South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
After bad start, Pagliarulo fired as hitting coach
After overseeing an offense that’s scored the fewest runs in the league through 20 games, Mike Pagliarulo was fired as the Marlins hitting coach.
The decision came immediately on the heels of Miami’s 3-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night at Marlins Park. Jeff Livesey has been promoted to interim hitting coach and minor league hitting coordinator Eric Duncan will join the major league staff as assistant hitting coach.
“We just felt like a change was necessary,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said after Friday’s game. “Just our offensive approach — we were an easy team to pitch to and didn’t get the feel we were making the necessary adjustments and battling and fighting the way we know is, this team is capable of performing offensively.
“We felt it was time for a new voice and subsequently a change needed to be made.”
Through 20 games, the Marlins (5-15) rank near the bottom in every major offensive category. The team has scored a league-worst 52 runs — an average of 2.6 per game — and is hitting .216 (26th).
Miami ranks last in walks, 27th in on-base percentage, 29th in slugging, 28th in wOBA and 25th in home runs (17).
The Marlins have been shut out five times this season and held to one run on four occasions. Miami went through a 24-inning scoreless stretch, which Hill referenced following the game. This past week, Miami scored just two runs in a three-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs and were shut out in the final two games of the series.
“This is not a decision that happens emotionally,” Hill said, who added the team’s hitting approach was “not acceptable.” “It was something that you watch the quality of the at-bats, you watch how the games are going and you start those discussions before tonight.
“That’s what’s happened and once the decision was made, we weren’t going to delay it.
“You look at the makeup of our club and we feel like we can do better.”
Pagliarulo spent three seasons as the Marlins hitting coach. This marked his first major league coaching assignment.
Taking his place is Livesey, who was hired this past offseason. He was previously with the Pittsburgh Pirates as assistant hitting coach.
Duncan was hired this offseason as well by the Marlins. Prior to Miami, he spent time as a hitting instructor in the New York Yankees organization.