Chicago Cubs: The tale of two amazing Cubs' seasons
The Chicago Cubs have played two stellar seasons in a row. Of all the moves made to improve the team, two transactions are the keys to the team’s success.
Two seasons. That is all it took to turn the Chicago Cubs from long shots to favorites entering the post-season. From winning 97 games in 2015 to at least 102 in 2016, the team made massive strides. President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and General Manager Jeb Hoyer are bold when finding the right players to fit the clubhouse. Their work earned them extension earlier this week.
Take a look at the numbers and you will see that patience at the plate has paid off this year. This year’s squad drew 77 more walks already over last seasons and has 200 fewer strikeouts. This generated an on-base-plus-slugging rate of .772 and 108 more runs. This is with a team that on which the average age currently is 27.4 years old, the fifth youngest in the MLB. (Note, at the start of the season, it was 28.8)
It is not just these stats that are improved, but almost all offensive stats across the board. More hits, more doubles, more sacrifices. The only areas of decrease are stolen bases (95 in 2015, 65 in 2016), hitting into double plays (101 in 2015, 104 in 2016), and triples (30 in both seasons).
Arms
When you add the pitching staff, which is the oldest in the majors, the Cubs are a complete team. While the pitching staff was in the top five in most major categories in 2015, they are in the top spot in most this year. Oh, and we have to mention the defense.
Improvement
But, why? How did a team that won 73 games improve by 30 games in just two seasons? It took two moves: signing Joe Maddon as manager and trading Starlin Castro.
Joe Maddon. The man changed the entire atmosphere of the Chicago Cubs’ locker room. And that is a difficult task. Facing talk like “this is the way we have always done things,” or “the team is just going to lose,” is not easy to change. Only a few players on the team were part of the organization that lost 66 games in 2013: Anthony Rizzo, Travis Wood, Jake Arrieta, Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon.
Still, some from the 73-win team in 2014 team are on the current roster: Chris Coghlan, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Matt Szczur, Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks. To change the culture of a team in which 12 of the current 25-man roster won a total of 139 games in two years is nearly impossible.
Front-office strong
Joe Maddon has done just that. With the help of Theo and Jeb.
Sure, the ways of Maddon are different from most other managers. But there is no arguing their effectiveness. From the ways, players dress on the plane rides home to the shirts that say “Embrace the target,” Maddon encourages the Cubs’ players to enjoy the process.
They celebrate their successes and do not dwell on slumps. Everything is part of the season, part of baseball. It works. The team plays loose. They have fun. But they perform at a high level, knowing their teammates can help.
When you look at all the other transactions, moving Castro proved to be crucial. It hurts to say that to this day. I loved watching Castro, and hoped he would play well. He was a Cub. The subtraction of Casto, however, led not just to the addition of Ben Zobrist, but the utilization of the entire team.
What if?
Think about it. If Castro was still on the team, he would be limited to playing second base. Moving him not only created space for Zobrist, it made the team deeper and more versatile. Now Maddon can move Zobrist to the outfield and slot Baez at second base.
And, that also helped in developing Kris Bryant into an outfielder, and letting Tommy LaStella double his plate appearances. In 2015, the position players stayed put at a greater rate. Now, the team has moving parts and can fill various roles when called upon. They are a dangerous team because so many players can play multiple places.
Sure, adding Jon Lester and John Lackey improved the rotation, and Aroldis Chapman can close out a game. However, those moves do not affect the flexibility of the position players.
The true test starts next week. Playoffs, here we come.
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