Letting go of Rick Renteria was bittersweet for the Cubs front office. The architects of the first Cubs World Series championship in over a century had to fire their rookie manager in order to bring in Joe Maddon, one of the most revered leaders in the game and a man who they believed could best execute their collective vision.
Maddon spoke highly of his predecessor during the first action of spring training, saying he believes he and Renteria share one common trait most managers can’t claim: being a true coach.
“[Renteria] and I both came up the same way,” Maddon told FanGraphs.