Phillies Name Matt Stairs New Hitting Coach

Phillies folk hero and broadcaster Matt Stairs has been named the teams newest hitting coach

Phillies fan-favorite Matt Stairs has officially been named the Phillies hitting coach. The Phillies announced the move on Twitter, and there is no word on if Ben Davis will take over as the full-time color-analyst on the Phillies broadcast.

Steve Henderson was fired as the Phillies coach in October after multiple seasons with the team.

Stairs constantly talked about approach and how players could make adjustments to their swings and stances during the broadcast. As a player who is just recently retired, Stairs will bring a much-needed voice to the dugout this season.

Stairs played in the Major Leagues for 19 seasons, mostly with the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals. He was a critical piece of the Phillies 2008 World Series championship as the team’s primary power off the bench.

In 2015 Stairs was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as a tribute to his incredible career. Stairs has the second-most home runs by a Canadian (265) and is second all-time amongst Canadians in games (1,895) and walks (717).

The 48-year-old holds the Major League record for career pinch-hit home runs with 23.

Matt Stairs gained popularity among the Philadelphia fanbase when he hit the go-ahead home run in the 2008 NLCS in Dodgers Stadium.

Stairs also has the distinct title of holding the last home run called by Harry Kalas in 2009.

Stairs will have the opportunity to mentor the younger bats such as Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis, Odubel Herrera, and Cesar Hernandez. While the immediate changes in their game may not be easily seen, it will help them in the long run.

Phillies fans should be extremely excited to have Matt Stairs back in the dugout.