Cubs Fire Renteria, Hire Maddon

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Basically:

 

- he's eloquent

- he happened to have the job when a bunch of young talent broke in with Tampa Bay and may or may not have helped it develop, but didn't stand in its way.

 

I'm not in ZOMG MUST HAVE HIM mode because I don't think managers make all that much of a difference unless you let them do damage, and it's impossible to tell how much credit a guy like Maddon should really get, but I'll take him if he wants us that badly.

[Sammy Sofa]

Kyle sees some primo Kyleing and has to step up his game. Sure, Maddon is only respected like he is because he talks purty and was in the right place at the right time. Hottest of hot takes. Sure you didn't want to throw in that he wears glasses, too?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kyle sees some primo Kyleing and has to step up his game. Sure, Maddon is only respected like he is because he talks purty and was in the right place at the right time. Hottest of hot takes. Sure you didn't want to throw in that he wears glasses, too?

 

How could he wear glasses? He's a name on a screen. These aren't real people, you know.

[Guest]

I just don't think Renteria is a bad enough (for lack of better phrasing) manager that we would benefit greatly from hiring Maddon.

 

That said, Maddon is cool and hiring him would be cool so I'm fine either way.

[Clem Fandango]

His intelligent use of defensive shifts and adjustments alone are enough to make me want him. What would Arrieta's numbers look like if Maddon were at the helm managing the defense behind him? He's a really smart in-game manager, maybe the smartest. And he embraces advanced statistical analysis. And everyone who plays for him loves him. And he knows how to take very little and get the absolute most out of it. Putting him on a team that's on the brink of having A LOT and a growing budget? I can't even fathom how successful he could help make the team. I want him managing the Cubs. No hard feelings to Rick Renteria, but the Cubs could probably find any number of managers that can do what Rick does. There's only one Joe Maddon, and no one even comes close, IMO.

[Elrhino]

His intelligent use of defensive shifts and adjustments alone are enough to make me want him. What would Arrieta's numbers look like if Maddon were at the helm managing the defense behind him? He's a really smart in-game manager, maybe the smartest. And he embraces advanced statistical analysis. And everyone who plays for him loves him. And he knows how to take very little and get the absolute most out of it. Putting him on a team that's on the brink of having A LOT and a growing budget? I can't even fathom how successful he could help make the team. I want him managing the Cubs. No hard feelings to Rick Renteria, but the Cubs could probably find any number of managers that can do what Rick does. There's only one Joe Maddon, and no one even comes close, IMO.

 

All this. And he has enough respect around the league that he could be a selling point to free agents (albeit likely a small one). And a way to bring a central member of the Tampa braintrust, and a guy who's worked side by side with Andrew Friedman for 9 years, into the organizational process.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Elrhino

[Guest]

His intelligent use of defensive shifts and adjustments alone are enough to make me want him. What would Arrieta's numbers look like if Maddon were at the helm managing the defense behind him? He's a really smart in-game manager, maybe the smartest. And he embraces advanced statistical analysis. And everyone who plays for him loves him. And he knows how to take very little and get the absolute most out of it. Putting him on a team that's on the brink of having A LOT and a growing budget? I can't even fathom how successful he could help make the team. I want him managing the Cubs. No hard feelings to Rick Renteria, but the Cubs could probably find any number of managers that can do what Rick does. There's only one Joe Maddon, and no one even comes close, IMO.

 

 

Probably not that much better since they were already amazing.

[Sammy Sofa]

I just don't think Renteria is a bad enough (for lack of better phrasing) manager that we would benefit greatly from hiring Maddon.

 

That said, Maddon is cool and hiring him would be cool so I'm fine either way.

 

I think Renteria is too much of an unknown to really say either way. I'd rather go with the (relatively) sure thing.

[Clem Fandango]

His intelligent use of defensive shifts and adjustments alone are enough to make me want him. What would Arrieta's numbers look like if Maddon were at the helm managing the defense behind him? He's a really smart in-game manager, maybe the smartest. And he embraces advanced statistical analysis. And everyone who plays for him loves him. And he knows how to take very little and get the absolute most out of it. Putting him on a team that's on the brink of having A LOT and a growing budget? I can't even fathom how successful he could help make the team. I want him managing the Cubs. No hard feelings to Rick Renteria, but the Cubs could probably find any number of managers that can do what Rick does. There's only one Joe Maddon, and no one even comes close, IMO.

 

 

Probably not that much better since they were already amazing.

 

But it's still better.

 

 

http://img.pandawhale.com/post-36425-but-you-have-heard-of-me-gif-J-dyHw.gif

 

[Deeg]

Chris Archer – the Cubs prospect who went to Tampa Bay in the blockbuster Matt Garza trade – has said that Maddon’s presence helped him develop into one of the American League’s better young pitchers.

 

“You can totally be yourself,” Archer said. “You don’t have to change anything (when) you walk into this locker room.

 

“The openness allows you to be yourself. And I’ve said this a few times, but an organism will thrive the most when it’s in its natural habitat. So when you feel like you’re at home, you’re going to be the best you can possibly be.”

