While Long's credentials are stellar, there is something curious about his hiring: He was a mentor to Dillon, the Phillies' previous hitting coach, and Dillon was his protégé. The team did not even interview anyone else. "I think this is an exciting day for the Phillies, really exciting." "Dave (Dombrowski, president of baseball ops) was great at getting it done quickly. "When he reached out, I knew this was an opportunity we needed to take advantage of," Girardi said. He sought permission to speak with other clubs "and the Phillies were at the top of my list," so he called Girardi. Long indeed had begun negotiations with the Nats after the season ended but "we were just far apart on numbers," he said. Girardi said he knew Long's contract in Washington was running out but did not believe Long would be available because he expected him to get a new deal with the Nats. The 2021 Phillies missed the playoffs for a 10th straight season, the longest drought in the NL. He was fired by the Phillies before the final game of the season less than two weeks ago. Long replaces Joe Dillon, who was on the job for only two seasons, one of which was cut to 60 games by the pandemic.ĭillon had been Long's assistant in Washington before coming to Philadelphia. "I'm looking forward to reuniting with Joe and Rob Thomson (the Phillies' bench coach and another Yankee ex-pat) and getting the Philadelphia Phillies to a World Series in the near future," Long said. Nevada lawmakers pass amended A's Las Vegas ballpark bill, await signature He was part of Girardi's staff when the Yankees beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series. He arrives after spending the last four seasons as hitting coach in Washington, where he helped the Nationals win the World Series in 2019. Long, 54, was officially introduced as the Phillies' new hitting coach on Wednesday. He tricks them into doing things that teach them more about themselves. "So, I knew it's the guy I always wanted, in a sense, if I ever had the chance to be back together with him because I knew how good he was. When a guy gets out of whack, how quickly do you pick it up? Kevin was fantastic at it. "I've always thought that's one of the most important things for a hitting coach. "One thing I have always had in the back of my mind is how great he was at recognizing hitters' mechanics and when they got a little bit off, he would make the right adjustment with them. "Seeing how great he was all those years in New York and watching him help develop hitters," Girardi said. Girardi always wanted Long to be his hitting coach again, just like he was in New York with the Yankees from 2008 to 2014. Happens all the time in pro sports and blows over quickly after everyone cools off and defuses the F-bombs. That thing at Citizens Bank Park in June - that was just heat-of-the-battle stuff. Joe Girardi always wanted another shot at Kevin Long.
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