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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 7:50 a.m., Thursday, November 1, 2007

Baseball: Ex-batting champ is new Giants hitting coach

Advertiser Staff

SAN FRANCISCO -- Former AL batting champion Carney Lansford was hired today to become the San Francisco Giants' new hitting coach.

Lansford, a five-time All-Star who won the batting title in 1981, received a two-year contract to replace Joe Lefebvre on manager Bruce Bochy's staff.

Lansford batted .290 during a 15-year career with the Angels, Boston and Oakland. Lansford, who was hitting coach for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate this season, had previously been a bench coach for Tony La Russa in Oakland (1994-95) and St. Louis (1997-98).

"We are thrilled to have someone of Carney's baseball pedigree join the coaching staff," general manager Brian Sabean said. "He was an excellent big league hitter in his own right, while his expertise, enthusiasm and approach will be tremendous assets to our club moving forward."

Lansford grew up in the Bay Area cheering for the Giants. He went to high school in Santa Clara before being drafted by the Angels in 1975.

Lansford had 2,074 hits, 151 homers and 874 RBIs in his career. He batted over .300 five times and hit .305 in five trips to the postseason. Lansford won one World Series as a player, playing for the A's when they beat the Giants for the title in 1989.