Cubs News: Maddon denies that Bryzzo got Chilli Davis fired |
The Chicago Cubs have a new hitting coach in Anthony Iapoce after the firing of Chilli Davis this offseason.
There was a report on Thursday by SNY that Theo Epstein wasn't going to fire Davis but Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were among a group of players that wanted him gone. Maddon adamantly denied the report to the media before his Thankmas event that fed food to the homeless in Chicago. “Listen, there’s always conversation with players and coaches and managers,” Maddon said via the Chicago Tribune. “That isn’t why that all happened. Everybody talks at the end of the season. It just turned out to be the way it did. I think Chili Davis is an outstanding hitting coach.” Maddon is still very fond of Davis' coaching ability despite the Cubs second half offensive woes last season. “If anybody is concerned about how good of a hitting coach Chili Davis is, he’s one of the best in the business,” Maddon said. “There’s no question about that. It’s just we talked about fit and different discussions at the end of the year."