Matt Stairs reserved a place in Philadelphia Phillies history when he hit a pinch-hit home run to help propel the team to the National League crown and the 2008 World Series championship.
Next season, the New Brunswick native will be back in uniform with his former organization.
According to multiple reports, Stairs was hired on Wednesday as the Phillies hitting coach.
The 48-year-old Stairs replaces Steve Henderson, who was not retained by the ballclub after this season.
Stairs, who lived in Bangor from 2000 to 2012, is excited to again be an active participant in the game.
“I just love hitting,” Stairs told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “And I’m not tooting my own horn, but I know hitting. A lot of people might think, ‘He was the guy that swung from his heels to try and hit home runs.’ That was only later in my career. I can break down a swing.”
Stairs had spent the last three seasons serving as an analyst on Phillies television broadcasts. He retired from baseball in 2011 and did a stint as a part-time studio analyst for the New England Sports Network on Boston Red Sox broadcasts.
“Honestly, the last three years, by sitting in that booth, I can tell you the good, the bad and the ugly of every swing,” Stairs told the Inquirer. “I was a hitting coach to the fans, now I’ve become a hitting coach to 25 players.”
Stairs was well-traveled during parts of 19 seasons in the major leagues. He played for 12 different teams from 1992 to 2011, including a 39-game stint with the Red Sox in 1995.
Stairs appeared in 1,271 career games, compiling a .262 batting average with 265 home runs and 899 runs batted in. The former Fredericton High School star was signed as a free agent by the now-defunct Montreal Expos in 1989.
Stairs holds the major league record for pinch-hit home runs with 23, seven of which came with Philadelphia, including five in 2009.
While in Bangor, Stairs served as an assistant ice hockey coach at both John Bapst High School and Bangor High School. He spent four seasons with the Crusaders and worked briefly with the Rams before re-signing with the Phillies.
However, it was on Oct. 13, 2008, that Stairs cemented his name in Phillies history. He cranked a pinch-hit, two-run home run off Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton that helped propel Philadelphia to the National League pennant and the World Series title.
“It would be interesting to see what would’ve happened if I struck out,” Stairs told the Inquirer. “Lives were changed because of that home run and so was mine. It helped me out a lot. I’m very grateful for that and grateful for CSN to give me a chance for three years and for the Phillies to show my talent on the field as a hitting coach.”