Well…….I, for one am disappointed that Joe won’t return in 2020. He was the perfect manager for the Cubs when hired, and the 2016 World Series Championship proves it. I suspect that he was ready to move on, and wish him the best moving forward.
I’ll write more later….in the meantime, I know my frendt Ernie is happy that Maddon is gone…what about the rest of youse?
…waiting to see who the next Cubs manager will be….tick tock.
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus 
October 4, 2019 at 9:26 am
David Ross is probably top three, but I think he should do a couple other coaching jobs first. One thing is for sure, Ross will show some of those “hard-ass” traits they are looking for, Lester can attest to that.
Also the Cubs should take great consideration in interviewing Joe Espada, the Astros bench coach. He will provide an inside look at how the Astros are so damn dangerous the last few years.
Other names I have heard:
1. Joe Girardi (another Joe, what the hell haha)
2. Cubs Bench Coach Mark Loretta
3. Mark “you used to call him double-play for a season or two” DeRosa
4. Kevin Youlkis
5. Cubs First Base Coach Will Venable
6. Carlos Beltran, shit everyone on the team might be hitting over .300!
Who else?
October 4, 2019 at 9:36 am
While I am grateful for Joe Maddon bringing the World Series championship back to Wriglry Field, the numbers don’t lie: 3-11 against the Brew Crew and the cards in September. Worst fielding in the National League. Leadoff hitter and second basemen couldn’t hit to save their lives.
Whomever the Cubs hire as their next manager, the Cubs need to focus on three things:
1) OMFG, the pitching. Look…the Cubs need to focus more on getting 1-2-3 innings and less on strikeout artists. The need pitchers who can get ground ball outs and pop fly outs. Make those other lazy bastards in the infield and out field earn their pay, too.
2) Getting back to fundamentals in spring training. Ground ball outs and flyable outs by the NLs worst defense? Okay, maybe I need to rethink that. But good lord, fellas!
3) Lots and lots of batting practice for the infielders.
October 4, 2019 at 2:50 pm
I have mixed emotions on about Maddon being cut loose. On one hand he got the World Series title in 2016, but on the other hand the goofy-ass silly bullshit that people like Ernie and myself hated. Perhaps it’s a good the he’s moving on. Hiring David Ross really reminds me of the sentimental stupidity from several years ago when they were considering hiring Ryne Sandberg. I don’t want that. At least Girardi has experience managing, and he did it in a very hard market. I know I wouldn’t want to manage in New York. I think I’d try to land Girardi, and get Ross as bench coach. Nobody else really grabs my attention. Am I wrong about any on this?
October 4, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Genre, i was for Joe Maddon in the beginning, but then three things changed my mind:
1) Tampa Bay fans were writing that they were glad he was gone. Not all, but most.
2) His brazen use of Chapman in the W.S. that almost cost us the championship, and then he boasts, “I wouldn’t change a thing” afterwards! That told me he was a stubborn pig headed fool.
3) His stubborn insistence on changing the line up, creating the “theme” road trips, not holding players accountable, gross misuse of the bullpen (putting the wrong guy to pitch to a batter), and the fact that his coaching hires and fires were a disaster. Instead of getting better, they got worse!
Yes, I am ecstatic the man is gone. Now, if they will hire Joe Girardi, a man I still consider one of the best in MLB, I think they may have a chance to turn this sinking ship around before they run out of time.
But, as DVX wrote, they have to fix their horrible pitching: both starting and relief! I wouldn’t mind if they passed on signing free-agent Gerritt Cole. I think he is too injury prone, and he is going to want a five to seven year multi-billion dollar contract! If I’m not mistaken, Boras is his agent. That tells you what he is going to be asking for; the moon and all the swiss cheese that goes with it!
This organization needs to back up, take a deep breath, and analyze their whole strategy. What they have now doesn’t work.