Cubs Fire Renteria, Hire Maddon

[Ballgame64]

Now Hub is saying he doesn't want the Cubs signing any pitchers until they are ready to compete at "all nine positions."

 

WHY DO I KEEP TURNING THIS ON?!?

I heard that too. While I usually like Hub, but won't even try to defend or understand why he would say that.

[d_money]

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did 50 push-ups.

[Guest]

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did 50 push-ups.

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did a bottle of Zinfandel.

[d_money]

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did 50 push-ups.

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did a bottle of Zinfandel.

Atta boy

[WrigleyField 22]

What is there to negotiate? It should go like this:

Theo: Joe, how much do you want?

Joe: $Buttload

Theo: Done.

Maybe coaching staff?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pushfrog98]

What is there to negotiate? It should go like this:

Theo: Joe, how much do you want?

Joe: $Buttload

Theo: Done.

Maybe coaching staff?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Minor details.

[Cubswin11]

Have there been any projected figures thrown out about his deal?

[Pushfrog98]

Have there been any projected figures thrown out about his deal?

Highest paid in NL, but not quite Soscia ($5mil). Can't remember where I saw that. Here maybe?

[LeftCoastCubFan]

5 mil a year, length unknown

 

http://images.popmatters.com/news_art/p/peewee-splsh.jpg

[imb]

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did 50 push-ups.

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did a bottle of Zinfandel.

 

No pizza?

[Guest]

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did 50 push-ups.

Great move, I'm pumped. Just did a bottle of Zinfandel.

 

No pizza?

still coming.

 

along with more booze.

[Irrelevant Dude]

[Arkish] said that even if the Cubs signed Maddon, Shields and Lester they'd still be 2-3 years away from competing.

I heard that comment too and was about to steer my car into a light post if not for the fresh pizza sitting on my passenger seat. If you want to say they are 2-3 years from reaching the peak of their collective performance, I suppose that argument could be made, but 3 years away from even being a playoff competitor is ridiculous.

[Deeg]

I can't imagine it'll be less than $5 million per, probably for 5 years.

 

Theo has made some nice moves and there's no denying the farm system has turned around spectacularly, but this is one that really counts as a huge lucky break. He's frankly mishandled the manager situation from day one (including leaving Sveum hanging out to dry for so long last year) and to have a top-tier guy like Maddon unexpectedly fall into his lap is that rarest of events, a lucky break for the Cubs.

 

Sometimes as they say it's better to be lucky than good. Still, Theo had to be willing to dive into this knowing he was breaking a lot of rules by pulling the rug out from Renteria this way, and that took some balls. Certainly if you can be both lucky and good, that's the best of all.

[imb]

this is cool and good. even if managers are dumb and dont do anything, all the cardinals fans i work with were lamenting this news today, so i had a moment of glory

[Gmoney08]

[expletive] Yes. The destruction of the outfield wall will remove the 100 year old goat piss stains and exorcise the demons from Wrigley and Maddon will be a God after leading the Cubs to 7 straight WS victories. Then they will win 7 more under Davey Martinez.

 

BOOK IT!

 

Close but Sammy is coming in to manage after Maddon. A 50 year Connie Mack like managing longevity with 30 titles as the Cubs manager.

[Elrhino]

So the Rays apparently told their coaches they'd be retained a day or 2 ago, should we assume we keep everyone else?

 

Yeah, I think it'll work well in that regard. No 'my people' to bring along, and then after this year they can evaluate if they want to keep working together(except for Bosio, he stays forever).

 

Might as well. I don't see any guys out there that have obvious previous connections to Maddon available. The Rays have told all of their coaches that they're being retained, and Martinez is likely getting the promotion. Bosio has to be one of the most highly respected pitching coaches in the sport and Theo is always raving about him, and it sounds like Maddon and Mallee share similar philosophies on hitting approach.

