In the latest change to the Cubs coaching staff, third base coach Willie Harris will not return next season, the Sun-Times confirmed Friday. Unable to agree to terms on a new contract, the parties agreed to go separate ways.
“I plan to continue coaching,” Harris told the Sun-Times over the phone. “I’ve had a few calls already, but it’s still going to take some time – and let everything just marinate. I do want to say, I’m very grateful for the North Side of Chicago. The fans were good to me, the players, even the front office. It’s time for me to move on.”
Manager Craig Counsell will have a number of spots to fill on his coaching staff this winter. At the end of the season, the Cubs also parted with first-base coach Mike Napoli, bullpen coach Darren Holmes, assistant hitting coach Jim Adduci and strength and conditioning coaches Keegan Knoll and Ryan Clausen.
Noting that the Cubs didn’t hire Counsell until November of last year, limiting his options as he inherited much of ex-manager David Ross’ staff, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at his end-of-season news conference: “I think it would have been almost unusual if at the end of the year, he just chose to keep everyone together.”
After those initial moves last week, Hoyer said that he didn’t expect more departures, barring developments such as coaches leaving for other opportunities.
“I can’t say this is our coaching staff for next year for sure,” he said, “but the people that are here will certainly have the opportunity to come back.”
In any business, an invitation back doesn’t always lead to an agreement on terms.
Harris, whose 12-year major-league playing career included a World Series Championship with the 2005 White Sox, served as the Cubs third base coach for the last four years. He also worked closely with the outfielders, a group of players he’ll especially miss.
“I had a wonderful time there on the North Side,” Harris said. “They gave me my very first opportunity to be a coach in the big leagues. I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for the support that I had from the coaches and the trainers. There’s so many people to thank. I’m not bitter, I’m not angry at anyone, I’m not upset. I wish those guys the best. They’re going to be really good, and I wish I was there to be a part of it. But unfortunately, things just didn’t work out that way. And that’s part of the game.”
Harris and Napoli – who was a member of the Cubs coaching staff for five years and the first-base coach for the last three – took ownership of the Cubs’ baserunning. And Counsell spoke highly of both of them at different points in the season.
This year, the team ranked No. 4 in stolen-base percentage (83%). And they were in the Top 3 in runners going from first base to third on singles (107). While the team certainly claimed extra runs with their aggressive approach, the downside was they made 59 outs on the bases, which trailed only the Reds’ 66.
“It’s a job that involves taking risks,” Counsell said last month of the third base coach’s role. “And I think Willie’s done a wonderful job of managing that risk, so to speak, of when to take chances. We preach, we want to fall on the aggressive side of it. But at the same time, there’s a lot of decisions to make, and quick decisions, and I think Willie’s done a wonderful job of that this year.”
Harris has been open in the past about his long-term aspirations of becoming a manager. And he said that goal hasn’t changed.
“But right now, other teams have things that they want to do,” he said. “It’s just like the Cubs – they have things that they want to do. If a team sees fit, and I match something that they are interested in me doing, I’d definitely be interested in talking to those guys and seeing if it works out.”