SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -The San Francisco Giants fired hitting coach Joe Lefebvre and first-base coach Willie Upshaw on Tuesday.
Lefebvre just completed his sixth season on the Giants’ staff, fifth as hitting coach, and worked closely with slugger Barry Bonds. Upshaw was a hitting assistant in 2005 and ’06 before being promoted this past season. He also previously served as minor league hitting coordinator.
General manager Brian Sabean said both Lefebvre and Upshaw have been offered other positions within the organization.
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“I talked to Bruce and Sabes,” Upshaw said in a phone interview from his home in Connecticut. “They were just going to make some changes based on the way things went this past season and how tough it was. I think I’m past shocked in this game. When you don’t win, something’s going to happen. You hope it’s not you. You feel like you gave your best effort every day, and that’s what makes it somewhat easier, because I did.”
A phone call to Lefebvre wasn’t immediately returned.
San Francisco went 71-91 during Bonds’ 15th and final season with the club, which decided with about a week left not to bring back the 43-year-old home run king. The Dodgers (82-80) and Giants brought up the rear in the NL West for just the second time since divisional play began in 1969.
San Francisco is committed to a youth movement, with the acknowledgment it could take lumps for the next couple of seasons as the franchise rebuilds. But the Giants are determined to find a way to remake the team while also winning next year.
“It’s always tough to make changes and I want to thank Joe and Willie for their hard work and dedication and for helping me during my first year with the Giants,” Bochy said. “I will be working closely with Brian to fill the two positions on the staff shortly.”
Upshaw said he will weigh his options over the next few weeks before having further conversations with Sabean.
“Let it sink in,” Upshaw said. “It’s not easy. It’s very hard. We had a hard season. We didn’t win enough. That was the best staff I’ve ever worked on.”
Upshaw, 50, played 10 seasons in the big leagues – nine for Toronto before spending his final season in 1988 with Cleveland.
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