The Cubs this afternoon will introduce former Rays manager Joe Maddon to the same position, but Alan Nero, Maddon's agent, said that "accusations by the Rays of tampering in the move are 'really sad' and 'a little bit insulting,'" according to Mark Topkin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Nero, speaking on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio, said the first contact with the Cubs was "an email asking for us to prove there was an opt-out" in Maddon's contract with the Rays. Nero said that Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein "made certain" there was approval from MLB before proceeding. Nero added that claims otherwise "are unfounded." Nero: "It's silly to suggest that; if they want to pursue that, that's fine. It's very unfortunate." Nero also "disputed the Rays' claim that their final offer before Maddon opted out of his contract would have made him one of the top-five paid managers" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/3). Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal said he is not sure MLB "can prove" that the Cubs tampered with Maddon, but the league does have a "department of investigations." They "will certainly look into it and the question then would become, can the Rays get anything out of it?" The Rays "would love player compensation," but the "chances of that happening are pretty slim." Rosenthal: "At the same time, there are people upset with the Cubs for doing this. There are people upset with the Cubs for replacing Renteria in this fashion and people upset with Maddon basically for infringing on another man's job” (“America’s Pregame,” FS1, 10/31). One MLB exec said, "The whole industry is talking about what a classless act (this is)." One manager added, "I certainly know that at the winter meetings, some of the older (managers), they’re going to think it looks real bad to go after someone else’s job" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/1).
TOO GOOD TO PASS UP: In Chicago, Gordon Wittenmyer noted terms of Maddon’s multiyear deal "were not announced, but it’s believed he got at least close" to the five years, $25M he was "said to be seeking -- making him one of the three highest-paid managers in the game and the highest in Cubs history." This would mark the "biggest signing" in Epstein’s three years of running the team. Sources said that the "sudden availability of a manager who represents the ideal fit for this phase of the team’s rebuilding process made it impossible to pass on a chance to hire Maddon -- regardless of how it might look jettisoning Renteria after only one year and going through three managers in four seasons." Epstein in a statement said that Renteria was "offered a chance to stay with the organization in another capacity," though he turned it down (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/1). Also in Chicago, Mark Gonzales noted Epstein praised Renteria "for living up to his sterling reputation." Epstein: “Rick deserved to come back for another season as Cubs manager.” But Gonzalez noted the "chance to hire Maddon ... was too great to pass up" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/1). ESPN's Michael Wilbon said, "That team ought to go out and do whatever they can by whatever means necessary to win" ("PTI," ESPN, 10/31).
WORTH IT? In Chicago, Rick Telander wrote under the header, "Cubs' Dirty Dismissal Of Rick Renteria For Joe Maddon May Be Worth It." It "would have been nicer" if Maddon had "come to the Cubs under cleaner circumstances." Telander: "But he’s here now, and Rick Renteria has been sent packing" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/2). Also in Chicago, David Haugh wrote the Cubs "should apologize for nothing, even if the move offended the game's old guard." Of all the words the Cubs "have used to say they are committed to ending a 107-year championship drought," Chair Tom Ricketts committing as much as $20M to "lure Maddon was the boldest action that backed them up." Epstein said, "We looked for precedent and didn't find any. So we used common sense." He added, "We were brutally honest. We felt we owed it to the organization to pursue this, and at the same time Ricky hadn't done anything wrong, so we had to treat him with candor and respect and class.'' Haugh wrote the Cubs organization now "looks poised for sustained success starting as early" as '15 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/2).
STRICTLY BUSINESS: In Chicago, Paul Sullivan wrote under the header, "Cubs Made Right Manager Move, Albeit Clumsily." The Cubs, like "any other business, have the right to hire and fire whoever they want, and they have dismissed employees who did their jobs much better than Renteria did his." This is "how it has been" since former President John McDonough left for the Blackhawks and President of Business Operations Crane Kenney's "power base strengthened under the Ricketts' family" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/1). SI.com’s Tom Verducci noted the Cubs fired Renteria "not because he didn’t do a good job," but because this "is a cold business about winning." Verducci: "Joe Maddon, I think one of the best free agents out there, gives them a better chance of winning." It "may be not popular with some people, but the right move." MLB Network's Dan Plesac: "It’s a cold world in a cutthroat world of professional sports, whether it’s baseball, basketball, football or hockey. Guys like Joe Maddon don’t become available very often" ("MLB Tonight," MLB Network, 11/1). In Chicago. Steve Rosenbloom wrote it is "just business, and it's good business." It "might be unseemly business, but it's business nonetheless" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 10/31). ESPN's Jemele Hill said, "All is fair, apparently, when it comes to a 107-year-old quest for a World Series championship." Hill: "I can't argue with a straight face that the Cubs didn't make a great hire. Maddon is a top-five manager. His Tampa teams overachieved despite the Rays’ lean payrolls. ... However, this is a reminder that while baseball is a summer sport, underneath it's a cold game” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN2, 11/2). ESPN CHICAGO's Jon Greenberg wrote judging by this "aggressive move ... the Cubs really do plan on winning games next year." They "plan on mattering, and not just to the people who run top prospect lists." Greenberg: "All of a sudden, the Cubs are for real" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 10/31).
SEEING EARLY RETURNS: Cubs officials said that the renewal rate for its full-season and "combo" night and weekend game plans this offseason "jumped by" roughly 5% for the second straight year to about 90%. In Chicago, Danny Ecker cited a source as saying that "translates to around 1,000 more tickets renewed compared with the team's season-ticket down payment deadline last year." The source said that the Cubs "sold around 25,000 tickets on a full- or partial-season plan." The team said that there are "between 7,000 and 8,000 season-ticket accounts." Ecker added about 18% of renewals "were for combo plans, which include 62 night and weekend games next season" (CRAINSCHICAGO.com, 10/31).
