Mark McGwire is headed to Los Angeles. (US Presswire)

The Dodgers officially named Mark McGwire hitting coach on Wednesday. McGwire had spent the last three seasons as the Cardinals' hitting coach.

“Mark has been able to translate his success as a big-league hitter into his work as hitting coach with the Cardinals,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in a statement. “He earned the respect of both veterans and young players while in St. Louis, and the offensive numbers the Cardinals produced under his tutelage speak for themselves. We’re excited to have him join our coaching staff and anticipate great things from his work with our hitters in 2013 and beyond.”

McGwire had recently told the Cardinals he wouldn't be returning, wanting to spend more time with his wife and their five children, including triplets. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in Irvine, Calif. 

The Cardinals promoted John Mabry from assistant hitting coach to hitting coach on Monday.

For more baseball news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnBaseball on Twitter, subscribe to the RSS feed and "like" us on Facebook.