In case you hadn’t heard, the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought last night, defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in extra innings of a wild Game 7.
Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow started his career as a member of the Cubs in 1976. Though happy for his former team’s success, Krukow blasted Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Thursday morning when he joined the Murph and Mac Show, arguing that the three-time manager of the year’s arrogance nearly cost his team the series.
“The Cubs won this thing despite over-managing from Joe Maddon,” Krukow said. “It was awful. It was awful. It was the arrogance that he was trying to put his signature on what was gonna happen. And it happened despite taking out Hendricks early, taking out Lester early, putting in Chapman when he was tired.”
“And the bunt with 3-2? You’re gonna be smarter than the game? I was so outraged at what I was watching…look, he’s done a great job, granted. I mean come on. He’s done a great job. He was the guy that kept them going down three games to one…but at some point in time, you cannot be arrogant enough to think that you have to put your signature on the game.”
“And to me, that’s what he was doing. It didn’t make sense. He was not reading the room. He was not managing this game as it should have been managed. I just wanted to slap the guy. As it turned out, they won despite him, despite his over-managing. And it’ll be forgotten by a lot of people, but it won’t be forgotten by me and a lot of people.”
Krukow eventually admitted that Maddon is typically a stellar manager, but argues he was distracted by his own success.
“Hats off to a lot of things that this guy has done. I don’t want to diminish what Joe Maddon has done. He’s been brilliant keeping this team focused through all the success they’ve had — success can be just as much a distraction as failure — and he’s been remarkable, and it’s probably gonna put him in the Hall of Fame what he did here.
And certainly he’ll be remembered forever in Chicago if he doesn’t win another game. But it bothered me that he over-managed it.”
Listen to the full interview below.
