The San Francisco Giants are turning their hitting fortunes over to a guy nicknamed "Bam Bam" for his once-fierce swing.
The Giants promoted Fresno Grizzlies hitting coach Hensley Meulens to the major league club Monday, hiring him to replace Carney Lansford. Lansford was told last month by manager Bruce Bochy that his contract wouldn't be renewed.
Meulens, who was with the Grizzlies for one year, guided the Giants' Triple-A affiliate to a .275 batting average, which ranked sixth in the Pacific Coast League. The 42-year-old native of Curacao is credited with helping John Bowker win the Pacific Coast League batting title this season with a .342 average and Jesus Guzman finish fifth at .321.
Meulens also provided guidance to Eugenio Velez, who turned around his season after a slow start.
"He's got a great way about him. He's a guy the players will certainly trust, with his knowledge and work habits," Bochy said. "The fact that there's going to be a comfort level with these younger players who know him from Fresno is going to make the transition for them playing in the major leagues a little easier."
Meulens soon will leave Venezuela, where he was set to coach winter ball, to attend organizational meetings in Arizona and get to work on his new gig.
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@