John Lackey helped Joe Maddon pay for his daughter’s wedding by beating the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.
“I was very grateful for many years for that,” said Maddon, the Cubs manager who worked as Mike Scioscia’s bench coach during that championship run with the Anaheim Angels.
The Cubs clearly believe Lackey — and super-utility guy Ben Zobrist and Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward — are money players who can deliver the franchise’s first title since 1908. At a cost of $272 million, the Cubs are paying for big-game experience and intangibles that won’t show up on a spreadsheet.