Schu joins Nats, ready to get started

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New hitting coach Rick Schu has joined the Nationals after catching a flight on Monday evening, ready to help in any way he can as Washington hosts the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their four-game series on Tuesday.

Schu said he got the call from the Nats in the middle of a doubleheader in Jupiter, Fla., while he was coaching in the Gulf Coast League. As a minor league hitting instructor for the team the past four seasons, he is familiar with many of the players, but admits he hasn’t watched much of the 48-51 Nationals this season.

Schu arrived at Nationals Park to meet with manager Davey Johnson Tuesday morning to go over what the team expects from his role over the season's final 63 games. He hopes to bring a fresh take to the Nats’ clubhouse and get them back to basics on offense.

“I like doing the little things and staying aggressive,” he said. “Hunt strikes, controlling the zone, swinging and strikes, staying aggressive on the heater, doing the little things. Moving the runners, getting a runner in from third, putting the ball in play with two strikes. It's very important and if it's important for us it becomes important to the players.”

Schu has worked with many of the younger Nationals players such as Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon, those who have been in the minor leagues recently. He also knows veterans like Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos from rehab appearances this season and over the years.

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Eckstein fired, Schu takes over

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[Updated 5:36 p.m.]

Stuck in a season-long offensive funk that actually got worse over the last two weeks, the Nationals fired Rick Eckstein today, a move that contradicted overwhelming public support for the hitting coach from club officials no matter how unproductive his lineup had been.

Rick Schu, the organization's minor-league hitting coordinator, will take over big-league coaching duties, beginning on Tuesday as the Nats host the Pirates.

The Nationals can only hope a new voice — not to mention today's surprising shakeup — can get this struggling offensive group on track before it falls completely out of the race in the NL East.

The Nationals rank 14th out of 15 NL clubs in runs scored, on-base percentage and OPS this season, and 13th in batting average and total bases. They scored only five total runs during a weekend sweep at the hands of the Dodgers and over their last 12 losses have scored a total of 18 runs.

Tarasco added to 2013 staff

Davey Johnson and hitting coach Rick Eckstein talk during a 2012 batting practice. (Photo by US-Presswire)

The Washington Nationals have announced the addition of Tony Tarasco as first base coach to Davey Johnson’s 2013 staff. Trent Jewett will transition from first to third base coach next season with the departure of Bo Porter to manage the Astros.

The bench coach will remain Randy Knorr, Steve McCatty will stay on as pitching coach, Jim Lett will coach the bullpen, and Rick Eckstein will be back once again as hitting coach.

Tarasco joins the Nationals at the major league level after seven seasons in various roles in the organization. He spent the last two seasons as the outfield and baserunning coordinator after serving three years as hitting coach of the Hagerstown Suns. Previous to his time in Single-A, Tarasco was the hitting coach for two seasons for Vermont of the rookie-level New York-Penn League.

Tarasco played under Davey Johnson for the Baltimore Orioles in 1996 and 1997 and was the right fielder on Derek Jeter’s controversial home run in the 1996 ALCS. He was under the ball at the warning track when Yankees fan Jeffrey Maier reached over and interfered to make the catch.