Maddon, Cubs part ways after five seasons

[daygloman]

Just saw this.................

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/joe-maddon-not-returning-as-cubs-manager

 

Maddon, Cubs part ways after five seasons

 

 

 

By Jordan Bastian  @MLBastian

19 minutes ago

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ST. LOUIS -- Every managerial tenure, no matter the prestige of the man in the chair nor the height of success experienced, reaches an inevitable expiration date.

That moment has arrived for Joe Maddon and the Cubs.

Jordan Bastian

 

✔@MLBastian

 

 

Theo Epstein, on the meeting Saturday night with Joe Maddon.

 

 

271

10:03 AM - Sep 29, 2019

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On Sunday, the Cubs announced that they would not be offering Maddon a contract extension following this season, making the decorated manager a free agent for 2020. Following arguably the greatest managerial era in the team’s long, storied history, there will be a new voice at the helm.

Maddon and Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein met with reporters prior to Sunday's season finale at Busch Stadium to discuss the decision and what will come next for Chicago. No matter who occupies the manager’s office at Wrigley Field next, there is no denying Maddon’s place in Cubs lore.

Chicago jumped at the chance to sign Maddon prior to the 2015 campaign, and he guided a pack of young, budding stars to World Series glory by ‘16. Maddon became the only manager in Cubs history to lead the team to four consecutive postseason berths, amassing 471 regular-season wins along the journey.

Maddon's .582 winning percentage is the second-highest total for a Cubs manager with more than two seasons, trailing only the .664 mark compiled by Frank Chance from 1905-12. Only Cap Anson (1,282 wins), Charlie Grimm (946), Chance (768) and Leo Durocher (535) have more managerial victories for the Cubs than Maddon, who is a three-time Manager of the Year recipient.

Maddon created a loose clubhouse culture with his easygoing manner, but he balanced that with demanding focus on the field. It worked for years -- just as it had previously in his time managing the Rays -- but the dynasty that Cubs fans felt was in place never truly came to fruition. Maddon preached never having the pressure exceed the pleasure, but pressure and urgency took hold over the past two seasons.

"Don't forget, three NLCS in a row," Maddon said in the season's final weekend, referring to the Cubs reaching the National League Championship Series from 2015-17. "I mean, just a couple knocks away from three World Series in a row. People want to focus on thoughts, focus on that one. Everybody tends to focus on negativity. I don't."

This year, Maddon’s run of consecutive trips to the October stage ended in remarkable fashion.

The rival Cardinals stormed Wrigley Field from Sept. 19-22 and swept the Cubs in their own house in a four-game series for the first time since 1921. Each loss was of the gut-wrenching, one-run variety. That came amidst a nine-game losing streak that sent Chicago out of contention in the National League Central and Wild Card races.

And this year’s improbable late-season fade came one year after a 95-win Cubs team endured a swift exit as a one-and-done Wild Card club. That spurred an offseason search for answers and caused Epstein to refer to 2019 as a year of “reckoning” for the franchise.

The 65-year-old Maddon agreed to embrace a more hands-on approach, putting on his coaching cap again with another overhauled staff. Veteran players gave their input for some changes behind the scenes. The Cubs also moved into 2019 with mostly the same roster in place due to budgetary restraints, but with the most robust payroll in team history.

Epstein said in Spring Training that October starts in March. Now for the first time since 2014, the offseason is beginning in October for the Cubs.

The team’s existing flaws, coupled with even more setbacks throughout a trying ‘19 season, proved too much to overcome. And the cracks in the foundation gave way in overwhelming fashion across the season’s final two weeks.

It all added up to one of the most disappointing finishes to a Cubs season in recent memory, creating the need to examine the club’s operation from the front office down to the clubhouse and throughout the scouting and player development departments.

Maddon never appeared to have lost the room, and he remained upbeat and relaxed into these last days wearing his Cubs cap. Even so, the franchise is plotting a shift in culture and approach given the weaknesses exposed over the past two summers.

And so, Maddon will ride off into the sunset, heading home to Hazleton, Pa., to begin his offseason. He plans on working on his golf swing, meeting up with old friends and spending time with his family.

