Mariners fire manager Don Wakamatsu

The Mariners have fired manager Don Wakamatsu.

Bench coach Ty Van Burkleo, pitching coach Rick Adair and performance coach Steve Hecht were also fired Monday by the Mariners, who are 42-70 and in last place in the American League West.

"I have concluded that these changes needed to be made now and that they are in the best interest of the Mariners as we move forward," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a release from the team. "Don, Ty and Rick are all good baseball men and they have done their very best. But we are where we are. I no longer have confidence that Don, Ty and Rick are the right long-term fit for our organization. New leadership is needed and it is needed now."

Daren Brown, who has managed the Mariners' Class AAA Tacoma team the past four seasons, has been named interim manager for the remainder of the season. Roger Hansen, who had been the Mariners' minor-league catching coordinator, takes over as bench coach. Carl Willis, who was the Mariners' minor-league pitching coordinator, takes on the responsibility of pitching coach.

"Daren is an experienced manager with over a decade of minor-league managing experience," Zduriencik said. "He is intimately familiar with our club; he was with the club in spring training and managed many of the players on our current roster in the minors. I believe he will do a fine job."

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