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Tommy Hottovy

Cubs Pitching Coach Tommy Hottovy Details COVID Bout

By Jeff Todd | July 1, 2020 at 8:44am CDT

Players and staff members are reporting today in order to re-launch the 2020 season. The first order of business will be coronavirus check-in testing.

One important member of the Cubs organization won’t be anxiously awaiting the results of his test. Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy has already endured a bout with COVID-19, he tells 670 The Score’s Mully and Haugh (h/t Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, via Twitter).

While Hottovy is no longer positive for the virus, he says he is still not fully back to himself. He’s through the worst of it, which required some time in the hospital, but is still struggling with lung function and cardiovascular fitness.

In yet another reminder of how insidious this particular disease can be, Hottovy says he had acted quite cautiously in public before coming down with it. Fortunately, he was able to self-isolate and avoid transmitting it to his family.

Hottovy was able to work with Cubs pitchers remotely even while battling the infection, so he’s ready to hit the ground running. He says the organization’s hurlers worked hard during the lockdown and should be well-prepared to tackle the 2020 campaign.

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Chicago Cubs Tommy Hottovy

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Brandon Kintzler Drawing “Plenty Of Interest”

By TC Zencka | December 21, 2019 at 8:08am CDT

Brandon Kintzler credits a bounce-back campaign in 2019 to working with Tommy Hottovy to simplify his mechanics during Spring Training, he said on MLB Network Radio (audio link). After a strong season with the Cubs, Kintzler is drawing “plenty of interest” on the free agent market.

Kintzler, 35, worked through one of the worst campaigns of his career in 2018, especially struggling after coming to Chicago from the Nationals in a mid-season trade. He was knocked around for a 7.00 ERA across those 25 appearances in a Cubs’ uniform, giving up 13.5 H/9 and walking an unusually high 4.5 batters per nine innings.

The sinkerballer turned in around in 2019, however, becoming one of the Cubs most reliable relievers across 62 appearances (57 innings). He put up a career-high 1.7 bWAR and career-low 2.84 ERA, though a 3.56 FIP puts his turnaround closer to career norms enjoyed throughout previous tenures with the Brewers, Twins and Nationals.

Kintzler was particularly tough on lefties in 2019, holding them to a .163/.247/.275 line. Career splits paint Kintzler as more of an equal opportunist, though he’s done a nice job of limiting left-handed power throughout his career. The changeup is key against opposite-hand hitters, a pitch he went away from during his struggles in 2018. With simpler, repeatable mechanics in 2019, his feel for the pitch returned, and with it returned his effectiveness.

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Chicago Cubs Free Agent Market Washington Nationals Brandon Kintzler Relievers Tommy Hottovy

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Cubs Announce Coaching Staff

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2018 at 10:53pm CDT

The Cubs announced their 2019 coaching staff Thursday, including the hiring of three new additions: pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, assistant hitting coach Terrmel Sledge and quality assurance coach Chris Denorfia. Rounding out manager Joe Maddon’s staff are bench coach Brandon Hyde, hitting coach Anthony Iapoce, third base coach Brian Butterfield, first base coach Will Venable, bullpen coach Lester Strode, associate pitching/catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello. The Cubs added that staff assistants Juan Cabreja and Franklin Font will also return, as will bullpen catcher Chad Noble.

It’s the first MLB coaching assignment for each of Hottovy, Denorfia and Sledge. Hottovy has been in the Cubs organization since 2015, working as a scouting coordinator and assisting in developing gameplans with the coaching staff and strategies with the team’s pitchers. He’s a somewhat outside-the-box promotion, given his lack of coaching experience and the prominent nature of his role, but he’s clearly a known commodity for president of baseball ops Theo Epstein, GM Jed Hoyer and Maddon. Hottovy spent a decade as a pitcher between the Majors and minors, including MLB appearances with the Red Sox and Royals.

Denorfia not only played for the Cubs but was at one point in his big league career a frequent platoon partner for Venable while the two played for the Padres. He’ll now be teammates with Venable once again in a much different capacity.

Sledge, who has previously served as the Cubs’ hitting coach with Class-A Eugene, is rejoining the organization. The 41-year-old spent parts of four seasons in the Majors, parts of seven seasons in the Minor Leagues and also enjoyed a productive five-year run in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball to close out his playing career. From 2017-18, he worked as a hitting coach in the Dodgers’ minor league ranks.

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