Chicago Cubs Rumors: Is manager Joe Maddon’s job really at risk?

Chicago Cubs: The Golden Era of Cubs baseball

Growing up, the Chicago Cubs were known as the ‘Lovable Losers’. That designation far preceded my birth in 1991 – but rang just as true for much of my life. More often than I would have liked, I got the ‘CUBS – Completely Useless By September’ thrown in my face.

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But no more.

Thanks to the work of Epstein and the guidance of Maddon, we are enjoying an unprecedented run of success on the North Side of Chicago. That began in the latter’s first season with the Cubs, when a young, unproven team put together an unexpected second half run en route to 97 wins and a spot in the NL Wild Card game.

The club rode eventual 2015 NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta past the Pirates in that game, and soon after, vanquished the rival Cardinals before falling in the NLCS. The next season, though, Maddon guided his team to a club-record 103 wins and their first World Series title in 108 years.

Last season ended in disappointment, but, really, can we complain? The Cubs were clearly out of gas by the time the postseason rolled around – but somehow managed to scratch and claw their way past the Washington Nationals in the NLDS. In what has become a heated October rivalry, the Dodgers handled the Cubs quickly in the LCS, capping another still exciting season of Chicago baseball.