CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- As Cubs manager Joe Maddon continues to work in the final season of his contract with an uncertain future, a central figure in the organization's revival has expressed his support for Maddon to return.
Veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo believes Maddon is the man who should remain in the dugout leading the way.
"I feel like I shouldn't have to answer that question," Rizzo told 670 The Score when asked for his thoughts on Maddon's future. "Go look at his resume. If you don't believe it has been because things he does, you can look at everything he has done from the time he got here and completing our whole rebuild. I give Theo (Epstein) and Mr. (Tom) Ricketts a lot of credit. You put the right person in place, that is what has happened here. We have turned this franchise into a place where being in first place on August 24 is nothing we are happy about. That is why Joe Maddon is the right guy for the job."
Maddon has led the Cubs to playoff appearances in each of his first four years in Chicago. That run included a World Series championship in 2016, but his future still might come down to how the Cubs finish this season.
With a 7-2 loss to the Nationals on Saturday afternoon, the Cubs dropped a full game behind the NL Central-leading Cardinals, who were set to play later in the evening. If the Cubs finish with a whimper and don't secure the division crown, it figures to reflect poorly on Maddon. If they win the NL Central and make a deep playoff run, it will bolster Maddon's case for staying.
Maddon would love to stay on as the Cubs' manager, and he has previously expressed confidence that he will. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein has maintained all along that the sides will sit down at season's end to discuss Maddon's future and what's best for the organization.
A baseball lifer, Maddon follows the managerial landscape well, recently sharing his concerns that his counterparts across MLB aren't being fairly compensated as the power has shifted to front offices. So he must also know that even respected, successful managers with championship pedigrees can have a hard time finding a new managerial job elsewhere in a changing landscape.
John Farrell led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2013 but hasn't received another offer since leaving Boston after the 2017 season. Joe Girardi led the Yankees to a championship in 2009 but hasn't landed a new job since leaving New York after the 2017 season, even though he very much wants to manager again. In some organizations where sabermetrics rule the day, old-school manager types need not even apply, no matter how strong the resume.
Maddon has kept his focus on 2019, and he understands it's the players who matter most in baseball. He is lauded for his communication with his players and has fostered an environment that they've come to love.
"From the start, Joe has always been the same guy," said right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who has been a key member of the rotation for Maddon's entire Chicago tenure. "From his very first meeting with us, he captivated everyone. You wanted to hear what he had to say. You could definitely tell he had a gift for communicating. All the time since, he has never changed. He has always been the same guy. That makes it pretty easy to know that is him, and he will be constant in what he says and does."
Rizzo echoed that sentiment.
"With every 25-man roster, not everyone is going to agree with the manager all of the time," Rizzo said. "But he has empowered us to be in charge as well. We have a simple theory to keep it about going out and playing baseball each day."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
