With the worst team batting average in the NL and the third-fewest homers in the majors, the Padres fired Dave Magadan as hitting coach on Thursday and replaced him with the popular Merv Rettenmund. Rettenmund, who was San Diego's hitting coach from 1991-99, will join the Padres on Friday for the start of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels. "Time will tell if this is the right decision," general manager Kevin Towers said. "It really came down to results. It had nothing to do with personalities."