Big Name Managers, Good Starts, Then Nothing

Since 2003 the Cubs have had six different managers.  Three of the six were big-name hires; three were not.

The no-names would be Mike Quade, Dale Sveum, and Rick Renteria.  None of these guys lasted more than two years; none had much success.

The big name managers are a different story.

Dusty was hired in 2003 after leading the Giants to the World Series.  His first year with the Cubs saw them as the surprise winners of the NL Central.  They won the NLDS over the Braves and then, well, lets not talk about the NLCS.

In 2004 the Cubs won one more game that the '03 squad, but that wasn't good enough to win the division.  They were leading the wild card race, but fell apart at the end of the season and lost it..  Dusty stuck around for two more years but the team got worse.

His win totals for the four years: 88, 89, 79, 66.

After dumping Dusty, they hired another big name, Lou Piniella.  Sweet Lou would lead us to the promised land.

He got off to a good start, as the '07 team came out of nowhere to win the Central with 85 wins.  But no promised land...they got swept by the Diamondbacks.

The '08 team did even better, winning an NL best 97 games.  Again, though, it was broom city in the NLDS, this time at the hands of the Dodgers.  Then things got worse and Lou quit midway through the 2010 season.  The four year wins for his teams are 85, 97, 83, and 75.  That was not the promised land.

And now the team is again led by a big name, Joe Maddon.   Once again, the big name brings the team to the post season in his first year with the Cubs.

The question... will Maddon be able to sustain the success?  Of there three, I'd have to say he has the best chance.  Baker and Piniella had veteran teams.  Maddon's got a young team that is built for the long haul.

Joe will do what the other two big names, the three no-names, and a long list of other Cubs managers couldn't do... Joe will lead us to the promised land.