Oct. 10, 2014
CHICAGO—Former UIC baseball player John Mallee was named the new hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, Oct. 9. Mallee has coached professionally for 19 years, most recently as the hitting coach for the Houston Astros during the 2013-14 seasons. He was also the hitting coach for the Florida Marlins (2010-11) and the Marlins minor league system (2002-2010).
“It’s a dream come true,” Mallee told Houston reporters. “I grew up a Cubs fan and always dreamed of standing on the field and representing this amazing franchise.”
National League home run champion Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins) and American League batting champion Jose Altuve (Astros) and slugger Chris Carter (Astros) have supported Mallee as a hitting coach.
“I signed at 17, and (Mallee) helped build my swing and approach into what it is today,” Stanton is quoted on Mallee’s website, johnmallee.com.
Mallee joins the Cubs offense for the 2015 season, which led the major league in strikeouts (1,477), ranked 28th in on-base percentage (.300), and 29th in batting average with runners in scoring position (.233).
In his new role with the Cubs, Mallee will work with young talent such as Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro, and Jorge Soler. In his first season in the major league, 22-year-old Soler played in 24 games for the Cubs and hit five home runs, 20 RBIs, and ended the season with a .292 batting average and a .573 slugging percentage.
Mallee played shortstop for the Flames during the 1990 and 1991 seasons, earning All-League and All-Tournament accolades in both years. Mallee was drafted in the 12th round of the amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1991 where he spent two seasons in their minor league system before beginning his coaching career.
