Looking back at Cubs hitting coaches to depart team under Theo
The Cubs have opted not to renew assistant hitting coach Terrmel Sledge’s contract for 2021.Sledge becomes the 10th assistant hitting coach or hitting coach during Theo Epstein’s front office regime to leave the organization, whether on their terms or the organization’s.Hitting coach Anthony Iapoce is expected to return next season, but here’s a look back at the 10 hitting coaches to depart since 2012.
Former general manager Jim Hendry hired Jaramillo, the longtime Rangers hitting coach, in October 2009 for a Cubs team trying to win at the end of their window. Jaramillo was one of the highest profile hitting coaches in the game, having spent the previous 15 seasons in Texas.
Epstein joined the organization in October 2011 and inherited Jaramillo, who was making $800,000, in 2012. Epstein fired him that June, the final season of his three-year, $2.4 million deal.
Rowson, the Cubs’ minor league hitting coordinator, took over for Jaramillo in the interim and returned full-time in 2013. Second-year manager Dale Sveum also added Rob Deer to the staff as an assistant hitting coach in 2013, the year that became an official MLB position.
When the Cubs fired Sveum after the 2013 season, neither Deer nor Rowson were retained. Rowson took over as the Yankees’ minor league hitting coordinator.
Rick Renteria took over as manager in 2014, with Mueller — who won a batting title in 2003 with Epstein’s Red Sox — joining the staff as hitting coach and bringing in Mike Brumley as his assistant hitting coach.
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo had what was then a career year in 2014 and shortstop Starlin Castro bounced back from a down 2013. But Mueller resigned after the season because the Cubs opted not to retain Brumley.
Mueller joined the Cardinals as assistant hitting coach in 2015.
Mallee and Hinske replaced Mueller and Brumley, and several weeks later the Cubs replaced Renteria with Joe Maddon. The Cubs’ most successful offensive run of the last decade occurred under Mallee, who emphasized launch angle.
Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell each debuted in 2015. A year later, Bryant won the 2016 NL MVP and Russell had a career season — 21 home runs, 95 RBIs. Jason Heyward struggled in 2016, his first season in Chicago, and moved to Arizona in the ensuing offseason to work on his swing with Mallee and Hinske.
The Angels hired Hinske to be their hitting coach after 2017 and Mallee was let go after the Cubs offense scuffled in the postseason. The Phillies hired Mallee as hitting coach for 2018, firing him in August 2019. He’s currently the Angels assistant hitting coach under Maddon.
The Cubs wanted their core of young hitters to diversify their swings and use more of a situational approach. Davis, a switch-hitting three-time All-Star during his playing career, replaced Mallee, while Haines took over for Hinske.
Davis was dismissed after just one season — the Cubs offense scored one or zero runs 40 times, and Epstein notoriously declared after the season that the offense broke somewhere along the way.
After he was fired, Davis said he felt there were players he didn’t connect with, adding he may need to adjust how he communicates his message to millennial players.
Haines also departed after 2018, becoming the Brewers hitting coach.
Sledge replaced Haines in 2019, joining the coaching staff with Iapoce. The Cubs opted not to retain Sledge after a 2020 season in which they finished 27th in average (.220), 21st in wRC+ (91) and 20th in runs scored (265) during the abbreviated 60-game season.
