The Cubs on Monday announced the hiring of Johnny Washington as their new assistant hitting coach. He’ll work closely with newly hired hitting coach Greg Brown as the Cubs retool their big league staff and their general offensive approach. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported a month ago that Washington was finalizing a deal to become the team’s new hitting coach, but the move was not made official until today.
Washington, 37, spent five years with the Padres organization before serving as the hitting coach for the Korea Baseball Organization’s Hanwha Eagles in 2021. With San Diego, he first worked as a minor league hitting coach before eventually serving as the team’s first base coach (2017), assistant hitting coach (2018), hitting coach (2019) and then overall director of minor league hitting (2020). Washington also spent several seasons as a minor league hitting coach with the Dodgers (2009-15) and interviewed for the Angels’ managerial vacancy before the Halos hired Joe Maddon.
A 2003 draft pick by the Rangers, Washington had a seven-year minor league playing career and spent another two years playing in the independent Frontier League. Cubs bench coach Andy Green knows Washington quite well, as Green was the skipper in San Diego both when Washington was first hired and when he first joined the Major League coaching staff.
The combination of Brown and Washington will give Cubs hitters a pair of new voices; hitting coach Anthony Iapoce was dismissed following the completion of the 2021 season, while assistant hitting coach Chris Valaika was hired to serve as the Guardians’ new hitting coach.
Not Ron??
@finkle. Hopefully Ron Washington is staying in Atlanta at 3rd base doing the windmill motion!
Cubs can add George and it won’t help!!!!
You are the biggest bag on this entire app. And that’s saying a lot.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Cubs could add George Washington and wouldn’t help!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
You so funny!
LOL
You’re a idiot which explains why you’re a Sox fan.
Point Break II – Johnny Utah & Johnny Washington in Chicago. Spoiler alert – Bodhi survived the storm.
And when does Bohdi’s brother Bote return from shoulder surgery?
Another season, another hitting coach for the Cubs. Makes me wonder If all these hitting coach changes through the years has had a negative effect and Cubs hitters through the years. Different voices and hitting techniques in there ears.
If they did have negative effects, it shouldn’t matter anymore. Different guys now.
I have no clue who Greg Brown or Johnny Washington is.
Thank you for updating us. We all wanted to know.
Random af but I used to work with this guy’s dad
What’s your scouting report on his dad?
Never understand the hiring of instructors that have never had success of their own in at least MiLB. Maybe it’s all about the $$’s.
Barry Bonds was great at swinging a bat but his people skills were usually subpar.
Having great skill doesn’t always lead to being a great teacher.
He who can, does and he who cannot, teaches.
So people who can are learning from people who can’t? How does that work?
Ever hear of Charlie Lau? If you insist on veiled ridicule, at least make some attempt at elementary logic. There are countless circumstances that limit performance; an individual who doesn’t perform well but has the necessary knowledege, can still pass along that knowledge to someone intertested in maximizing their own performance.
Charlie Lau played for 18 years in the majors before becomes a hitting instructor, playing 18 years I would call a success. There are also those who believe Lau was in the right place at the right time and road players success like Brett, Otis and other Royals into a career. That being said, Lau had experience and played with a lot of other great players he probably learned from.
If you have never watched the documentary “Playing for Peanuts” about the South Coast League, search it on YouTube and you will find many clips. Johnny Washington is on the team coached by Wally Backman (which is the focus of the documentary).
I’ve seen some clips of that show but I forgot that Washington was part of that team. The clips I saw were pretty entertaining, especially any clip that involved Backman arguing with umpires… mild-mannered is not a word I would choose to describe him.
Low key a really good hire for the Cubs.
Walk me through your logic. I’d love to buy, but I need reasons.
Anyone noticed that now, instead of Padres and Red Sox cast-offs, it’s now Padres and Indians flunkies that the Cubs acquire.
Pathetic organization. So glad I dumped my season tickets.
Oh no! Whatever will we do without your support?
But, Ostrow, I’m guessing you were front row at the parade. Not sure how you are so sure that Red Sox castoffs are better than Indians castoffs, but I’ll take your word for it.
The Cubs had a real lack of situational hitting. There was little manufacturing of runs. A feast or famine approach. It’s a good idea to overhaul the coaching staff. Just like churning the roster with an eye on the future. Hopefully the new staff will focus more on base running/ stolen bases in addition to hitting.