SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Manager Bruce Bochy is bringing back his entire coaching staff for 2012.
Bochy met with each of his coaches in recent days to give them the news they would return. Coaches are typically on one-year contracts.
“I’ve talked to the staff and we plan on having everybody back,” Bochy said Monday.
Details were still to be worked out, but Bochy said a verbal agreement had been reached with each coach.
There has been criticism of hitting coach Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens because of San Francisco’s struggling offense, though the Giants ultimately decided it wasn’t Meulens’ fault. He has worked tirelessly with hitters and regularly travels during the winter to visit different players.
Meulens wants to “right the ship” come 2012.
“We are grateful. We are thankful that the organizational has given us a shot at it, backing us up,” Meulens said. “After all, it’s a pretty good year. It’s a disappointing year but considering all the injuries and all the different situations the whole team went through, it’s a different team on the field today than we won the World Series with.”
The reigning World Series champion Giants entered Monday night’s 3-1 win over Colorado ranked last in the National League in runs scored with 557, last in RBIs (522) and on-base percentage (.303). They also dealt with season-ending injuries to 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey and second baseman Freddy Sanchez.
“It was a tough year for the club in general and with everything that’s happened and trying to keep a consistent lineup out there through numerous injuries,” Bochy said. “We had some guys who didn’t quite have the year they would have liked to have or we would have liked for them to have. Bam Bam worked hard, believe me, he was relentless trying to get that straight. It was a year when what could go wrong went wrong.”
Bochy said he has addressed many issues he would like to see improve gearing up for 2012, including situational hitting, defense and baserunning.
The Giants captured their first World Series title since moving West in 1958 in Meulens’ first season as hitting coach last year. San Francisco had a .257 batting average, ranked seventh in the NL, and scored the ninth-most runs in the NL with 697 _ an increase of 40 from 2009. The Giants’ 4.30 runs per game in 2010 were ninth best in the NL.
Also returning are bench coach Ron Wotus, pitching coach Dave Righetti, bullpen coach Mark Gardner, third base coach Tim Flannery, first base coach Roberto Kelly and bullpen catcher Bill Hayes.
Wotus is the longest-tenured member of the coaching staff, finishing up his 14th season on the major league staff, 22nd as a coach in the franchise and 24th overall with the club. Righetti has been the pitching coach for the past 12 seasons.
“They have done a great job,” Bochy said.
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