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Chicago Cubs: Joe Maddon Made Right Call With Kyle Hendricks

By Brandon Hinrichs

Oct 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) is assessed by manager Joe Maddon (70) after being struck with a ball hit by San Francisco Giants left fielder Angel Pagan (not pictured) during the fourth inning during game two of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (28) is assessed by manager Joe Maddon (70) after being struck with a ball hit by San Francisco Giants left fielder Angel Pagan (not pictured) during the fourth inning during game two of the 2016 NLDS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Earlier in the week, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon named Kyle Hendricks his fifth starter to open up the regular season. This was a brilliant move.

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn’t think, nor act like your typical baseball manager. He often makes decisions that go against the norms of coaching. Like naming Kyle Hendricks, who led baseball pitchers in ERA last season, as his number five starter on the Chicago Cubs to begin the season.

This is Joe Maddon at his finest. Working his magic once again. What separates him from other managers is his willingness to take risks. Maddon is willing to live with the quirky decisions he makes on a baseball diamond, regardless of how much backlash his coaching style might receive at times.

Kyle Hendricks is a terrific starter in this league. He’s been one of the most reliable pitchers on the Cubs to date. His calm, steady demeanor never becomes rattled, as evident by his stellar postseason pitching in 2016.

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No one looks at Kyle Hendricks as a number five starter anymore. Not after he finished third in the NL Cy Young Voting last season. He lets his pitching do all of the talking now. Posting a 2.13 ERA in 30 regular season starts in 2016 was truly a sight to behold.

Still, if something’s working, why do anything to mess it up? The Cubs have a lot of things working in their favor right now as they head into a new season. The last thing they want is to disrupt their flow of excellence.

It’s hard to believe that Hendricks was the team’s fifth starter throughout the regular season in 2016. No one, not even Joe Maddon, expected the soft-thrower to have the type of season he had. One which has fans now comparing him to the great Cubs’ legend Greg Maddux.

So, instead of messing with Hendricks’ mojo, Maddon decided to keep him in the role he’s been most familiar with throughout his career. As the team’s fifth starter. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Every player on the Cubs’ roster is willing to sacrifice individual awards and accomplishments in order to win another World Series. That’s the ultimate prize, and a smart player like Hendricks knows that.

Next: Cubs: Which Players Will Miss David Ross the Most?

He could care less about where he stands in the team’s starting rotation to begin the season. Because, as Hendricks proved last season, it’s not always about how you start, but rather, how you finish.

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