The Texas Rangers are beginning to understand what life is like for a successful professional sports team. First, the team lost left-handed ace Cliff Lee following the franchise’s first trip to the World Series in 2010. New left-handed ace C.J. Wilson is now a free agent after Texas was one strike away from a title in 2011. Finally, Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux could be leaving the team to become the new manager of the Chicago Cubs.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, new Cubs team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have two names on their list of candidates for the team’s manager position. Those two names are former Milwaukee Brewers interim manager Dale Sveum and Maddux. The Boston Red Sox are also pursing both Sveum and Maddux to fill their managing vacancy. Maddux declined comment when asked by the Sun-Times.
Maddux is a primary contributor to the Texas Rangers’ two consecutive trips to the World Series. With what many considered an average pitching staff, at best, Maddux molded a back-to-back American League champion unit. He demanded the absolute best out of his four starting pitchers and that’s what Maddux got from them. Even more impressive, Maddux took a subpar Rangers bullpen and made it into one of the American League’s most feared. ESPN Dallas’ Ian Fitzsimmons summed up the scenario best via Twitter:
November 3, 2011 7:08 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite
Contact Jeric Griffin on Twitter @JericGriffin
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