1.   Bell credits father figure and second-year Astros hitting instructor Tom McCraw for the re-emergence of his consistency and production at the plate.

2.   Above all else, hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo is an honest man.

3.   After six years as the manager of the Colorado Rockies, Don Baylor has returned to the coaching ranks as the Atlanta Braves hitting instructor.

4.   Briefly The Rangers have signed former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield as their roving minor-league hitting instructor.

5.   But he never changed, as Cubs third baseman Ron Santo found out once when Hornsby was a minor-league hitting instructor.

6.   But hitting instructor Don Baylor indicated now was the time for action, not talk.

7.   But hitting instructors long ago quit trying to straighten out Sheffield.

8.   Did he pay attention to his hitting instructors?

9.   Five hits by the Dodgers was not a particularly strong debut by new hitting instructor Mickey Hatcher, who replaced Reggie Smith.

10.   Gary Denbo, a minor league hitting instructor in the Yankees organization, will interview Thursday for the job.