Anemic Cleveland fires hitting coach Murray after defeat

CHICAGO – Hall of Famer Eddie Murray was fired Saturday as hitting coach of the Cleveland Indians, whose sputtering offense has been a major disappointment.

Murray, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 after finishing his stellar career with 504 homers and 3,255 hits, was let go after Cleveland’s fourth straight loss.

Despite having a potent offense last year, the Indians are batting .243 this season.

“It’s not just about right now, it’s just about what we feel is best for our ballclub today, the future and long term,” said manager Eric Wedge, who told Murray he was fired. “From an offensive standpoint, I feel we can do better. But it’s not just about Eddie Murray. I just felt that we needed to make a change and I felt this was best for our ballclub.”

Murray was not available for comment, and Wedge declined to discuss their conversation or Murray’s reaction.

Murray was in his fourth year as batting coach. Hitting coordinator Derek Shelton will take over the job on an interim basis for the rest of the season.