 

The only person that kinda stands out as a possible staff addition is Tim Bogar. He has ties to both Maddon and Theo.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Elrhino

[TruffleShuffle]

i do feel a bit bad for renteria. if someone like valbuena gets pushed out of a starting role by younger, better players, he's clearly proved that he's valuable enough to continue to get regular playing time as a super-sub, or would be appealing to other clubs as a possible starter. renteria did fine in his first season, but i doubt he's done enough to prove that he is definitely deserving of another shot at managing a ballclub.

 

that being said, it's a business and the cubs have the opportunity to get one of the best managers in the game for nothing more than money, so it's pretty much a no-brainer.

[Guest]

https://twitter.com/fauxmaddon

 

From the same guy who does Faux Pelini.

[Guest]

I can't imagine it'll be less than $5 million per, probably for 5 years.

 

Theo has made some nice moves and there's no denying the farm system has turned around spectacularly, but this is one that really counts as a huge lucky break. He's frankly mishandled the manager situation from day one (including leaving Sveum hanging out to dry for so long last year) and to have a top-tier guy like Maddon unexpectedly fall into his lap is that rarest of events, a lucky break for the Cubs.

 

Sometimes as they say it's better to be lucky than good. Still, Theo had to be willing to dive into this knowing he was breaking a lot of rules by pulling the rug out from Renteria this way, and that took some balls. Certainly if you can be both lucky and good, that's the best of all.

 

Hanging Sveum out to dry for so long? He was fired on Sept 30th.

 

I don't think they've mishandled anything beyond the fact that Sveum just didn't work out.

[Elrhino]

Okay, we can make it official now.

[Splendid Splinter]

[Arkish] said that even if the Cubs signed Maddon, Shields and Lester they'd still be 2-3 years away from competing.

I heard that comment too and was about to steer my car into a light post if not for the fresh pizza sitting on my passenger seat. If you want to say they are 2-3 years from reaching the peak of their collective performance, I suppose that argument could be made, but 3 years away from even being a playoff competitor is ridiculous.

 

Nate Burleson, is that you?

[Epsteenie]

Let the offseason begin

[abuck1220]

[Arkish] said that even if the Cubs signed Maddon, Shields and Lester they'd still be 2-3 years away from competing.

I heard that comment too and was about to steer my car into a light post if not for the fresh pizza sitting on my passenger seat. If you want to say they are 2-3 years from reaching the peak of their collective performance, I suppose that argument could be made, but 3 years away from even being a playoff competitor is ridiculous.

 

the royals nearly won the World Series with james shields, three good relievers and a bunch of turds for crying out loud.

[Guest]

[Arkish] said that even if the Cubs signed Maddon, Shields and Lester they'd still be 2-3 years away from competing.

I heard that comment too and was about to steer my car into a light post if not for the fresh pizza sitting on my passenger seat. If you want to say they are 2-3 years from reaching the peak of their collective performance, I suppose that argument could be made, but 3 years away from even being a playoff competitor is ridiculous.

 

I don't think people who think like that realize exactly how bad Jaxon, Schierholtz, Lake and Olt were last year and how much playing time those guys were given. Plus Javy being about as bad as he could possibly be. If the Cubs do nothing but replace those guys (plus Veras) with slightly below league average guys they'll be a .500 team.

[SouthSideRyan]

Cotillo is also confirming the move, if it matters. Clearly there's some effort to avoid the perception that this is "breaking" on Game 7 day, but it's obviously a fait acompli.

 

If nothing else, this should once and for all erase any doubts that Renteria was anything but a hire of last resort. He did exactly what he was hired to do, but I don't think anyone in the organization really thought he could be the guy to take the Cubs to the contenders level. I can certainly understand feeling bad for him, but the move itself is an obvious no-brainer.

 

The fact that the move is a no-brainer should tell you that it has nothing to do with how the organization felt about Renteria. This was a matter of the guy the FO felt was the best manager in the business becoming available, so...uh sorry guy we have pegged as 12th, we're gonna upgrade.