the American League in runs (712) and on-base percentage (.318) and 10th in batting average (.251.)

It was generally assumed that at least one coach would be fired after the Jays, projected as a World Series contender before the season, finished in last place in the American League east with a 74-88 record.

returning are bench coach deMarlo Hale, pitching coach Pete Walker, bullpen coach Pat Hentgen and third-base/infield coach Luis rivera.