The Cubs have announced the 2012 coaching staff
A new manager means a new staff, and here’s the Cubs’ announced 2012 coaching staff:
Pitching coach Chris Bosio
Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo
Third-base coach Pat Listach
First-base coach Dave McKay
Bench coach Jamie Quirk
Bullpen coach Lester Strode
I don’t have much to say about these guys, but a little biographical information might be in order.
I remember Bosio as a pitcher for the Brewers, before he went to Seattle and pitched for a number of years there before retiring after the 1996 season. He actually had a fairly solid major league career, with 3 seasons over 200 innings pitched, 94 wins, and a 107 ERA+. For context, some comparable players by Baseball-Reference.com’s similarity scores are Aaron Harang and Ismael Valdes, and guys like that, who aren’t really aces but are valuable pitchers in their best years. He comes from the Cubs after having worked in the Brewers’ system for a few years, most recently as pitching coach for AAA Nashville.
Jaramillo is a holdover from the previous staff. When Hendry couldn’t find any free agents worth signing to huge contracts, he chose to make a splash by giving Jaramillo a multi-year deal. Jaramillo had made his reputation as hitting coach in Texas, but since he came to the Cubs, the Rangers have continued hitting well and the Cubs have continued being mostly average.
Listach is a holdover as well, although previously he had served as Quade’s bench coach. I don’t really know how the coaching hierarchy works but doesn’t this seem like a demotion for him? Listach had managed in the Cubs minor league system for a few years, in AA and AAA, and then worked his way up to bench coach for the major league team … one would think he would have started to accumulate a coaching resume fit for a potential big league team, and now he gets moved to third-base coach? I don’t really get it.
McKay comes to the Cubs fresh off a World Championship with the Cards, where he’s been the first-base coach for 16 seasons. His other claim to fame is that he was the strength and conditioning coach for the 1988 A’s and even co-authored a weight-training book with Jose Canseco. Hey now, I can’t imagine that ever becoming an issue for the antagonistic Chicago media. He’ll also be in charge of baserunning and outfielders.
I vaguely remember Quirk as a player also, from back when he was with the Royals. He was not a very good player but managed to stick in the big leagues for a long time; 18 years, to be exact. Since retiring, he’s been bouncing around the coaching ranks, most recently serving as bullpen coach for the Astros. He’ll be Sveum’s right-hand man in Chicago.
Strode enters his sixth season as the Cubs’ bullpen coach.
The Cubs Transaction Report 