Well, we haven’t heard anything in a while about the Cubs pitching coach position after rumors that Jim Hickey would not return in 2019, and that’s now official.
The Cubs announced on Tuesday that Hickey has stepped down.
Jim Hickey has stepped down as #Cubs pitching coach for personal reasons. pic.twitter.com/XkgOATTlvL
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 20, 2018
So, that means the Cubs will have three pitching coaches in three years, the same as their hitting coach situation.
Interesting to see that Hickey is stepping down. Maybe Joe Maddon being a lame duck manager in 2019 factored into it. We’ll definitely know more as time goes on, however for now it is labeled as a personal matter for Hickey, so we wish him nothing but the best.
About three weeks back ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported that Hickey would not return as pitching coach in 2019.
Here's the audio of Jesse Rogers reporting that #Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey will not return in 2019.pic.twitter.com/XDHCZfAJ5m
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) November 7, 2018
That was during the GM meetings and Rogers added the following after the news broke Tuesday.
For those speculating, this has nothing to do with Maddon or anything else. It is what the release states: personal reasons.
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) November 20, 2018
