Cubs add former Brewers coach Quintin Berry to staff |
Based on how last season ended, everyone knew there would be a lot of internal movement regarding the coaching staff. One of the more surprising decisions was to see long-time Third Base Coach Willie Harris and the Cubs mutually agree to part ways. Harris was one of the more beloved coaches in the organization and was always a joy to be around.
Sure, he had his blunders when it came to sending runners, but he was one of those guys who the players loved to be around, so replacing him will be tough. Once he decided to part ways with the Cubs to pursue other coaching opportunities, a serious void in the Cubs coaching system was left, and that needed to be filled. Although it may have taken a while, Craig Counsell has found his replacement for Harris, and it comes in the form of a familiar face as former Milwaukee Brewers Third Base coach Quintin Berry is heading south to join the Cubs while taking on the same role. While Berry may be a surprise hire, adding a Brewers coach shouldn't be a surprise as it has long been expected that Counsell will pursue some of the Brewers coaching staff members this offseason to join the Cubs. This has long been rumored to be happening, and now that it has become official we can report it to you as Berry will bring a brand new look to the Cubs that this team hasn't had. For those not familiar with Berry, not only was he the Brewers third base coach, but he was also the base running coach last season and you saw how that worked out for the Brewers. Milwaukee was one of the best, if not the best, teams on the bases last season, as their mix of speed, aggressiveness, and anticipation kept the pressure on the opposition all game long. Berry is credited with helping the Brewers reach their potential on the bases, and now the Cubs are hoping he can do the same with them after they endured one of the worst base-running seasons in recent memory. The 39-year-old has been with the Brewers for the past four seasons, where he not only worked as a base coach but also placed a massive emphasis on base running. The Brewers do a lot of the little things right to keep pressure on their opponents and Berry was part of the reason why they did so many of the little things right as that can often get overlooked during the course of the season. While his success on third will not be visible until the games actually start, his work behind the scenes regarding baserunning should be visible from the start of Spring and continuing into the season. He has also worked with the outfielders during his time in Milwaukee and may coach in that area for the Cubs as well. Former third base coach Willie Harris worked with the outfielders, and former first base coach Mike Napoli worked on base-running for what it’s worth, so you could sense a fresh voice was needed, especially from a baserunning side of things. If the name Berry does sound familiar, it would be because he was on the Cubs roster for a brief stint in 2015, where he served as a base-stealing specialist during that season. Lost in the shuffle of the World Series was a pair of under-the-radar coaching hires that went down late last week as Counsell continues to retool his staff. Field coordinator/catching coach Mark Strittmatter is expected to move over to the open Bullpen Coach role vacated by Chris Young, while high-performance/strength-and-conditioning coaches Mark Weisman and Kevin Poppe are likely being promoted from their roles on the minor league side to the major league staff.
