MLB
Cubs Fire Chili Davis
In traditional offseason fashion, a team has fired a member of their coaching staff as a result of their season performance. The victim this time? Cubs hitting coach Chili Davis, who has only been with the team for one season. He was their third hitting coach in as many seasons.
Some people are viewing this as a questionable firing for a couple of reasons. One is because it is only Davis’s first season with the club. And a lot of people feel since the Cubs have had three hitting coaches in three seasons, that moves like this aren’t impactful. Others feel that this is just a sacrificial lamb move. Where the Cubs needed to fire someone because of the clubs finish and Davis was the name they drew. Many people pointed to the Cubs offensive numbers this season. They finished 2018 9th in runs scored, 2nd in hits, 10th in RBI’s, and 4th in Team batting Avg. at .258. So why the change to the hitting coach position?
The Downfall
The second half hitting performance of the Cubs could be to blame. The Cubs scored only two runs or less in 50 games in the second half. Their batting average dipped 16 points in the second half. The big number was the lack of team home runs, finishing 22nd in the league. With the way MLB is moving toward home runs or bust, this was a huge concern for Cubs front office.
But what possibly did Davis in was the team’s performance in their very brief 2018 playoff run. The team went a miserable 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position in their 3-1 NL Central Tie Breaker loss to the now NLCS bound Brewers. The struggles continued into the winner take all Wild Card game against the Rockies. The team left 10 runners on base, went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, and struck out 16 times.
So with Davis now gone and Maddon on the last year of his contract, it appears a big offseason is on the horizon for the Chicago Cubs and their fans. The lovable losers are in their win-now window for only a few more years. And with their disappointing finish this year, don’t expect this to be the only personnel move the Cubs Front Office makes this offseason.
Photo credit to Dan Cichalski on Flickr
