As president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein jumped at the chance to hire Joe Maddon when he became available after the 2014 season.
Maddon is the oldest manager in the game, having turned 64 just before spring training. But he has averaged better than 97 wins in his first three seasons with the Cubs — capped by the team’s 2016 World Series win, the franchise’s first in more than century — so Epstein harbors no regrets for going with the experienced hand.
It helps that Maddon, birthdate aside, is innovative and energetic and widely celebrated for his ability to communicate with players young enough to be his grandsons.
But Epstein also sees the hiring trend across the game and knows that, in the dugout and front office, it’s now a young man’s game.
“I think it was starting to trend that way maybe five years ago,’’ said Epstein recently. “Teams were toying with the idea, maybe interviewing a guy who had no experience, like Robin Ventura and Mike Matheny. And now, it’s almost common-place. The majority of guys interviewed are seemingly new and don’t have any experience. It seems like there’s token interviews for former managers, as opposed to the way it used to be where having managerial experience was a pre-requisite for the job.’’
But to Epstein, this isn’t change for change’s sake. There’s value to bringing in fresh voices and younger perspectives, and he heartily endorses the Red Sox' choice of Alex Cora. Epstein traded for Cora in 2005 and came to appreciate his leadership and the intangibles he brought to that team.
“I know AC really well and I think he was a tremendous hire,’’ Epstein said, “and I think he’ll have as smooth an adjustment as anyone taking the job without experience. I got to know Aaron (Boone, new Yankee manager) a little bit too – we had a rough start to our relationship in 2003, but it’s improved since then. And I think he’s going to do a terrific job, too; (they were) two outstanding choices.’’
Epstein lauded Cora’s “great feel for people and for the game. He has a genuine, non-stop curiosity about the game of baseball. (He has) conviction in his opinions, but also open-minded if he respects somebody. He’s willing to talk baseball and grow. He’s very convicted and even stubborn at times, but doesn’t come off that way because he treats everyone so well and just has a natural sense of how to treat people and interact and empower the other person.’’
At 42, Cora isn’t too far removed from his playing days and, generationally, can relate to his players.
“(Terry Francona) has proven that there’s real value in treating players as colleagues rather than underlings,’’ said Epstein, “and especially now that all the players are millennials these days. So they don’t have so much an interest in what to do or how do it, as much as why they should do it. So you have to involve players in decision-making these days, you have to involve them in playing and strategy (discussions) and how they’re going to be used and being inclusive with them pays great dividends.’’
On the executive level, the same trend toward youth is underway. Not long ago, Epstein was the youngest GM in the history of the game at 28. Now, general managers in their early 30s are fairly commonplace.
“I feel like the old guy now,’’ said Epstein. “There are GMs that I don’t know all that well and I rely on some of the younger guys in the office to communicate with them sometimes, or get information. I’m a dinosaur at 44, apparently. ‘’
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