Cubs fire hitting coach

CHICAGO, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The Chicago Cubs have fired hitting coach Von Joshua four months after he replaced Gerald Perry, team officials said.

"He didn't do anything wrong," General Manager Jim Hendry said. "But when you come up from the system in the middle of the year, if things don't make significant differences in improvement, then in my opinion we need to do something."

Joshua, who was offered his former job as hitting coach for Triple-A Iowa, left the clubhouse after Sunday's game and was unavailable for comment, the Chicago Tribune reported Monday.

Hendry declined to say who will become the Cubs next hitting coach.

Cubs team captain Derrek Lee praised Perry and Joshua, but said the best hitting coach is the individual player himself.

"No one knows your swing like yourself," Lee told the Tribune.