Why did the Rays fire Steve Henderson?

October 14, 11:52 AMTampa Bay Rays ExaminerRob Quinn

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Pat "The Bat" will have a new hitting coach in 2010 AP/Winslow Townson

The Rays let two coaches go last Monday, eliminating Todd Greene’s position of quality assurance coach, and relieving Steve Henderson of his duties as hitting coach. The decision to not bring back Henderson is puzzling because the Rays set team records in home runs, runs scored, walks, on-base percentage and slugging. One would tend to think those numbers would certainly be good enough for a hitting coach to keep his job. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers to see why Henderson was really let go.

A huge part of a hitting coach’s job is to help batters make adjustments when things aren’t going so well – to turn around slumps and solve inconsistency problems. Another measurement of a successful hitting coach is how well his charges handle situational hitting. Basically, the hitting coach – like all coaches – is responsible for getting the most out of the talent he is working with.

The Rays got off to a great start offensively, but faltered in the second half and Henderson was not able to help the Rays make the necessary adjustments to get their offense back. The team’s OPS went from a very solid .806 before the All-Star break to a very mediocre .752 in the second half.

Navarro couldn't get anything going in '09 AP/Gail Burton 

Never was it more apparent the Rays were a different offensive team in the second half than during their infamous 11-game losing streak. From September 3-13 the Rays scored three or fewer runs in 10 of the 11 games, and hit .183 with an OPS of .553 as a team. The team-wide slump struck at the most critical juncture of the season and clearly this stretch of futility was one of the main reasons the team cut ties with Henderson.

When it came to situational hitting, the Rays were awful. Productive outs did not exist. Only the Texas Rangers struck out more. The Rays struck out in 18.7% of their plate appearances with a runner on third and less than two outs – a number only exceeded by the strikeout-happy Rangers. Lost in all the glory and wins of 2008 was the fact the Rays struck out 18.4% of the time in those same situations, so situational hitting struggles are nothing new for the Rays. The team also finished 10th in the American League with a .241 average with two outs in an inning, and we all know that great teams get two-out hits. Succeeding in these types of situations – runner on third with less than two outs, and two-out hitting – are a huge part of playing fundamental baseball. Joe Maddon brought a huge belief in the fundamentals over from the Angels – who do it better than anybody. Henderson’s leadership did not improve the Rays’ performance in these fundamental areas that are near and dear to Maddon and that could have been another determining factor in his release.

Upton's struggles cost Henderson dearly AP/Steve Nesius

Yes, the Rays set a bunch of team records, but were they really getting the most out of their offensive talent? For most of the season the Rays trotted out an everyday lineup featuring FIVE players who finished the season hitting .241 or lower. Granted, one of them was Carlos Pena, who hit .227 and somehow still had a pretty good season. Even when omitting Pena from the list of struggling players, you’re left with four of the nine spots in the batting order (involving five players) that severely under-produced.

Dioner Navarro slumped all season long and it’s entirely possible he was the worst hitter in the league this season. Pat Burrell never got anything going at the plate and ended up having the worst season of his career. B.J. Upton was American League Player of the Month in June, but failed to build on that momentum and had a very frustrating season at the plate. The right field platoon of Gabe Gross and Gabe Kapler was a bust. Kapler hit .239 and Gross finished at .227 leaving serious questions about whether either player will be back with the Rays in 2010.

So despite setting team records across the board, it’s clear the Rays did not get the most out of their offensive talent. Five players carried the load and had excellent seasons, while five other players were stuck in neutral for the entirety of the season. It was Henderson’s responsibility to get those five players on the right track and unfortunately he was not able to get it done.

There you have it. After a cursory glance at the Rays’ offensive totals from 2009, it was hard to justify firing the hitting coach. But upon further inspection, a change at the position may have been necessary. It is hard to see a long-time Ray like Henderson go, but it may work out for the best. Happy trails, Steve.

Do you agree or disagree with the team’s decision to let Henderson go? Let me know in a comment.

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