Thursday, July 13, 2006

Astros Fire Gaetti as Hitting Coach

By Chris Price

The Houston Astros fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti on Wednesday and named Sean Berry interim hitting coach.

The Astros entered this season with three regulars, Brad Ausmus, Adam Everett and Willy Taveras, among the bottom of hitters in Major League Baseball at their positions.

In addition, veterans Craig Biggio and Preston Wilson were sure to produce below their career norms

It's hard to see what Gaetti could have done these cases. Maybe he deserves some blame for Jason Lane's decline, but if that's the case, he definitely deserves credit for how Chris Burke and Mike Lamb have progressed this season.

More than anything else, it might have been Morgan Ensberg's injury problems that cost him his job.

Berry had his one big year in the majors as an Astro in 1996. The 40-year-old was in his second year in the role of minor league hitting coordinator for the club.

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