PHOENIX – Cubs hitting coach Greg Brown held up his phone for Frank Schwindel to see the video the coach had just taken of the first baseman’s swing in batting practice. Assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington walked up between them and put his arms around their shoulders.
They were trying to identify where Schwindel felt the most comfortable, not too far back or too far ahead, and repeat that swing to shake his offensive lull. That was on Tuesday in San Diego. In the next two games, Schwindel crushed two long fly balls, one for a double and one that was caught at the wall.