Because it's easier to get rid of one coach than it is to jettison 25 players, the Dodgers have fired hitting coach Jeff Pentland, and named Dave Hansen interim hitting coach the rest of the season. Hansen was promoted from hitting instructor, a position held by Pentland from 2008-2010. The Dodgers are next-to-last in the National League averaging 3.63 runs per game.
↵However, Dodger Stadium has been an extreme pitcher's park this season -- a three-year park factor of 94, per Baseball-Reference.com (100 being average), and a one-year park factor of 89 -- and if we adjust, they don't look as bad. The Dodgers' adjusted OPS is 93, tied for eighth in the NL, with the league average at 95 (pitchers hitting weigh down the numbers). The Dodgers' ERA+ is also 93, but 13th in the NL, and the NL league ERA+ is 101. Does this mean pitching coach Rick Honeycutt should be updating his resume, too?
↵The fact is, outside of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Jamey Carroll, the Dodgers' lineup has been regularly littered with terrible hitters all season. But you can't fire all the players; it's much easier to dismiss a coach.
↵For more news and information on the Dodgers, or on today's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.