clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Nationals Fire Hitting Coach Rick Eckstein; Name Rick Schu New Hitting Coach

Though Washington Nationals' manager Davey Johnson defended his hitting coach, Rick Eckstein, in a press conference this weekend, the Nats announced this afternoon that they had relieved the longest-tenured hitting coach in the NL East and replaced him with Rick Schu.

Patrick McDermott

With the Washington Nationals continuing to struggle at the plate, Nats' manager Davey Johnson was asked this weekend how his hitting coach was dealing with the situation and the pressure of an offense that continued to fail to produce. "How's Rick Eckstein taking it," a reporter asked, "And is he in trouble?"

"I think he's a great hitting coach and I believe in what he teaches. He's the best I've had, [best] hitting instructor." - Davey Johnson on Rick Eckstein this weekend

"He's not in trouble with me," Johnson responded, "I think he's a great hitting coach and I believe in what he teaches. He's the best I've had, [best] hitting instructor. But he takes it harder than anybody. He works harder and he does more than anybody trying to help people. But, we're still young."

After 98 games, the Nationals, as a team have a .240/.300/.383 line, and it's worse against left-handers, who've held the Nats' hitters to a .212/.274/.347 line on the year. In spite of Johnson's comments, and in spite of his protests according to a report from a former Nats' executive, the team made the following announcement on Twitter and in a press release just moments ago:

One-time Nationals' GM Jim Bowden wrote the following on Twitter after the decision was announced:

Schu was the Nationals' minor league hitting coordinator for the last four seasons, working, as the Nats' press release notes with Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon, Steve Lombardozzi and others in his time with the organization. He replaces Eckstein, the now-former Nationals' hitting coach who first took the job on October 24, 200 and was the longest-tenured hitting coach on the NL East.