Jim Hickey’s ability to keep the mood light and to drive his pitchers to get better without driving them mad is what earned him a job on Joe Maddon’s staff in Chicago. The Cubs are counting on that impact as they look to avoid the same issues that popped up in the bullpen last season, whether it was the 8th Inning of Death or just onboarding new relievers to the team in general.
Patrick Mooney has more on why Hickey is the right pitching coach at the right time, and I recommend you check that out (you may need to subscribe to The Athletic if you haven’t already).