The Chicago Cubs on Thursday made the unsurprising decision to fire hitting coach Chili Davis.
The Cubs’ offense tanked in the second half of the season, and the approach Davis was preaching ran counter to what the front office wanted to see. On top of that, The Score in Chicago’s Dan Bernstein reports that the feedback about Davis from the players was negative. Players reportedly felt their swings or approaches had been negatively altered.
Mentioned last week on @Bernstein_McK on @670TheScore that some material players told Theo that they felt their swings/approaches had been altered for the worse. 2/2
— Dan Bernstein (@dan_bernstein) October 11, 2018
The firing seemed to be the cumulative product of feedback from players as well as statistical evidence.
Davis wanted players to hit to the opposite field, which they were successful in doing. But the approach may have cost them in the power department, as the players did not put the ball in the air as much and the team’s slugging percentage dropped.
Having Kris Bryant healthy for a full season, plus a potential big free agent added to the lineup, should do wonders for the team’s offense next year.
