Who is Joe Maddon? Let’s examine the man, the myth, and the legend.
Editor’s note: this Joe Maddon feature article authored by new Sports Bank contributor Wes Evans. (@WesEvans24)
The Man: Joe Maddon is the type of guy who would buy a room full of reporters a round of drinks. What you see is what you are going to get with the Pennsylvania native. Maddon brings a well-respected reputation to a team who has recently ushered in unimpressive names like Dale Sveum and Ricky Renteria.
Young at heart and willing to banter with reporters, Maddon will find himself in a dream situation if he can combine winning with his laid back personality on the North side. Maddon’s drivers’ license may say 61, but he is neck deep into the sabermetrics movement. The marriage with Epstein/Hoyer is a match made in EHarmony heaven.
Maddon began his major league coaching career in 1993 with the California Angels where he learned under the tutelage of Mike Scioscia. Joe Maddon won a World Series with the Anaheim Angels in 2002 before taking the manager’s job for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006. He took the Rays to their first ever World Series in 2008, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games. Maddon won two AL ‘Manager of the Year’ awards in 2008 and 2011 while with the Rays before opting out of his contact this past off season. His record as manager is 781 – 729, which translated to a .517 winning percentage during his time with the Angels and Rays.
The Myth: The Cubs have already won the World Series because Joe Maddon is their manager. Yes, Joe Maddon is a great hire and brings the experience the Cubs front office was looking for in a manager. Yes, Joe Maddon was an upgrade over Ricky Renteria and will not be a one-year manager.
Yes, Joe Maddon brings a “new school” form of managing to an organization that has been stuck in the past.
Yes, Joe Maddon’s history of winning with young talent and a low payroll will translate well to the Northsiders.
Yes, Joe Maddon will win a lot of games in the next 5 years… With all the positives that Joe Maddon brings to the Cubs, the fact still stands… the Cubs have not won anything since 1908.
The Legend: To become a “legend,” one must complete a task that few or none have accomplished before them. Across the sports landscape, there is only one coaching position that would vault a person into legendary status if said coach would be able to win a championship. It is not winning a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys; it is not winning an NBA title with the Boston Celtics.
The single greatest coaching accomplishment today would be to win the World Series as the Chicago Cubs manager.
Considering the last World Series was back in 1908, joining Frank Chance as the only other Cubs manager to win one…that would launch Joe Maddon into the legendary stratosphere. Argue all you want, but breaking the Cubs 100+ year streak stands alone atop coaching lore.
The question is… Will Joe Maddon become a legend?
@WesEvans
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