Jaramillo joins Cubs as hitting coach

Oct 21, 7:14 pm EDT

CHICAGO (AP)—The Chicago Cubs hired Rudy Jaramillo as their hitting coach on Wednesday, hoping he can resurrect an offense that struggled during a disappointing 2009 season.

Jaramillo, who spent 15 years as the hitting coach of the Texas Rangers, replaced Von Joshua. Joshua was removed after the season and offered a job in Triple-A, where he’d worked previously.

The Cubs finished the season batting .255.

Jaramillo turned down a one-year deal from the Rangers last week, ending a long run during which the Rangers were among the most feared lineups in baseball.

Jaramillo also served four years as the hitting coach of the Houston Astros.

“There’s no higher league and there’s no higher standard to judge a major-league hitting coach than the one that he’s set the last 15 years. It couldn’t come at a better time for us,” Cubs general manager Jim Hendry Said.

“We know we had some offensive deficiencies with some outstanding players, some of which Rudy has known in the past and of course worked with some of them, and we’re just thrilled to have him.”

While with the Rangers, Jaramillo worked with Alfonso Soriano(notes) and Milton Bradley(notes), both of whom struggled last season with the Cubs. Bradley had one of his better seasons with the Rangers in 2008. But last season, his first with Chicago, he was suspended for the final two weeks by Hendry after criticizing the atmosphere surrounding the team.

The Cubs are expected to seek a trade in the offseason for Bradley, who has two years and $21 million left on his contract.

“Obviously hiring Rudy had nothing to do with that. It’s like I told you at the end of the year, we play the cards that we have and Milton is on the Cubs’ roster and that’s how we go about it until somebody is not on the roster,” Hendry said.

Jaramillo said he can work with anyone, including Bradley.

“I don’t know what his status is or whatever, but I have no problem,” Jaramillo said. “We got along great and I kind of knew what buttons to push and he started trusting me and we started getting that rapport and things started getting better and better.”

Updated Oct 21, 7:14 pm EDT
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23 Comments

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  1. Cubs Dynasty
    23. Posted by Cubs Dynasty Mon Oct 26 9:29pm EDT

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    I dont know about that MichaelP. Barry Bonds is west coast...lots to talk about there
  2. MichaelP
    22. Posted by MichaelP Mon Oct 26 7:41pm EDT

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    Interesting, Rudy Jaramillo is now the Cubs hitting coach, coinciding with the Cardinals naming Mark McGwire as hitting coach, the 2010 season is going to be quite interesting, considering that baseball's best stories are in the Midwest, not on either the East Coast or the West Coast.
  3. jeffstorm2
    21. Posted by jeffstorm2 Fri Oct 23 9:05pm EDT

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    interesting idea bout da pitching coach...however, pitching wasn't that bad. i haven't verified, yet i'm pretty certain staff was towards top in many catagories. that said, staff never seems "quite good enuf", see prior/wood meltdown w/ da fish, last 2 post-seasons and late this year. now, assuming u decide to replace pitching coach, with whom? no "fantasy picks", only available persons...as i said before, i think our cubs are more than a year away from the division. oh, we may not finish 10+ out in 2010, but cards likely ez favs to win div.
  4. derrick
    20. Posted by derrick Thu Oct 22 11:51pm EDT

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    The cubs just made it to the World Series by hiring Rudy.He is that great. We all our witness to his greatness. Now if we could only get a Pichting coach!!!!!
  5. Cubs Dynasty
    19. Posted by Cubs Dynasty Thu Oct 22 11:49pm EDT

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    Now Mean 1 I wouldn't go so far as to say I am Brain Storming....nah just having fun throwing out a few comments in favor of my Cubbies.......I notice it appears in your tone that you have placed yourself as ace in the hole and have placed virtually everyone else in some lower echelon..........Lets try and be nice. Good point regarding Pinella not winning a series in Chicago......but again not yet a fact.......as with many of your comments.........your comment regarding Lou's chances of a Cub pennant or better is right in there with my comment regarding Pujols going to the Cubs......except............there is a strong chance (not a fact or BS) that both may happen.....stay tuned for big things from the Cubs..........any moron could search the web, find info and spout facts on this comment forum..........not to say you are a moron....I don't think so because you are able to use polysyllabics and support a National League team...........a team with baseball sophistication...right there next to the Cubs.........
  6. Jeff J
    18. Posted by Jeff J Thu Oct 22 1:14pm EDT

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    Hey #12. What exactly is the McGwire method?
    Juice up to ridiculous proportions and send foul tips over the fence?
  7. RiskyBusiness
    17. Posted by RiskyBusiness Thu Oct 22 1:07pm EDT

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    I have heard that Jaramillo teaches the "be aggressive early in the count" approach. I have two concerns about this approach.

    1) The Cubs have enough swing early hitters, as you can see by ranking 22nd in strikeouts in MLB. Patience at the Plate delivers a higher OBP and provides more run scoring opportunities.

