Rudy JaramilloIt's that time of year, when scapegoats are identified and fired. The Cubs are off to one of the team's worst seasons ever, so someone had to fall. A new president? Nope. A new general manager? Naw. A new manager? No. A player? Heck no. Instead, it's the hitting coach, who makes a lot less than any of those other people, that is taking the fall.

Tuesday the Cubs announced they'd dismissed hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo and named minor league hitting coordinator James Rowson his successor, at least on an interim basis.

Jaramillo, 61, was a holdover from the previous staff, making the mark easier for the new management. He was hired by Lou Piniella following the 2009 season and was one of three members of Mike Quade's staff that was retained by new manager Dale Sveum.

As a team, the Cubs were hitting .247/.304/.385. The team's OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) was the third-worst in the National League, better only than the Pirates and Padres. Those same two teams were the only teams to score fewer than the Cubs' 222 runs.

Rowson, 35, is in his first year with the Cubs after spending six seasons in the Yankees' organization.

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