Cubs' Sveum says hitting coach Rowson has ``done a great job''

WASHINGTON – Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he expects in the final weeks of the season to start talking to upper management about next year’s plans for his coaching staff.

The notable decision figures to involve interim hitting coach James Rowson, who took over in June when Rudy Jaramillo was fired. Rowson, 35, was in his first season as the Cubs minor-league hitting coordinator before that.

Boston media has speculated for months that the Cubs will try to hire Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan.

“I think [Rowson’s] done a good job,” Sveum said. “I don’t think we judge anything like that on numbers or anything like that. But he’s got the right mentality, the work ethic, all that. He’s done a great job for stepping in, in a tough situation.”

After failing to replace run producers Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena in the off-season, the Cubs ranked among the worst teams in teams in the majors in scoring, on-base percent and slugging percentage – and have gotten worse since a series of trades near the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

“It’s a process, too, when you have young hitters,” Sveum said. “It’s the toughest job anyway when you have a big-time lineup and veterans. When you have a lot of young kids and stuff, it magnifies how tough that job is. Because you not only have to get guys to understand about making adjustments, they have to be willing to do it, and then they have to be able to do it.”