"Changing any member of the coaching staff is always a difficult decision to make, especially when it takes place in-season, but we felt this was a change that needed to be made. We would like to thank Dave for his contributions as a player and coach with the Padres organization," said Towers. "With the addition of Merv -- someone who is familiar with our organization, having been a coach with both the 1996 and 1998 playoff teams -- the club adds an individual with great baseball wisdom and a longstanding success as a hitting coach."
Magadan, 43, has served as San Diego's hitting coach since Nov. 8, 2002. He began his coaching career with the Padres organization as a Minor League hitting instructor in 2002. Magadan retired as a player at the end of the 2001 season after spending parts of 16 seasons with the New York Mets (1986-92), Florida Marlins (1993-94), Seattle Mariners (1993), Houston Astros (1995), Chicago Cubs (1996), Oakland A's (1997-98) and Padres (1999-2001). In 1,582 career games, he hit .288 (1197-for-4159) with 218 doubles, 13 triples, 42 home runs and 495 RBIs.
Rettenmund has over 40 years experience in professional baseball as a player and coach. He has served as Toronto's roving Minor League hitting instructor for the past three-plus seasons after being named to that post in December 2002. Rettenmund played two seasons with the Padres from 1976-77 and was the club's hitting coach from 1991-99. During his tenure as San Diego's hitting coach, he coached a pair of National League batting champions, Tony Gwynn and Gary Sheffield.
The 63-year-old Rettenmund began his coaching career in 1980 with the then-California Angels, and has worked in various roles with the Angels (1980-82), Texas Rangers (1983-85), A's (1986-90), Padres (1991-99), Atlanta Braves (2000-01), Detroit Tigers (2002) and Blue Jays (2003-06).
Rettenmund played parts of 13 seasons in the Majors with Baltimore (1968-73), Cincinnati (1974-75), San Diego (1976-77) and California (1978-80). He batted .271 (693-for-2555) with 114 doubles, 66 home runs and 329 RBIs in 1,023 career games, establishing a Padres record with 21 pinch-hits in 1977.
A San Diego resident, Rettenmund is scheduled to join the team in Anaheim for the club's three-game series vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tomorrow.
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