Kevin Long is the Phillies' hitting coach. (Cheryl Pursell)
If you believe that the recent 1-9 stretch that the Phillies are in the midst of should lead to the dismissal of hitting coach Kevin Long, you're probably going to be disappointed.
Long continues to be highly thought of in the the organization, starting with manager Rob Thomson.
"I think Kevin is the best hitting coach in baseball," Thomson said emphatically before Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs. "And I think these guys listen to him. He's a tireless worker. He's great with the players. Obviously, he's knowledgeable, but he also tells them the truth, and they respect that."
Rob Thomson: “I think Kevin is the best hitting coach in baseball.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/ttUXAt50Ag
Obviously, if Long's seat was warm, the Phillies wouldn't come out and say it. Hitting coaches can sometimes reach their shelf lives, as the Phillies determined Milt Thomson had in the summer of 2010, despite the team having won consecutive pennants. Being around the Phillies, though, you just don't get the sense that they feel Long is reaching his expiration date in this post. If anything, there seems to be an unshaken belief inside the clubhouse that the Phillies continue to have an advantage at hitting coach over other teams.
Long joined the Phillies' staff in 2022, but has previously been the hitting coach for the New York Yankees (2007-2014), New York Mets (2015-2017) and Washington Nationals (2018-2021). During his time on the job, all three of those teams reached the World Series, with the Yankees (2009) and Nationals (2019) winning it all with him as their hitting coach. Granted, those were all decorated lineups, but Long's reputation among the stars he's worked with is pristine.
Bryce Harper is currently on the injured list with right wrist inflammation, but was very complimentary of Long and his staff. Harper was with Long for his final year on the Nationals, and then has spent parts of four seasons with him in Philadelphia.
"Yeah, I think him [Long], [assistant hitting coach] Dustin [Lind], [assistant hitting coach] Raf[ael Pena], they come in every day ... ready to go ... always got something for somebody and always trying to keep the guys up as much as possible," Harper said.
Trea Turner developed into a superstar during Long's time as hitting coach for the Nationals, and was a key cog for that 2019 World Series team. He explained why it is that Long is held in such high regard.
"I mean the work ethic is obviously No. 1," Turner said. "He wants us to do well. He's in it with us. I think that's the biggest thing is when we're not doing good, he feels like he's not doing good. I think that's No. 1.
"And No. 2 is just the positive energy," Turner continued. "I feel like when everyone wants to be super negative, including ourselves, going to the cage and working with somebody that's positive and wanting to find answers in a good way, I think is really big. And he's probably the best at those two things, being in it with you and then trying to find answers to the problems."
Perhaps the best person to talk to for insight on Long is Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs after the 2020 season and signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Nationals. He's credited working with Long for a few months in D.C. before getting traded to the Boston Red Sox as what helped him to revive his career.
"I think the biggest thing is us all as hitters, we're all different," Schwarber said. "Everyone's got different qualities. Everyone has different things that make them click. And the toughest job is to be able to know all those different qualities of what makes your hitter good and what makes them tick and what makes them go. He does such a great job."
Even since the two have been together in Philadelphia, Schwarber has reached new heights. Schwarber unquestionably deserves praise for changing his approach and becoming a more complete all-around hitter, but it would be unfair to not give Long some credit in that regard.
Kevin Long and Kyle Schwarber embrace after advancing to the NLCS. pic.twitter.com/rcaL5A7w4x
Like Turner, Schwarber also credited the bedside manner that Long has.
"It's inevitable throughout a 162-game season, you're seeing it right now — there's gonna be times where guys are hot, and there's going to be times where guys are gonna to struggle," Schwarber added. "And the biggest thing that they can make you feel is that I could be in the cage and feel not the best at all, and he's gonna make me leave the cage feeling like I'm gonna get two hits. And feeling like you're gonna go out there and get a job done, right? And that's the biggest thing.
"Obviously all the other little ins and and outs of the scouting reports, knowing the pitcher, knowing the bullpen, those are all such big things," Schwarber continued. "But I feel like being able to make sure that when you go in there and you're able to have an honest conversation about how you feel and be able to feel like you're gonna get right to work on what you want to address."
And Long is uniquely good at giving players that feeling?
"Yeah, in my opinion, yes," Schwarber said.
Harper also added another thought on hitting coach discourse after complimenting Long and his staff that's probably the most important takeaway for a lineup that feels pretty underwhelming right now.
"Obviously, there's only so much a hitting coach can do," Harper said. "It relies on the players and what the players are gonna do and how they're gonna hit. I think it's something that players kinda gotta look within and understand it's not just hitting coach. It's kind of what the players are doing too."
