This is the Genius of Joe Maddon
2016, World Series, Game 7. Kyle Hendricks was on the mound, with the lead, and appeared to be dealing. With two out and a blown strike call later, he allowed a baserunner on a weakly hit grounder. Joe Maddon went to the mound and called Jon Lester into the game.
Joe would go on to say that that was the call all along. He had the conversations before the game, and once Lester got up, if a baserunner got on he would go to Jon.
Fast-forward to Game 5 in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals. Kyle Hendricks didn’t seem to have his best stuff, although he had good strikeout numbers. After a rough 4-spot in the second inning, off of two home runs (solo shot by Daniel Murphy and a three-run job by Michael A. Taylor), Maddon stayed with Kyle for the third inning. Kyle would strike out Murphy, who lead off the second with a home run and allowed a single hit in the inning.
Surprisingly Maddon still stayed with Kyle in the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth Kyle came up second in the inning and you would expect a pinch hitter. But no, no Joe stayed with Kyle, let him hit and allowed him to pitch the fourth inning. He wasn’t sharp but got Ryan Zimmerman to fly out to left after a pair of hits by Jason Werth and Bryce Harper.
It is these little nods of confidence to his players that show his guys that he believes in them. He did this earlier in the series with Carl Edwards Jr. After a game in which Carl imploded and gave up the game-tying home run to Harper, Maddon stood behind his guy. Game 3, Carl went out and made quick work of the Nationals top three hitters.
It is that faith and that confidence Joe instills in his guys which makes Joe a great manager. He might not be that X’s and O’s guy, but he is the best in the business before first pitch. When you have a roster as talented as the Cubs roster is, he is the perfect man for the job.
