SEATTLE, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The Seattle Mariners fired manager Don Wakamatsu and three coaches Monday in a shakeup aimed at getting the struggling franchise back on track, the team said.
Daren Brown, manager of the Mariners' Class-AAA team in nearby Tacoma, was brought in to run the team for the remainder of the season.
"New leadership is needed and it is needed now," General Manager Jack Zduriencik said in a written statement.
The statement said Wakamatsu, who was named manager before the 2009 season, was no longer seen as the "right long-term fit" for the Mariners, who had aims to contend in the American League West this season but instead find themselves mired in last place.
Pitching coach Rick Adair was also let go along with bench coach Ty Van Burleko and performance coach Steve Hecht. Adair was replaced by Carl Willis, the team's minor-league pitching coordinator. Catching coordinator Roger Hansen replaced Van Burleko.
