Throughout the season, there were whispers that Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon could be on the hot seat. Letting him go would have been a horrendous idea.
To hear the lamentations regarding the Chicago Cubs this season, one would have felt that the sky was falling. The days of the Lovable Losers were back, although without Harry Caray pounding back Buds and singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame.’ The likes of Milton Bradley, Kosuke Fukudome, and Jacque Jones were patrolling the outfield, with Dave Smith pitching to Todd Hundley with the game on the line. Jeff Blauser was at short, with Jim Marshall on the bench. At least, that was the way the season seemed to be.
Instead, the Cubs spent most of the 2018 campaign in first place, finishing with the second best record in the National League at 95-68. Yet, that was not good enough. The Cubs loss in the Wild Card Game furthered the hue and cry that Joe Maddon should be let go, a thought that the Cubs put to an end on Wednesday when they announced his return.
Joe Maddon will remain as #Cubs manager through 2019, but there will be no extension. The Cubs will make a determination on his future after 2019 when his 5-year, $28 million contract expires.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 3, 2018
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While the Cubs are not working on an extension for Maddon, bringing him back is absolutely the correct move. He has led an incredible period of success in Chicago, the likes of which have not been seen for literally 110 years. For the first time in franchise history, the Cubs reached the postseason for four consecutive years. Since his arrival, the Cubs have not won fewer than 92 games in a season, and they even won the World Series in 2016, ending the Curse of the Billy Goat for good.
Yes, one could say that Maddon made mistakes during the Wild Card Game. Sending Jason Heyward to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, while Kyle Schwarber was still on the bench, was questionable. However, Bud Black also made a mistake, leaving Adam Ottavino in for one batter too many.
No, this is not how the Cubs envisioned their season playing out. There were expectations of another parade, of the W being raised to signal another championship. The relative failure of the 2018 campaign can be lain at the feet of a Cubs offense that not only struggled to produce any offense whatsoever on Tuesday night, but was also utterly horrendous throughout September.
On September 2, the Cubs held a five game lead in the Central. However, the offense produced a pitiful .239/.303/.367 batting line, their .667 OPS ranking 24th in the majors. The power disappeared, as the Cubs 21 homers in the month were ahead of only the Giants and the Marlins. That lack of success with offensively is not the fault of the manager.
One can understand the Cubs not wanting to discuss an extension at this time. Maddon will be 65 years old next year, and he has quite a few interests outside of baseball. However, he is still one of the most successful managers in Cubs history, and a probable Hall of Famer when his career comes to an end. And, if the Cubs do fire Maddon, who exactly would they replace him with? Who, exactly, is better than Maddon that is available? Or even on another team?
Joe Maddon is the right manager for the Chicago Cubs. There was never a chance that they would fire the person to guide them to their most successful period in franchise history.