Herd Mentality

The Cubs have a new hitting coach, again. Greg Brown is out, Dustin Kelly is in. Haven’t heard of either? Don’t worry, you’re not supposed to. The days of the successful ex-MLB player as hitting coach are mostly over. Consider that before Kelly and Brown, there was Anthony Iapoce. Before those three, Chili Davis, the kind of coach I’d hire. Why? Because he had 2380 hits during a nineteen-year career that saw him go to three World Series, that’s why. Assuming, of course, that he could explain the philosophy that allowed him to amass those stats. Kelly will be joined by four assistants. Funny, the last time I checked, there was only one hitter at a time in the batter’s box. According to the story in today’s Tribune, there’ll be a coach responsible for “game planning” along with another taking care of “data development and process.” Team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer thinks it’s important to “have experts in different areas and not feel like they have to be the final arbiter or the best coach, the best game planner or the best mental guy. That’s really important in becoming more collaborative.” Screw collaboration. Players and teams should want the best coaches in place, period. What the Cubs (and probably the White Sox, as soon as they hire a new hitting coach) are doing is following the trend in baseball to specialization. The hitting specialist will be no different than a medical specialist in that neither had to play baseball to get their job. The only possible silver lining here is that, if playing experience is not necessary for coaching, then women will have a real shot at becoming head and/or assistant hitting coaches. Women who didn’t play baseball telling guys how to hit a baseball, and guys listening? I won’t hold my breath. Neither would Bill Robinson or Chili Davis, I’m sure.