10-04-2009, 06:11 PM
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The Cubs fired Von Joshua as hitting coach after Sunday's finale, offering him his old job as hitting coach at Triple-A Iowa.
Joshua, who replaced Gerald Perry as hitting coach on June 14, was gone from the clubhouse after the game and unavailable for comment.
"Basically I told him it wasn't anything that I was upset with him," general manager Jim Hendry said. "He didn't do anything wrong. But when you come up from the system in the middle of the year, if things don't make significant differences in improvement, then obviously in my opinion we need to do something different."
The Cubs could fill the opening with Double-A manager Ryne Sandberg, or minor league hitting coordinator Dave Keller, though Hendry declined to name names.
"When Von came up we were scuffling," he said. "And we never really made a lot of progress in some of the same areas we were deficient in the first half. And I told him that when he came here- that it was only for the end of the year."
Hendry said he promised Joshua he could have his old job back if it didn't work out. The Cubs entered the final game ranked sixth in NL hitting in the second half with a .265 average, and sixth in runs scored with 350. In the first half, they ranked 14th in average at .247 and 15th in runs scored at 355.
Derrek Lee said neither Perry not Joshua deserved any blame.
"I hate to say it, but a hitting coach is overrated," Lee said. "It's more of a mental thing. Gerald was a great guy. he always had positive things to say- and same with Von. They're always in your corner. But the bottom line is the best hitting coach is yourself. No one knows your swing like yourself. None of the blame should go to either of those two guys. We just struggled as a whole all year."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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Joshua, who replaced Gerald Perry as hitting coach on June 14, was gone from the clubhouse after the game and unavailable for comment.
"Basically I told him it wasn't anything that I was upset with him," general manager Jim Hendry said. "He didn't do anything wrong. But when you come up from the system in the middle of the year, if things don't make significant differences in improvement, then obviously in my opinion we need to do something different."
The Cubs could fill the opening with Double-A manager Ryne Sandberg, or minor league hitting coordinator Dave Keller, though Hendry declined to name names.
"When Von came up we were scuffling," he said. "And we never really made a lot of progress in some of the same areas we were deficient in the first half. And I told him that when he came here- that it was only for the end of the year."
Hendry said he promised Joshua he could have his old job back if it didn't work out. The Cubs entered the final game ranked sixth in NL hitting in the second half with a .265 average, and sixth in runs scored with 350. In the first half, they ranked 14th in average at .247 and 15th in runs scored at 355.
Derrek Lee said neither Perry not Joshua deserved any blame.
"I hate to say it, but a hitting coach is overrated," Lee said. "It's more of a mental thing. Gerald was a great guy. he always had positive things to say- and same with Von. They're always in your corner. But the bottom line is the best hitting coach is yourself. No one knows your swing like yourself. None of the blame should go to either of those two guys. We just struggled as a whole all year."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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This is not some silly theory that's unsupported and deserves being mocked by photos of Xena. ![[Image: ITgoyeg.png]](http://i.imgur.com/ITgoyeg.png)