So now the unpleasant business of parting company with Cubs manager Joe Maddon is done. Two things about that are true: It had to happen, and it’s too bad it came to this.
The man who helped lead the franchise to what had been unthinkable, a World Series title, was also the man who oversaw a talented club that couldn’t take advantage of the open window in front of it. The failure wasn’t all Maddon’s fault. He might not even be answerable to 25 percent of it. But in sports, if you’re not winning, you’re getting ready to be asked what you’d like for a final meal.