    2) That said, I don't think a hitting coach should teach either approach - hit early, or see more pitches. By the MLB level, the hitting coach should be concerned with hitting mechanics and pitch recognition. The player already has his approach. And the front office should have drafted/acquired the player with that player's approach in mind.
  8. Uncle Stanley McGoober
    16. Posted by Uncle Stanley McGoober Thu Oct 22 2:24am EDT

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    #15, why in the world would the cubs want Aramis to leave? He is one of their best hitters in franchise history.
  9. Rockford Grandma
    15. Posted by Rockford Grandma Thu Oct 22 12:04am EDT

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    OMG..backassward again. Larry R should have been the first coach to be replaced! Its a pitching coach we need. Then if u need help..bye bye bradley and sori...oh and Z and Aramis can scoot too.
  10. William M
    14. Posted by William M Wed Oct 21 10:47pm EDT

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    The third base umpire in the game last night is the dumbest and most incompetent umpire in history.
    His lame explanation after the game was brutal.
    How can a fool like that be qualified?
    It is so bad.
  11. jeffstorm2
    13. Posted by jeffstorm2 Wed Oct 21 10:01pm EDT

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    Hooter- serious or sarcastic??? (comment 12)- i KNOW ur an "MLB-Head", but sometimes i dunno which u are... clarify plz? tanks!
  12. str A's hooter
    12. Posted by str A's hooter Wed Oct 21 8:27pm EDT

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    I hear Mark McGwire is available as hitting coach. He was Holliday's instructor last winter, along with Bobby Crosby. Holliday never quite caught on. He gave up just before going to St. Louis. Bobby is still working on the Mcgwire method. He'll just need a new team, since the A's have stated they won't bring him back.
  13. Art Vandelay
    11. Posted by Art Vandelay Wed Oct 21 8:08pm EDT

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    They could all be better hitters if Kevin Gregg signed with a divisional opponent. Hopefully the Cards.
  14. jeffstorm2
    10. Posted by jeffstorm2 Wed Oct 21 7:31pm EDT

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    any chance jamarillo can hit over .255??? :) kiddin', but his signing is a step in the right direction... hendry, at a minimum, must show an effort to improve after dismembering his 97 win team of '08. no doubt, be clear and unflinching jimbo, BRAT-LEY MUST GO. period.
  15. Hammer
    9. Posted by Hammer Wed Oct 21 6:32pm EDT

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    hitting coaches are a dime a dozen
  16. jesus christos
    8. Posted by jesus christos Wed Oct 21 6:18pm EDT

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    gorzelanny can throw 100 pitches in 5 innings too, but hes cheaper
  17. Dave
    7. Posted by Dave Wed Oct 21 6:04pm EDT

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    Well hopefully this move works out...couldn't hit to save their lives last year. I'd definitely rather see Bradley go rather than Soriano...if we can get a healthy Soriano he will start putting up big numbers again, but Bradley is always a trouble maker. And I agree, sign Harden...he wants to be in Chicago, see if you can get a discount.
  18. William M
    6. Posted by William M Wed Oct 21 5:06pm EDT

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    The Cubs are gonna crash and burn under the weight of these insane contracts Hendry has dished out.
  19. r00t61
    5. Posted by r00t61 Wed Oct 21 4:01pm EDT

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    Soriano is essentially untradeable.

    Even if Jim Hendry could somehow work out some sort of bad-contract swap (e.g., Soriano for Barry Zito, or Soriano for Vernon Wells), Soriano has a full no-trade clause, so he would have to approve the deal.

    The Cubs will have to put up with Soriano for at least a couple of more years, and try anything and everything to get him playing back to at least his career projections.

    If Jaramillo, who signed for approximately $750K, can fix Soriano (who has $90M remaining owed to him), then he'll have been worth the investment.

    I'd actually prefer to see Milton Bradley get traded. Soriano might be a quickly deteriorating star, but he's no clubhouse cancer. There were rumors that Hendry might initiate a MB/Aaron Rowand swap with the Giants. I'd be down with that.
  20. Randy H
    4. Posted by Randy H Wed Oct 21 3:59pm EDT

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    maybe this will help bradley as you are just dreamming if you think there is any team willing to take him. sign harden too!!!!
  21. Rob F
    3. Posted by Rob F Wed Oct 21 3:53pm EDT

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    Good move, Rudy is the real deal who has developed some of the best hitters out there.
  22. Kenneth W
    2. Posted by Kenneth W Wed Oct 21 3:40pm EDT

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    I would rather see them get rid of Soriano but I am sure they cannot find anyone that would pick up his contract....
  23. wcmatt83
    1. Posted by wcmatt83 Wed Oct 21 2:57pm EDT

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    this is a really big signing for the cubs. now if they can just get rid of bradley they will be off to a heck of a start to the off-season
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