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PrintKANSAS CITY — Hitting coach Jeff Pentland was fired Monday by the struggling Kansas City Royals, who have lost six straight games and whose 13-37 record is the worst in the major leagues.
Kansas City’s team batting average of .246 is the fourth-worst in baseball, and the Royals’ on-base percentage of .309 is the second-worst in the majors.
Pentland, 58, was in his third season with the Royals. Kansas City named Andre David, its minor league hitting instructor the past five years, to replace him for the rest of the season.
“Andre understands our organizational hitting philosophy,” general manager Allard Baird said in a statement. “He has worked with a number of our young players, as well as some veteran players that came up through the organization.”
David managed the Gulf Coast Royals in 1998 and 1999 and the last part of the 2000 season. Previously he was with the New York Mets organization.
The Royals, who had Monday off, open a series at home Tuesday night against the New York Yankees. The team is in the process of looking for a permanent replacement for manager Tony Pena, who resigned May 10.
Kansas City is 5-12 under interim manager Bob Schaefer, who is among the candidates for the job.
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