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This isn’t really anything new, but Chili Davis did give a few more thoughts about what went wrong with the Cubs in 2018, that eventually led to his firing.
Davis was thought to be an upgrade as Cubs hitting coach, but both players and he agree that there was never a connection made and whatever he tried to teach either didn’t get through, or was detrimental to the team. Davis definitely doesn’t deserve all the blame for the horrid offense the Cubs had in the second half, but for now he’s the sacrificial lamb for the 2018 Cubs, as he was fired last week.
He had a brief conversation with ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and said he didn’t really mesh with Cubs players, but Davis opened up more to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I learned that the next situation I get in, before I say yes to a job, I need to make sure I know the personnel I’ll be dealing with in the clubhouse."
–Chili Davis https://t.co/MpcobLyHdC— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) October 16, 2018
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Via the Sun-Times.
“I guess I need to make some adjustments in the way I deliver my message to the millennial players now. I need to make those adjustments for the next job I get, if there is one.
“But without losing my identity,” he added. “Because I know what I know. And I know what I bring is not wrong. I’m not going to blame myself for this. I’m not going to blame anyone. It didn’t work.”
Davis made sure to once again say there are no hard feelings between him and the Cubs, but did offer this piece of advice for some of the players going forward.
“But regardless of who’s there, certain players there are going to have to make some adjustments, because the game’s changed, and pitchers are pitching them differently. They’re not pitching to launch angles and fly balls and all that anymore. They’re pitching away from that.
“They’re going to have to make that adjustment whether I’m there or not.”
Davis only had praise for Ben Zobrist, but declined to make comments about any other Cubs player specifically.
We’ve said it since he was fired, but it keeps looking like this was doomed from the start. His little jab at launch angle fundamentally contradicts what this front office believes in and has instilled in its players going through the minors.
Theo Epstein made it crystal clear during his end of the year press conference when he said, “launch angle isn’t a fad.” That’s what’s made the Cubs successful before. That’s what they believe in. It was never going to work out with Davis and his total anti-launch angle philosophy.
The Cubs hired Anthony Iapoce as their new hitting coach for 2019. He was the minor league hitting coordinator for the Cubs from 2013-15, before the Rangers hired him as their hitting coach.
Iapoce’s mentor happens to be former Cubs hitting coach John Mallee, who was let go after 2017.
