Chicago Cubs: Five-hundred games in, Joe Maddon has been a franchise changer

As hard as it is to believe, Joe Maddon officially managed his 500th game this week for the Chicago Cubs. What he has been able to do with this team has been nothing short of phenomenal.

In the last eight years, the Chicago Cubs have gone from being one of the worst teams in all of baseball to being a force in it. The impact Joe Maddon has brought to this team has indeed helped them to reach their potential.

The likes of Mike Quade and Dale Sveum still haunt Cubs’ fans dreams, as neither guy found any remote success while managing the boys in blue. Even, for as long as Cubs fans had waited for a World Championship, as well as just a competent manager, the hiring of Joe Maddon seemingly shifted the attitude to one of believing in only success.

In just four seasons with the Cubs, Maddon has a record of 301-201, which includes helping lead the team to three straight National League Championship Series, one pennant, and a World Series championship.

That being said, how did Joe Maddon ultimately find a recipe for success, and how did he bring it with him to the Northside?

Humble beginnings

When many people nowadays think of Joe Maddon, they think about the Chicago Cubs. Before that, people thought about the Tampa Bay Rays. Nobody of this generation knows Maddon beyond those two roles. However, he has much more to his story than people realize.

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Before making his splash in the managerial game, Maddon found himself apart of the Angels organization. His first thirty-one years, Maddon spent the entirety in the Angels organization.

After seeing himself at the minor league level for a decade plus, Maddon officially made it to the major league team as a bench coach.

Two short years later, in 1996, Maddon found the first taste of managerial work, filling in as the interim manager for a short period. He went 8-14 during the stretch. Three years after that, he once again found himself there, this time posting a 19-10 record.

Starting in 2000, under the wing of now-former Angels manager Mike Scioscia, Maddon played the role of bench coach for about a decade in Anaheim. From 2000-2005 was the time Maddon was under Scioscia, which included the 2002 World Series, an Angels victory over the San Francisco Giants.

The first chance at glory

In 2006, the Tampa Bay Rays officially made Joe Maddon the fourth manager in team history. He would ultimately find success, putting his name on the map officially.

In Maddon’s first season, he finished 61-101. Not hard pressed to understand considering he had the likes of Toby Hall, Damon Hollins, and Travis Lee on his roster. Surprisingly, the pitching staff included Scott Kazmir and James Shields, two guys who would find success over the course of their careers.

Two short seasons later, however, and Joe Maddon would make the Rays do a complete 180. In 2008, the team went 97-65, winning their first American League Pennant in team history. They would lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

From then on, the Rays would be on a winning path for the next five seasons, including four seasons of 90+ wins. 2014 was the final year in Tampa Bay for Maddon, as the following season, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations, and front-office guru Theo Epstein, made him the 57th man to take on the job of managing the Cubs.

Off the field accolades

For everything which Joe Maddon represents while he is on a baseball field, he represents so much more off the field, in the community.

Going back to his days in Tampa Bay, Maddon helped to create a number of different projects and programs to be implemented into the community. The first was called “Thanksmas,” in 2006 which would mold into a week-long event, helped to provide needy citizens of the community gifts and food for the holidays.

In 2011, it was the “Hazelton Integration Project” known as HIP, which helped to build and maintain an atmosphere for integrating various cultures of his hometown. It was a huge success as over 1,000 people have signed up since its inception. In 2012, Maddon received the Ted Williams Award from the Pediatric Cancer Foundation for his role in making a difference in his community.

Joe Maddon represents a lot when it comes to baseball. His contributions off the field too are amazing. Maddon was named the National League Manager of the Year after his big turnaround in 2015.

Hall-of-Fame Possibilities

Joe Torre, along with Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa found themselves elected into the Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame as managers in 2014.

One thing each one of these guys above has in common is that they are three of the best to manage a franchise. Under Joe Torre, the New York Yankees won six A.L. Pennants and four World Championships. Under Bobby Cox, the Atlanta Braves won five N.L. Pennants and a World Championship. The St. Louis Cardinals, under Tony La Russa, won three N.L. Pennants and two World Championships.

Conversely, each of these stallions put close to, if not more than, 5,000 career games under their belt.

Next: Bote gets the call

For Joe Maddon to reach this is hard pressed, as he recently crossed the 2,000 game threshold. That being said, Maddon does have a good bit of time left in him and holds a career .538 winning percentage, as well as two pennants and a World Championship himself.

Over the course of the next half-decade, the Cubs have to continue to compete for Joe Maddon to have a chance at reaching the all-time managerial pinnacle of Hall-of-Fame stature. With the likes of Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Anthony Rizzo that should not be a problem.