Call to the pen
Fansided

Chicago Cubs latest to hire new type of coach

By Benjamin Chase

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: A Chicago Cubs hat in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: A Chicago Cubs hat in the dugout during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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OMAHA, NE – JUNE 26: A general view of the Arkansas Razorbacks batting helmet case in the dugout, prior to game one of the College World Series Championship Series between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oregon State Beavers on June 26, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

Twins go young

With one of the youngest front offices in the game, the commentary seemingly wrote itself as the Minnesota Twins named University of Arkansas pitching coach Wes Johnson as their next pitching coach in November.

Johnson did not have a minor nor a major league career of any note. He began his coaching career at the high school level, coaching at Abundant Life High School in his hometown Sherwood, Arkansas. He spent four years there before taking a job with Central Arkansas.

He moved from Central Arkansas to Dallas Baptist, where he developed a sterling reputation for developing big-time arms, earning him a job with Mississippi State for one season before Arkansas hired him. In all, Johnson had 30 pitchers drafted over his final 7 seasons of coaching among Dallas Baptist, Mississippi State, and Arkansas.

The Minnesota Twins were drawn heavily to Johnson’s reputation for bringing out big time velocity from his pitchers while also allowing them to remain healthy. For a team that has been derided for its lack of strikeouts and velocity over the past decade, this is a definite step in a direction that the organization needed.

The interesting part is that the Twins were not done with just their pitching coach. No, for his second in command, they brought in as Johnson’s bullpen coach former Mets pitcher Jeremy Hefner. Hefner had been working with the Twins for the past two seasons as an advance scout of sorts, taking scouting reports and putting together pitching plans for each day’s pitcher.

So, the Twins ended up hiring a college coach with no pro experience and a scout to lead their pitchers, but they’re an organization noted for limited resources. The Chicago Cubs can go out and get the very best with nearly unlimited resources, right?

Let’s take a look at that…

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