Major League Baseball

Braves hunting a batting coach;Pendleton moved; Hubbard, Cadahia not offered jobs.

Published Oct. 14, 2010 10:14 a.m. ET

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With the hiring of manager Fredi Gonzalez, four members of the Braves' coaching staff were retained, including pitching coach Roger McDowell and Terry Pendleton, who moves from hitting coach to first-base coach and infield instructor in place of Glenn Hubbard.

Also returning are third-base coach Brian Snitker and bullpen coach Eddie Perez.

Hubbard and bench coach Chino Cadahia were dropped from the staff and not offered other positions.

Gonzalez brought Carlos Tosca from his former Florida Marlins staff to serve as bench coach, and the Braves will hire a new batting coach to replace Pendleton, who spent nine seasons in that role.

General manager Frank Wren indicated the Braves have discussed several batting-coach candidates and could hire one during their organizational meetings that start next week.

"For me, the hardest thing was the first day when we got to talking about the coaching staff because I have relationships with those guys and I respect them all," said Gonzalez, who served as Braves third-base coach from 2003-06.

Hubbard, 53, served 12 seasons as first-base coach after a playing career that included 10 seasons with the Braves through 1987. He was an All-Star second baseman in 1983.

Cadahia, 52, spent three seasons on the Braves' major league staff and 11 years in their minor league system.

"It's just a matter of a new manager having the ability to bring some of his own coaches, which is important," Wren said of the changes. "It was important for him to have one, especially like Carlos Tosca, who he's worked with in the past and is close to. Even though Fredi is close to the guys on our coaching staff.

"It's not a reflection on the guys [dropped from the staff]."

On Pendleton's job switch, Wren said, "I just think it was probably time for a new voice [with the batters]. ... Terry's really excited about having more influence within the game, whether it's infield play or base running, all the things that are responsibilities that Fredi's going to give him."

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