[Sammy Sofa]

His intelligent use of defensive shifts and adjustments alone are enough to make me want him. What would Arrieta's numbers look like if Maddon were at the helm managing the defense behind him? He's a really smart in-game manager, maybe the smartest. And he embraces advanced statistical analysis. And everyone who plays for him loves him. And he knows how to take very little and get the absolute most out of it. Putting him on a team that's on the brink of having A LOT and a growing budget? I can't even fathom how successful he could help make the team. I want him managing the Cubs. No hard feelings to Rick Renteria, but the Cubs could probably find any number of managers that can do what Rick does. There's only one Joe Maddon, and no one even comes close, IMO.

 

All this. And he has enough respect around the league that he could be a selling point to free agents (albeit likely a small one). And a way to bring a central member of the Tampa braintrust, and a guy who's worked side by side with Andrew Friedman for 9 years, into the organizational process.

 

Great point. Instead of having to guess as to whether a guy can be molded to fit the way the FO thinks you can go out and get the guy that has already embraced much of their approach and thrives under it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Aren't we already really good at defensive positioning?

[rawaction]

Aren't we already really good at defensive positioning?

 

That's what I thought. But that may have been more of a Sweum thing.

[rawaction]

Oh and I love Maddon. Great manager. Easily the league's best IMO. I also have an irrational love for Dave Martinez, as a coach and did as a Cubs player. Plus he has the looks of a mature Geovany Soto. If he comes along, consider me giddy.

[KW34]

This article from 2012 says Maddon is fluent in Spanish: :-k

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/page/OneNation-MLB120919/major-league-managers-speak-spanish-bring-competitive-edge-game

Among active managers, Dusty Baker of the Cincinnati Reds, Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels, Mike Matheny of the St. Louis Cardinals and Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays speak Spanish fluently. And it's more than just using a few words and phrases learned throughout their careers such as "duro" ("hard"), "¡vamos, arriba!" ("c'mon, keep it up!"), "corre fuerte" ("run hard"). They also carry on complete conversations with players and interviews with the media without needing interpreters.

[sneakypower]

Aren't we already really good at defensive positioning?

 

That's what I thought. But that may have been more of a Sweum thing.

we were actually really bad at positioning with Sveum

http://www.hardballtimes.com/tht-live/expanded-2013-infield-shift-data/

[rawaction]

Aren't we already really good at defensive positioning?

 

That's what I thought. But that may have been more of a Sweum thing.

we were actually really bad at positioning with Sveum

http://www.hardballtimes.com/tht-live/expanded-2013-infield-shift-data/

 

Well damn.

[gscool89]

Aren't we already really good at defensive positioning?

 

That's what I thought. But that may have been more of a Sweum thing.

we were actually really bad at positioning with Sveum

http://www.hardballtimes.com/tht-live/expanded-2013-infield-shift-data/

This is really hard to believe because I couldn't believe at how many balls were hit into the shift after Sveum was hired. But this was probably more just because Quade was completely clueless.

[Fro]

Crane Kenney will mess up and hire John Madden as manager and he'll miss 1/2 the games since he has to ride in a bus from town to town.

[RynoRules]

The only hesitation I would have is if it hamstrings us financially in some way to buy out Renteria and pay Maddon (4 years and $15-17 mill, I'd guess?). I know, I know - it shouldn't. But the reality is they aren't spending a ton of money yet.

 

That said, sign me up. I'll be in the market for a hoody and black frames.

[shnsajax]

How much would Maddon add towards getting any FA here over Ricky?

[d_money]

I see no one has asked the most important of questions...how will Maddon adjust to double switching in the NL?

[profisme]

Sounds like he sure tries:

 

"It's hard for him to speak a different language," Rodney said. "You can see in his face he tries every time he comes to talk to you, he tries to say something in Espanol. And then he speaks in English."

 

Rodney smiled when asked if Maddon's Spanish is improving.

 

"Yes, it is better," Rodney said. "Getting very good. He speaks it very good."

 

http://m.rays.mlb.com/news/article/61927628/

 

 

I think everyone should just settle down. Obviously Rodney isn't a good judge of speech if he can't use proper grammar.

[Fro]

The only hesitation I would have is if it hamstrings us financially in some way to buy out Renteria and pay Maddon (4 years and $15-17 mill, I'd guess?). I know, I know - it shouldn't. But the reality is they aren't spending a ton of money yet.

 

Maddon should be worth some number of wins over Ricky Renteria and that's probably an undervalued commodity in the market at this point. If he's worth 1 win a year it's worth doing.

 

Plus there's some value to having a marketable manager in terms of the $$$ the team can get back.

[Vinestal]

The only hesitation I would have is if it hamstrings us financially in some way to buy out Renteria and pay Maddon (4 years and $15-17 mill, I'd guess?). I know, I know - it shouldn't. But the reality is they aren't spending a ton of money yet.

 

Maddon should be worth some number of wins over Ricky Renteria and that's probably an undervalued commodity in the market at this point. If he's worth 1 win a year it's worth doing.

 

Plus there's some value to having a marketable manager in terms of the $$$ the team can get back.

Yup it's going to create added excitement about the team and probably sell more tickets. I can't say I've ever been as excited about a managerial possibility as I about Maddon. I just love hearing the guy talk baseball, he gets it. Maybe it's his personality or his honesty and openness with the media but the dude just oozes baseball intellect. I didn't feel that way about Giardi or anyone else I can think of in the past. I've been trying not to get to giddy because he could easily wind up elsewhere but damn, I hope we get him.