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So, after the Cubs let everyone know that Joe Maddon wasn’t going to return as the manager in 2020, both sides painted the breakup as a mutual decision. A win-win for both sides. Yet, in a recent interview with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Maddon wanted to make it pretty clear that the decision not to return to Chicago was as much his choice as it was the Cubs.
Via the Tampa Bay Times.
“I didn’t know how the end of the season with the Cubs was going to work out either. Everyone thinks they knew, but they didn’t, and I didn’t either. When it got down to the last couple days it was really obvious to both sides. I didn’t want to be back either. It was more of a bilateral than a unilateral decision.’’
And it’s not like things ended on bad terms between Maddon and the Cubs front office. Despite the failures of the past two seasons, Theo Epstein had nothing but praise for the future hall of fame manager. However, maybe the recent comments about the Cubs wanting more accountability from their new manager got under the skin of Maddon, who shrugged off those comments, but still sounds a tiny bit bitter of how things ended.
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But again, it’s mostly all love from Maddon, who dreams of a World Series matchup between his Angels and the Cubs and he’s more than elated about David Ross being the new manager on the North Side.
On the Cubs hiring David Ross to replace him, and all the current talk of needed accountability:
“I love that David’s there. I spoke with him the night before his press conference and we had a great conversation. All these other semantics and descriptions, I don’t necessarily agree with all that. We’ll see how it all works out. But I’m really into David being really successful.”
So, as the 2019 MLB season is officially over, a new era has begun with the Cubs and for many of the players that means a different manager for the first time in their big league careers. Maddon said he received a lot of messages from Cubs players following the season.
“I love a lot of the players there. I’ve got more thought- provoking, tear-provoking outreach from some (Cubs players) at the end of this season than I’ve ever gotten before.’’
You can read the full interview here, where Maddon also talks about his restaurant in Chicago. Apparently, it’s not doing as well as his other locations.
