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Mets Officially Hire Ex-Yankees Hitting Coach Kevin Long

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- He turned Curtis Granderson around once. Maybe he can do it again.

Kevin Long, one of the coaches to take the fall for the Yankees' offensive struggles this season, was hired as the Mets hitting instructor on Thursday, the team announced.

Long spent the previous eight seasons with the Yankees. He won a World Series ring in 2009 and under his tutelage the Bombers led the majors in runs scored three times and finished second twice.

"Kevin's experience, success and wealth of knowledge make him the perfect fit as our hitting instructor," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Thursday.

One of Long's top achievements with the Yankees was turning a speedy gap hitter in Granderson into a power hitter. The lefty slugger adapted to the short porch in right field at the new Yankee Stadium, twice belting more than 40 home runs and driving in more than 100 runs. Long was credited with shortening Granderson's swing, which resulted in a faster bat and more power to right.

Granderson, who signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Mets last winter, hit 20 homers and drove in 66 runs in 2014, but batted just .227. It will be interesting to see if Long can help turn the veteran outfielder back into a player who can hit to all fields, which is necessary to take advantage of the vast expanse of outfield at Citi Field.

"I'm excited to get the opportunity to work with a team that I think is on the rise," Long said. "I had a great meeting with Sandy and (manager) Terry (Collins) yesterday and I can't wait to get started and help in any way I can."

Long was let go by the Yankees earlier this month after the Bombers missed the playoffs for the second straight season. The Yankees finished 13th in the AL in runs scored and 11th with a .245 team batting average.

The Mets are coming off their sixth straight losing season, but their 79 wins were their most since posting the same total in 2010. The Amazins fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens in May and then reassigned interim hitting coach Lamar Johnson at the end of the season after finishing eighth in runs scored and 13th in batting average (.239) in the NL.

Long may be coming in at the right time considering the Mets announced recently that they will be moving in the fences yet again at Citi Field.

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