1.   And he said he believed the Sox job should go to Harper, who eventually succeeded McRae as Expos batting coach.

2.   Bench coach Jim Tracy, batting coach Rick Down and bullpen coach Rick Dempsey are in their first full season with the organization.

3.   But the offensive surge of the team he credits in large part to Angels batting coach Rod Carew.

4.   Delino DeShields, batting coach?

5.   Ex-Braves batting coach Clarence Jones, displaced in the shuffling of the staff last month, has accepted a coaching job with the Cleveland Indians.

6.   Lansford is a protege of former Red Sox batting coach Walt Hriniak, who espoused the same basic principles as did Lau.

7.   The strange thing was the story came out Monday in the Denver Post when former Rockies manager Don Baylor was in town as batting coach with Atlanta.

8.   Two of those seasons were spent with Rangers batting coach Willie Upshaw.

9.   Batting coach Mike Easler and Tatis agree that the injury affects his swing.

10.   Boston batting coach Rick Down said Neill has good hitting mechanics and a decent grasp of the strike zone.