Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein, and the Cult of the Alpha General Manager

This article is also published on The Fan Manifesto

Ever since the news broke in Boston that Tom Ricketts had asked Red Sox ownership for permission to talk to their GM Theo Epstein, Cubs fans and the Chicago media seem to have taken leave of their senses. They have been weighing in with pro's and con's (mostly pro before the hiring, often con since) about how desperately we need the New England wunderkind. Not to mention, how much of the team’s paltry assets or numerous liabilities should be part of the deal that brings the famous curse-buster to the friendly confines.

Now that news has finally broken that the Cubs and Epstein have reached an agreement, maybe we can be spared some of these frothy speculations and actually reflect on what happened. At least we will not have to look forward to more stories like the one from the Chicago Tribune last weekend.

Some guy walked up to a stranger at a local Starbucks and asked him if he was Theo Epstein. This one was pretty funny, since the look-alike, perhaps in an obscure homage to the episode six years ago when Epstein quit his job in Boston and snuck out of the stadium in a gorilla suit, bought a banana and jumped back into his SUV.

I have got nothing against Theo Epstein. In fact, I think he has been one of the more successful GMs in recent years. Really anyone would be an upgrade over the most recent Cubs regime.  I just do not think people should exaggerate the effect of a single individual on the destiny of any organization. Anyway, the whole cult of the super-hero over-compensated CEO in American business is turning out to be a bit of a nightmare from which we are likely to spend decades recovering. Remember, for every Steve Jobs, there are a dozens of Carly Fiorinas.

Actually, the Cubs peculiar search for a savior is nothing new. Loyal fans can look back only a little more than a decade to the arrival of Andy MacPhail from Minnesota, fresh from two world championships. We all know how that turned out. MacPhail in turn begat Jim Hendry who begat two celebrity managers, first Dusty Baker and then Lou Piniella, both of whom were run out of town in disgrace.

Cubs management and fans alike have a habit of looking to one guy to come in and be their savior and, in some respects, this becomes a self-fulfilling recipe for disaster for the team and the guy they promote. Nobody can deliver what they want and the expectations in many cases just doom the whole process to fail.

During Theo Epstein’s term of office, the Red Sox made the playoffs six times, all but once as a wild card. They have won two league championships and two World Series, which is a considerable achievement, especially in Boston where they achieved success after such a long drought.

For purposes of comparison, Jim Hendry’s teams won three division titles, but advanced beyond the first round only once, when they lost to the Marlins in 2003. Actually, Hendry’s career somewhat parallels that of Epstein in that some shrewd moves led to very quick success. After the early days, though, each man made some pretty dumb moves, throwing gobs of money at players who have become liabilities to their organization. In Epstein’s defense, his teams have at least maintained the status of perennial contenders, whereas Hendry’s most decidedly did not.

Also in Epstein’s defense, he had the courage to dump the Red Sox icon Nomar Garciaparra as well as longtime fixture Manny Ramirez when they either ceased to be productive or became a distraction. This year’s epochal September collapse, as well as the ongoing revelations of complete organizational and clubhouse dysfunction, do not, however, weigh for Epstein in the balance. However, they may explain his haste to depart for greener pastures or a cleaner slate.

What I am getting at here is that the Cubs have been searching for that one guy who will come in and turn things around right away for so many years. Whether it is a player, manager, or a GM, that one guy does not exist for this or any other organization. Epstein was a great match for the Red Sox when they hired him. Maybe he will be a great match here as well, but he is only one guy.

I am convinced that Cubs fans and Cubs management need to get past this superman cult. What that probably means primarily for Epstein is understanding what a lazy, old, slow, dumb team the Cubs have assembled as well as how desperately the fans want to see a winner.

I rather think this combination of factors creates quite a level of expectation for whoever takes over any job in this organization, a level that in all probability cannot be satisfied even by the likes of Mr. Epstein. I heard a quote yesterday on the radio from John McDonough, a former Cubs executive who has since moved on to the Black Hawks. He explained that whoever takes on this job immediately feels the weight of a century of failure on his back.

That sounds about right.