Report: Bill Mueller resigns as Cubs hitting coach

Cubs hitting coach Bill Mueller has resigned from his position, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

By Mike Axisa

Oct 7, 2014 at 9:22 am ET • 1 min read

Bill Mueller has stepped down as Cubs hitting coach. (USATSI)

The up-and-coming Cubs will have to find a new hitting coach for the 2015 season:

Can confirm Bill Mueller resigned as hitting coach. Amicable split, but departure of assistant Mike Brumley played major role
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) October 7, 2014

Bill Mueller, 43, who joined the team last offseason when Rick Renteria was named manager, resigned. It was under his watch that Anthony Rizzo became an elite power hitter and Starlin Castro rebounded from a dreadful 2013 campaign. Brumley was not retained as assistant hitting coach after the season.

There has been speculation Manny Ramirez could join the team's coaching staff in some capacity next year, but that appears to be unlikely. Ramirez served as a player-hitting coach with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in 2014 and drew rave reviews for his work with the team's young prospects.

Mueller played 11 years in MLB from 1996-2006. He won the AL batting title with a .326 average in 2003 and hit .291 with a 109 OPS+ in his career. Mueller's ties to Cubs president of baseball operations date back to his time with the Red Sox from 2003-05.