After another shutout and loss on Saturday to the Twins, the Cubs on Sunday made a change and called down to Triple-A Iowa for help. The Cubs didn't recall Jake Fox or another minor league player for offensive support, but rather the Iowa Cubs' hitting coach.
Von Joshua, who has been a hitting coach since 1984 and with the Iowa Cubs for the last four years, was once the MLB hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox.
As the Triple-A Iowa hitting coach over the last four years, he has already worked with some of the current Chicago Cubs, like Micah Hoffpauir, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, Geovany Soto, Andrews Blanco, as well as Fox.
Von Joshua will be in uniform for the big-league Cubs when they play the White Sox in Wrigley on Tuesday.
The question now is whether he can change the offensive woes of the Cubs. But there was no question that a change was much needed. It was easier to fire one coach than eight hitters, so that is the move Jim Hendry made.
On Sunday the Cubs won, but it was once again due to a great starting performance from Ted Lilly. Lilly worked 7.2 innings giving up only two runs, scattering nine hits.
The middle of the Cubs' order did most of the work, with Geovany Soto hitting a pair doubles and a single. Ryan Theriot had two hits and two RBI, including the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth.
Derek Lee scored the game-winning run, going first to third on a soft single to left field, allowing Geovany Soto to advance to second on the play at third. The Twins then walked Mike Fontenot to fill the bases. Theriot then won the game with a single to right.
The firing of Gerald Perry was perhaps the last non-drastic move the Cubs could make, other than team wide "slumpbusters." So now the savior of the Chicago Cubs' offense is on the shoulders of 61-year-old Von Joshua.
I hope he eats his Wheaties.
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