Padres tab Kotsay as new hitting coach

Dec 1, 2014 - 10:38 PM San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Former San Diego Padres player Mark Kotsay has been named the club's new hitting coach, manager Bud Black announced Monday.

Kotsay, who retired from a 17-year major league career after the 2013 season, replaces Phil Plantier, dismissed shortly after the conclusion of this year's campaign after the Padres ranked last in the majors in the majority of offensive categories.

The soon-to-be 39-year-old Kotsay spent last season in San Diego's front office as a special assistant to the general manager.

Kotsay recorded a lifetime .276 average with 127 home runs over 1,914 career games with seven different teams, which included stints with the Padres from 2001-03 and 2012-13. He batted .314 and finished fifth in the American League with 190 hits while with the Oakland Athletics in 2004.

"We're excited to bring Mark on board to our major league staff," said Black. "Mark's career as a player, teammate and team leader speaks for itself. His knowledge, work ethic, competiveness and personality will greatly impact our major league club, as well as our entire organization."

The Padres finished 30th in the majors in runs scored (535), hits (1,199), batting average (.226), on-base percentage (.292) and slugging percentage (.342) in 2014. San Diego was shut out 19 times, was no-hit by San Francisco's Tim Lincecum in June and finished that month with a .171 batting average -- the lowest single-month mark by a team in the modern era.