Cubs hire former MLB All-Star as hitting coach |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today named Chili Davis as the major league hitting coach and Brian Butterfield as the major league third base coach. Additionally, Andy Haines has been promoted to major league assistant hitting coach.
The remainder of Joe Maddon’s 2018 coaching staff will be finalized at a later date, including the hiring of a new pitching coach as the Cubs elected to not exercise Chris Bosio’s 2018 club contract option. Davis replaces John Mallee, who served as major league hitting coach for the last three seasons starting in 2015. Butterfield replaces Gary Jones, who served as major league third base coach for the last four seasons starting in 2014. Haines replaces Eric Hinske, who served as assistant hitting coach for the last three seasons starting in 2015. Hinske joined the organization prior to the 2014 campaign and recently accepted the position of major league hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels. Davis, 57, in 2018 will mark his seventh season as a major league hitting coach as he previously spent three seasons with Oakland (2012-14) and three with Boston (2015-17). Over the last three seasons under Davis’ watch, the Red Sox have led the majors in runs (2,411) and pitches per plate appearances (3.95), tied for first in on-base percentage (.334), ranked second in batting average (.268), third in OPS (.762) and plate appearances per strikeout (5.35). A native of Jamaica, Davis enjoyed a 19-year major league career (1981-99), won three World Championships (1991, 1998, 1999) and was a three-time All-Star. The switch-hitting outfielder was a career .274 hitter (2,380-for-8,673) with 424 doubles, 350 home runs, 1,372 RBI and 1,240 runs scored in 2,436 games. He drove in 80 or more runs in a season nine times and hit 20 or more home runs in a campaign 10 times. Davis was originally selected in the 11th round of the 1977 Draft by San Francisco. He became the first Jamaican to reach the big leagues when he made his debut on April 10, 1981. Overall, Davis played for the Giants (1981-87), the Angels (1988-90, 93-96), the Twins (1991-92), the Royals (1997) and the Yankees (1998-99). He served as Triple-A hitting coach for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2011 before joining Oakland’s major league staff a year later. Butterfield, 59, in 2018 will begin his 22nd season as a coach at the major league level, including his 18th as a third base coach. He started as first base coach for the Yankees from 1994-95 and continued as third base coach for Arizona from 1998-2000 before joining Toronto for 11 seasons from 2002-12, including nine seasons as third base coach (2002-07, 2010-12) and two as bench coach (2008-09). He has served as third base coach, infield coach and baserunning coach for the Red Sox for the last five seasons starting in 2013. Overall, this season will mark Butterfield’s 39th in professional baseball, five as a minor league infielder (1979-83) and now 34 as a major league coach, minor league manager and coach or roving instructor starting in 1984. Butterfield is a native of Bangor, Maine and was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame on August 3, 2014. Haines, 40, joined the Cubs organization as minor league hitting coordinator prior to the 2016 campaign after spending the previous seven years in the Marlins organization, most recently as manager of Triple-A New Orleans for two years from 2014-15. Prior to joining the Marlins, Haines managed and coached in both independent ball and collegiately. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University, where he earned all-conference honors as a catcher.
