From the AP (at SFGate.com) comes the news that Dave Hudgens won't be back next year as the A's hitting coach. The A's will offer him another position within the organization.

Oakland just doesn't seem to fire its coaches like other teams do. Many owners and GMs would have gotten sick of Art Howe and sent him packing before the Mets gave him tons of money to take him away. Many owners and GMs would have been through six or seven hitting coaches in the time the A's have had two (though granted, Hudgens has had two tours of duty, before and after Thad Bosley). How much does a team-wide hitting coach matter? Some players will listen, some won't. Some will benefit, some won't. Let's not spend too much time worrying about it.