On This Day in History: Chicago Cubs Introduce Joe Maddon as Manager
Joe Maddon took the Tampa Bay Rays from worst to first. Joining a Chicago Cubs teams that finished last-place in 2014, it took one season at the helm for Maddon to vault into the playoffs and to 97 wins.
On Nov. 3, 2014, the Cubs introduced Maddon as their new manager, taking over for Rick Renteria who spent just one season at skipper.
Maddon had managed the Rays for nine years at that point, bringing them out of the gutter, creating a positive culture and helping cement them as paragons of the Moneyball-style.
In his time there, the Rays never had a payroll greater than $80 million, but they won 90 or more games five times with 13 postseason victories.
Now with a more well-rounded roster, Maddon was able to succeed with the Cubs where he hailed with the Rays, bringing home a World Series title just two years into his reign in 2016.
Maddon spent five seasons as Cubs manager, winning 471 games in the process, an average of 94 per season.
Though some of his bullpen decisions in that 2016 run are still questioned to this day, it's undebatable that his calm presence helped propel the Cubs to their first championship in 108 years.
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