Maddon confident Cubs' coaching staff will return for 2017
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon indicated Sunday his coaching staff would be welcome back for 2017.
"I would anticipate," he said before Game 5 of the World Series at Wrigley Field. "But I haven't talked to Theo (team president Epstein) about that."
One national report said that bench coach Dave Martinez may interview for the vacant managerial job with the Colorado Rockies.
"He should," Maddon said. "There are very few openings right now, right? I would hope that Davey does get that opportunity to interview and possibly get the job."
Maddon and his coaching staff form an interesting picture. Most big-name managers normally get to choose most, if not all, of their coaching staff when they take a job. But when Maddon came to Chicago in the fall of 2014, he inherited a staff, adding only Martinez, who worked for Maddon in Tampa Bay.
Pitching coach Chris Bosio is completing his fifth year as is catching coach Mike Borzello. Hitting coach John Mallee was hired in October 2014, right before the Cubs replaced manager Rick Renteria with Maddon. Bullpen coach Lester Strode has been in the organization 28 years. First-base coach Brandon Hyde and third-base coach Gary Jones are in their third seasons with the Cubs. Quality-assurance coach Henry Blanco is in his second year.
"Coming into the entire moment, Theo and Jed (GM Hoyer) were adamant that they liked a lot of the guys who were here, and of course, trust," Maddon said. "They described each guy. I tried to call, and I did call, and I got to know them as well as I can in a phone conversation. But when you get there in spring training the first week and see how confident they are, and they are. They're really good. A big part of my job is to coach the coaches.
"It's unusual to have that many guys stick, and then it's unusual to have that kind of success with that group, also. I'm here to tell you, man: A coaching staff can really make a difference in both being successful and not successful. Everybody only looks at the coaching staff that does well. But there are times when the team doesn't do so well, if you really wanted to get under the hood, it could be that the coaches, there was not a whole lot of unity there."
Praise for Ross:
David Ross started behind the plate for the Cubs in their final home game of 2016. Ross, who catches when Jon Lester pitches, will retire at season's end.
Asked before the game about Sunday being a possible farewell for Ross, Joe Maddon said: "I hope not. I hope it doesn't happen for a couple more days. I hope his farewell occurs in a parade."
Maddon went on to praise Ross further.
"He's just a different cat," Maddon said. "He's earned the right to be in these moments. He's going to make a very good scout, coach, manager, major-league manager, whatever he chooses to do. But he has been a huge part of us being successful."
Familiar face:
Originally drafted by the White Sox, Jason Bere pitched on the South Side from 1993-98. The right-hander also pitched for the Cubs in 2001-02, and he's currently the Indians' bullpen coach.
Bere has some fond memories of his time playing in Chicago on both sides of town.
The 45-year-old Boston native was pumped when the Cubs ousted the Dodgers in the National League championship series to advance to the World Series .
"It's awesome," Bere said. "I think we knew that when they beat L.A. Everybody knew how great it was going to be, not just because of the history, it was this stadium (Wrigley Field), everything. Maybe the amenities aren't the best, but you play in Fenway (Park), you play here, there's nothing like it, I mean nothing in the world."
Just hanging with mom:
Joe Maddon said he was up late Saturday night into Sunday morning having a pizza party with his family, including his mother, Beanie.
"How about my mom?" he said. "I keep talking about my mom. It's 2 o'clock. She's got to get up a 4 to go on a plane to go back. They're already back in Pennsylvania. God bless her. But I had a nice time catching up with some folks last night. We did the pizza. It was outstanding. We just hung out.
"I guess all she could talk about with my sister is the car ride from the airport with the cops."
• Scot Gregor contributed to this report.