"What's better than that?" Maddon said. "You get to sit there and reflect and try to plot and plan, whatever the heck's going to be around the bend."

Surely, other teams with managerial openings will come calling. Even through the rough end of the season, Maddon said he felt invigorated in a year riddled with turmoil. He reiterated multiple times that he was optimistic about his future, no matter the Cubs’ decision.

That decision arrived and Maddon’s tenure with the Cubs reached its expiration date, even if it was one arguably worthy of a statue outside Wrigley Field down the road.

"Listen, I cannot be more eager for the day than I am right now," Maddon said at season's end about his desire to keep managing. "This year's been, I know our record's not good and we're not in the playoffs, but I've really had a blast."

 

Jordan Bastian covers the Cubs for MLB.com. He previously covered the Indians from 2011-18 and the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, Major League Bastian and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian.

[John Taylor]

[vlad27]

Here’s hoping - I think he’s a good match for us for sure 

[Angel Oracle]

Craig Kimbrel’s total flop job sealed the deal.

If he had pitched like the Undertaker, the Cubs may have been in the post-season.

[Tyler]

All in on Maddon!!!

[tdawg87]

[Second Base]

I seriously do wish he was the Angels manager. Not going to happen, but that would be so freaking awesome.

[budice0]

Hire him.

[Lou]

"The 65-year-old Maddon agreed to embrace a more hands-on approach, putting on his coaching cap again . . ."

Sounds like he'd been mailing it in. 

[floplag]

My curiosity here is who does Theo think hes going to get that gets the math and baseball combined better?
He made the Rays relevant in the literal worst market in the game, he brought the cubs to the promised land... who out there is a better fit?  I dont really get this one, there must be some behind the scenes stuff as in Theo didn't like him actually thinking or something.
Lets trade them Ausmus, hes the robot Theo might like   

[Troll Daddy]

A Maddon manger and Scioscia bench coach reunion would be awesome  

[yvangelfan]

[eligrba]

41 minutes ago, Lou said:

"The 65-year-old Maddon agreed to embrace a more hands-on approach, putting on his coaching cap again . . ."

Sounds like he'd been mailing it in. 

I think it is called telecommuting.  Mail is obsolete.

[Redondo]

• 

[mtangelsfan]

Maddon likes analytics almost as much as Sosh.

no way Eppler wants that guy

[Claude]

Maddon >>>>> Ausmus 

Opportunity knocks.

[Stradling]

So we are just going to ignore the last two weeks of this season.  On September 16th they had a 76% chance of making the playoffs.  Then lost 8 in a row.  So if Ausmus is part of the reason for our failure then I’d have to assume Maddon is for the Cubs as well.  

Oh and I would rather have Maddon than Ausmus.  

[tdawg87]

I just realized if you rearrange the letters in "Brad Ausmus" you get "Ur a dumbass" and I just think that's real neat.

[eligrba]

I would rather have Ausmus' mom than him.

No, wait....................

[mulwin444]

This is Maddon-ing!

[tdawg87]

"Maddon" rearranged is "Nad Mod" which is Stradling's new nickname.

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, tdawg87 said:

"Maddon" rearranged is "Nad Mod" which is Stradling's new nickname.

Thank you.  Does this mean if I change my name to that you will then self ban for a month?  If so I am not doing it.  You are not only funny, but not a complete retard.  Some people Around here never saw Tropic Thunder. 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Jesus couldn’t manage this team to a 500 record. 

[John Taylor]

2 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Craig Kimbrel’s total flop job sealed the deal.

If he had pitched like the Undertaker, the Cubs may have been in the post-season.

So you're saying he Kimbrel was some sort of "Fake" Undertaker....

[Claude]

32 minutes ago, Stradling said:

So we are just going to ignore the last two weeks of this season.  On September 16th they had a 76% chance of making the playoffs.  Then lost 8 in a row.  So if Ausmus is part of the reason for our failure then I’d have to assume Maddon is for the Cubs as well.  

Oh and I would rather have Maddon than Ausmus.  

I'll take Maddon's lifetime 1252 - 1067 (.540)  over Ausmus' 386 - 421 (.478)