North: Maddon making a huge difference with Cubs
The Chicago Cubs seem to have it all: swagger, confidence, skill and, maybe most important, they don't back down.
The St. Louis Cardinals have possessed these qualities for a long time, which is why they have 11 World Series titles and 19 NL pennants.
The Cubs have lacked in accomplishments, but with ace pitcher Jake Arrieta tweeting Pittsburgh Pirates fans saying the team was done and manager Joe Maddon professing his team won't back down, the tone is different.
The unofficial book of baseball claims the manager will win or lose five games a year for a team. The Cubs won 97 games this year - 24 more than last year. I can't help but think Maddon deserves a heap of the credit for the vast improvement, much more than Cards manager Mike Matheny, who seems to fit that five-game rule.
Let me ask Cubs fans this question: if Rick Renteria was the manager again this year, do you think the Cubs would have just won a one-game wild-card playoff game against the Pirates?
I think not.
Here's my prediction: Cubs beat the Cardinals 4-2, and Maddon will have a big hand in winning the series.
Sinking Sox:
On the other side of town, the White Sox are heading in the opposite direction from the Cubs. We see the same results again with a front office that can't seem to right their ship. Robin Ventura returns as manager next season and will continue to underwhelm the handful of hard-core White Sox fans who remain.
The remnants of that 2005 World Series championship are long gone, and the opponent they swept in that series, the Houston Astros, are back knocking at the door.
Meanwhile, the White Sox are still searching to find their winning ways. It seems like owner Jerry Reinsdorf and his organization have settled for feeding their dwindling fan base mediocrity.
Wild-card within reach:
The Chicago Bears are taking a back seat to the red-hot Cubs right now, but if the Bears can get it done this week against the 1-3 Kansas City Chiefs, things should get a little more interesting.
The Bears are 10-point underdogs in this game and coach Andy Reid is hungry for a victory. Even though the Bears pulled off an improbable victory over the Oakland Raiders last week, this Bears team is still not very good.
If KC loses, Reid will be in the hot seat. If the Bears lose, new coach John Fox and first-year general manager Ryan Pace are still in their honeymoon period and are very much aware that more roster changes need to be made.
However, if the Bears can pull off a win on the road and go 2-3, they will actually be within earshot of the wild-card race! Don't forget that their first three games this season were against playoff teams.
The Bears beat Oakland, but can they beat the Chiefs? Let's hope so.
Program notes:
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• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.