NEW YORK -- Chris Chambliss, a former player and coach with the New York Yankees, was hired as the New York Mets' batting coach on Thursday.

Chambliss, who had been minor-league hitting coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates, replaces Dave Engle, who was fired by the Mets on Monday.

His appointment comes on the eve of a three-game series between the Mets and Yankees.

"Having played in New York and succeeded, having coached in New York and succeeded, having been a left-handed slugging first baseman, he's going to have a real impact in dealing with our hitters,'' general manager Steve Phillips said. ''He's a winner, a first-class guy.''

The Mets rank near the bottom of most National League offensive categories despite one of the highest payrolls in baseball. The reference to a left-handed slugging first-baseman was a reference to Mo Vaughn, who was expected to be a major addition to the team but is hitting .230 with four home runs.

Chambliss was chosen over Willie Upshaw, a minor-league instructor with the Cleveland Indians, and Bill Madlock, the former Detroit Tigers hitting coach.

The 53-year-old Chambliss spent five seasons as the Yankees' hitting coach from 1996-2000 under manager Joe Torre. Before that, he was Torre's hitting coach with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1993-95. He also managed five minor-league teams from 1989-1992.

Chambliss played 16 major-league seasons with three teams, the Indians, Yankees and Braves, and had a .279 batting average. He's best remembered for a ninth-inning home run in Game 5 of the 1976 AL Championship Series that gave the Yankees their 30th pennant.

"I don't teach everybody the same thing about hitting. I don't believe in having a system,'' he said. "I think it's important to know all styles of hitting. I use what I think I need to help a major-league hitter.''

When Engle was fired after one-plus seasons, the Mets were 13th in the league in runs and 14th in batting average. The Mets added big-name players such as Roberto Alomar and Vaughn this season after finishing last in the NL in runs scored.

"When you look at that lineup they have, those are great hitters and they have been in the past,'' Chambliss said. "Those guys will hit. Maybe they need not to get talked about so much and get so much advice.''

Engle was appointed Mets batting coach in December 2000. Before that, he served as a minor league manager within the organization.