The Chicago Cubs, March Madness and the Final Four

Chicago Cubs: Weeghman Region Championship

• 8 seed Greg Maddux vs. 3 seed Frank Chance

While Chance has something that no one else left in the Cubs Tournament has in a World Series ring (and he actually has two), there was just too much room between him and Maddux overall. Maddux continues his “underdog” domination in the Cubs March Madness Bracket. Or, maybe it’s more of a “Mad Dog” domination, as the soft-tossing right-hander’s not-so-professorial moniker would have you believe.

Coming into the tournament as a lowly eight seed due to the fact he split time with the Cubs and Braves in his career, Maddux finished his career with 355 wins, a 3.16 ERA, four Cy Young Awards, and an almost unbelievable 18 Gold Glove Awards. Known for his mastery of the strike zone, his command, and almost perfect fundamentals, Maddux gave hope to an entire generation of kids who couldn’t throw hard.

Today, his legacy lives on nearly every time a pitcher throws a great game without blowing it by every single hitter. As Cubs fans surely know, Kyle Hendricks keeps the comparisons and legacy of Maddux alive and well with his command, demeanor, and results (although many forget that Maddux actually threw harder (93 mph) than Hendricks to start his career).

Despite his loss in the Weeghman Regional Final, Chance was no slouch. He finished his career with a .296/.394/.394 slash line and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1946 by the Old Timers’ Committee. He won those two rings in the famous 1907 and 1908 seasons, hitting a robust .421 in the Series in ’08. He also holds the distinction of playing in two centuries, as he started his career in 1898, some 122 years ago.