Trio of former Cubs managers named candidates for Baseball Hall of Fame

On Monday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame made news when its Contemporary Baseball Era committee unveiled eight candidates for the Class of 2027 - and it featured a trio of former Chicago Cubs managers in Joe Maddon, Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella.

Each left their mark in Cubs history, with Maddon obviously separating himself by leading the 2016 team to a World Series championship. The dynasty that some hoped was materializing never came to be, but that shouldn't take away from what he did during his time in Chicago. Maddon-led Cubs teams averaged 94.2 regular season wins per year, made three consecutive NLCS appearances, won a title and captured a pair of NL Central crowns.

His arrival in 2015 completely changed the perception of the Cubs. I can't stress enough how big of an impact his hiring had, just in terms of reframing fans' mindset (not to mention in the clubhouse and dugout). Obviously, we remember him for his time in Wrigleyville, but don't sleep on what he did with the Rays, either, because it set the stage for what he did with the Cubs.

Dusty Baker, Lou Piniella never found sustained playoff success with Cubs

Had things gone differently in 2003, we'd be looking at this trio in a wildly different light. Dusty Baker had the Cubs just one win from the World Series before the wheels came off against the Marlins. Baker-led Cubs teams never won 90 games and never recaptured the magic of his first season at the helm. It's easy to remember him more for his time with the San Francisco Giants or even the Houston Astros, the last team he managed, because he finally got a ring in 2022.

Baker managed more MLB games than all but seven men in baseball history and is the only one to lead five different teams to the playoffs (Cubs, Giants, Reds, Nationals, Astros).

Lou Piniella led Chicago to the postseason in 2007 and 2008, but first-round sweeps snuffed out any hopes of October glory. He's far better known for his runs as manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners. But, hey, we'll never forget his animated ejections. Piniella has been on the committee's ballot three times before, so we'll see if this is the one that finally sees him get over the hump.

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