CHICAGO — For a few minutes Tuesday, before the Phillies took batting practice, John Mallee stood on the grass at Wrigley Field and chatted with local reporters about some of his former pupils.
Mallee expressed pride in the progress of Javier Baez, who leads the Cubs with 14 home runs. And he delighted in the improvement of Jason Heyward, who has settled into the No. 2 spot in the Cubs’ order. As their hitting coach for the past three seasons, Mallee had a hand in their success, and he will always share in the experience of winning the 2016 World Series with them.