Chicago Cubs: Why the Joe Maddon divorce is unfair

The Chicago Cubs have parted ways with Joe Maddon after five seasons with the team. Here’s why the decision not to renew his contract is unfair.

As the 2019 Chicago Cubs season comes to a close, with it comes the conclusion of the Joe Maddon era on the North Side of Chicago.

Sure, 2019 has been a roller coaster of emotions. And yet, a season like 2019 is exactly what Cubs fans have craved for most of their lives.

Important baseball games, playoff contention, a first place team at times, four consecutive playoff appearances, a wealth of talent on the roster. How many seasons have Cubs fans been able to say that in their lives?

Single-digit times, that’s how many.

It’s brutal deja-vu for Cubs fans this season. After blowing the division to the Milwaukee Brewers last season and losing the NL Wild Card to the Colorado Rockies in 2018, the Cubs again collapsed in the second half of this year and will fail to miss the playoffs.

But, and I stress the “but” here…it’s not Joe Maddon’s fault. At least, not entirely.

After the collapse of last season, the front office made very few moves to improve the roster and give the team a fighting chance in 2019. Despite uncertainty around Kris Bryant‘s health, despite much controversy around an under-performing Addison Russell and despite numerous other glaring issues, the front office decided to essentially stick with the same formula in 2019.

At the end of 2018, it was reported that some players on the team were frustrated with Maddon’s constant juggling of the lineup. Now, reports are surfacing that players wanted Maddon to be more hands-on.

Joe can only do so much when essentially given the same lineup for four years in a row. He did what he could with what he had to work with.

It’s been time for the Cubs and the fans to move on from 2016. Teams just don’t have 103-win seasons every year. Unfortunately, fans can sometimes fail to understand that that’s just not how sports work.

The reality of the situation is that the manager is always the first to go when a staff underperforms. That goes for everything from a Major League Baseball team to a McDonald’s. That’s the professional world.

It sucks that one of the most successful managers in Cubs history has been villainized by much of the fan base and his contributions to the club have been largely overlooked ever since 2016. It’s not fair that the front office has refused to hold up their end of the bargain while letting the team remain stagnant for three seasons in a row.

One can only hope that the entire fanbase gives Joe the credit he has earned over the years. These are the glory days, Cubs fans. Remember that. Though the team still will be a playoff contender with the right moves next season, the window of opportunity is starting to close on another Cubs World Series championship.

It may be a while until the Cubs are relevant after about 2021. But regardless, the departure of Joe Maddon is the end of one of the best eras of Cubs baseball.

Thanks for the memories, Joe. And for a World Series title, four consecutive years of postseason baseball and some of the most enjoyable moments that Cubs fans have ever experienced.