Sveum Fired, What’s Next For Cubs

It is very hard to believe that we thought Dale Sveum would transform the Cubs into a winning and prosperous organization. Many, including I, were very optimistic and hopeful that he would lead the Cubs to their first postseason appearance since 2008, but that dream is no longer possible. The Cubs relieved Dale Sveum of his managerial duties on Monday with a replacement yet to be announced. The puzzling part for me was that he was not supposed to be judged on his wins and losses. So that means that the 127-197 record compiled by the Cubs the last two seasons did not matter. So why in the world was Sveum fired? Although this answer may differ with others, I believe this is part of the problem. If the Cubs truly respected and admired Sveum, I think they would play a little harder, maybe show some more effort. One of the problems was the lack of respect from the players. After the horrific 2012 season, many players were discouraged and disappointed in Sveum. After this season, many or all of the players wanted a change and had seen enough. The players lost their optimism and trust in Sveum to lead the way. The players just did not like him and the lack of success reflects that feeling. Sveum really was not a big clubhouse presence or a leader. He was pretty quiet and did not really say too much. To be a manager in Major League Baseball, you need to be a born leader and I do not think he is one. If you compare Sveum to Joe Maddon for example, the difference is that Maddon is a clubhouse presence and a huge leader. His players respect him and play for him well. That was not the case with the Cubs and Sveum.  Keep in mind this was not entirely Sveum’s fault. Obviously, the Cubs are in rebuilding mode so the 90 plus loss seasons were expected. Also, the pitching and defense was just horrible this season. Again though, this goes back to the respect of the manger reasoning. Now, the Cubs are looking for a strong manager to fill the job well. The name that keeps popping up right now is Yankees manager Joe Girardi. That would be a great fit for the Cubs and Girardi himself. Girardi was born and raised in Illinois and used to be the Cubs starting catcher in the 1990s. Girardi is familiar with the fans and the team. They would respect him, considering that he led the Yankees to a World Series championship in 2009 and had led them to the playoffs in every single year he has been there except 2008 and 2013. I would not mind the hiring of Girardi. Of course, he is not the only candidate out there. Within the next couple weeks, make sure to pay attention to your local sports channel. The number of candidates will start increasing and then we will have a clearer picture of who is the favorite to win this prestigious job. Let the best one win!