Call to the pen
Fansided

5 Reasons the Chicago Cubs Will Finally Break the Curse in 2016

By Jacob Kornhauser

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next

4. Joe Maddon Pulls All the Right Strings

From brining exotic animals to the clubhouse to hiring a magician to perform for the team, Maddon knows how to keep his team loose even in high-pressure moments.    Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
From brining exotic animals to the clubhouse to hiring a magician to perform for the team, Maddon knows how to keep his team loose even in high-pressure moments.    Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

Joe Maddon may be the bet offseason addition the Cubs made last season. Sure, they added ace Jon Lester, but he didn’t impact the entire roster the way the 2015 NL Manager of the Year did. He got a team with half a lineup of rookies to win 97 games.

The way he does this is by keeping the team loose and pulling all the right strings when it comes to it. He’s a master manipulator of the bullpen and isn’t afraid to pull starting pitchers early in games. Just a couple months into the season, he starts managing like it’s the playoffs and that provides a sense of urgency for the team.

By keeping things loose, though, he doesn’t put too much pressure on his guys. Whenever anything is going on in the clubhouse, he’s able to handle that as well. Every great team has a great mind calling the shots. For years, the Cubs have had that in the front office and now they have that in the dugout as well.

Next: Rotation Depth in Playoffs Will Be Key

Home/MLB News