Phillies: Could Their Hitting Coach Be in the World Series Right Now?
Since the Phillies firing of hitting coach Steve Henderson very few candidates have emerged
While we are less than a month removed from the canning of Steve Henderson, very few names have surfaced to replace him in the Phillies dugout.
Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly suggested Lloyd McClendon could be a candidate, but he was promoted by the Detroit Tigers. Other than McClendon, no other legitimate candidates have surfaced.
Fans have suggested the names of former players Raul Ibanez, Jim Thome, and Matt Stairs as candidates, but neither is known to be a serious candidate.
Perhaps the reason the Phillies have stayed quiet regarding their next hitting coach is because he is coaching in the World Series.
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A name that stands out like a neon sign is Chicago Cubs bench coach David Martinez. An apprentice of Joe Maddon going back to the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, Martinez has been a candidate for various coaching jobs since his playing days.
In his 16-seasons as a big league outfielder, Martinez recorded 1,599 hits for nine different franchises. His career ended with 238 doubles, 72 triples, 91 home runs, and 580 RBI’s in 1,919 games.
Martinez checks a lot of the boxes I would be looking for in a coach for this young Phillies team. While he’s not extremely young, he’s 52 and only 15 years removed from his playing days. He speaks fluent Spanish, something that could help Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera in particular.
He’s helped develop a very young Cubs team along with Maddon in their quest for a World Series. His experience in the minor leagues and with the Cubs will help a young Phillies locker room.
As an outfielders coach, having Martinez available from Spring Training through September will help the development of Nick Williams, Herrera, and the other young prospects. In 2000 he recorded four double-plays from the outfield, a league high that season.
Most importantly, he comes from the coaching tree of Joe Maddon, arguably the best manager in baseball today. Maddon has been prepping Martinez to become a manager for years, and Martinez was in-fact a candidate to replace Maddon in Tampa Bay.
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Should Pete Mackanin not keep his job through his contract, Martinez could be the next-man up in the Phillies managerial rollercoaster. We will have to wait and see what the Cubs do in the World Series and if Martinez would leave Chicago. With so little chatter around the Phillies job opening, you have to think Matt Klentak, Andy MacPhail, and Pete Mackanin have at-least considered Dave Martinez to be their next hitting coach, and possibly more.