Tyler Kepner writes on the Cubs desire to win now. He notes that Theo Epstein kept this group of players together, but is ready to rework the group if their second half 2018 slide continues. This struck a chord with me:
NYTimes.com
Epstein underscored that urgency in November by announcing that he would not discuss a contract extension for Manager Joe Maddon — at least not for now.
My opinion of Maddon slipped over the years. There is a lot of shtick to Maddon’s interaction with players, and I suspect it wears thin over time. It may have worked in Tampa Bay, because the Rays were constantly retooling the team, churning the roster to save money. Few players were around long enough to tire of the dress up trips and the voodoo men. When a team has been intact for three or four years, they really don’t need bonding, they need a manager who keeps them on track.
According to the article, Maddon worked on a new saying this off-season.
The motto, officially, is “own it now.”
Maybe his winter would have been better spent figuring out why strikeouts were up and walks were down among his hitters. What caused that lack of concentration? That would go much further than a new phrase.
The Cubs might need a Joe Torre type manager right now. Someone who commands and gives respect, someone the players would be afraid to disappoint. Joe Maddon is the fun uncle, but sometimes you need the strict father.
from baseballmusings.com https://ift.tt/2XIZHgf
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