Last offseason, the Chicago Cubs went for high-profile, big-name coaching staff shake-ups, bringing in Jim Hickey to replace Chris Bosio and Chili Davis as John Mallee’s successor. This time around, they’re taking a very different approach.
On Monday afternoon, Chicago named former Texas Rangers hitting coach Anthony Iapoce as their next hitting coach. The key facet in this hiring? Familiarity.
Iapoce spent the last three years in Texas in the same role he’ll hold on the North Side. But prior to that, he served as a special assistant to the GM with the Cubs, overseeing the minor league hitting program from 2013 to 2015.