1.   Among the potential outside candidates being mentioned, according to sources, are former major-league managers Jimy Williams and Jim Fregosi and Rockies hitting coach Clint Hurdle.

2.   Anaheim Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher is faced with his first minicrisis - the early slumps of Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson.

3.   And a lot of hard work with hitting coach Charlie Manuel, who has guided Thome through the Cleveland system, has helped produce steady improvement and impressive results.

4.   And so Rice takes over as Red Sox hitting coach.

5.   And when she gave birth to her third child and only son, she assumed the role of hitting coach.

6.   Anderson struggled under the rigid tutelage of maniacal Sox hitting coach Walter Hriniak.

7.   And, since neither hit involved an uppercut, they were exactly what hitting coach Reggie Smith wants to see from this guy.

8.   Andruw Jones had given it a wide smile when hitting coach Merv Rettenmund dished some grief his way during batting practice Wednesday.

9.   Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher emerged with a cut under his right eye.

10.   Another strong candidate is Yankees hitting coach Chris Chambliss.