Joe Maddon's Last 2 Seasons With the Cubs Have Been Insanely Unlucky

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who won a World Series for this franchise for the first time in 108 years back in 2016, will reportedly not be retained following the 2019 season.

And though the eye test can give you plenty of information to justify that decision, there's also plenty of unlucky circumstance at play.

With the way things have finished the last few years, you can understand why the Cubs brass wants to make a change. But is Maddon the problem? When you look at the 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively, Maddon and the Cubs have been extremely unlucky.

Last season, the Cubs played in a Game 163 with the Milwaukee Brewers because the Brew Crew ended the year on an eight-game winning streak, which included the extra regular season game.

As you recall, not only did they not win the division, but they ended up losing to the Colorado Rockies the very next night in the Wild Card Game.

It was a weird ending, but with all the talent up and down their roster, they would bounce back and be the favorites to win the division in 2019, right? Well, that didn't even come close to happening.

For a good portion of the 2019 season, the Cubs had control of the division. However, the Cardinals and Brewers have made incredible pushes in September, and the Cubs just never responded.

Prior to last weekend's series against the Cardinals, Chicago was still in prime position. If not for Milwaukee's otherworldly surge, wouldn't a Cubs playoff berth have been much more realistic? Maddon can't control that, after all.

A big reason for this perceived slide is their starting rotation, which features accomplished arms, but took huge steps back, specifically in the case of southpaw Jon Lester. And it's not like their bullpen really helped them out, either.

Yes, the Cubs bullpen ranks eighth in all of baseball in bullpen ERA (3.94), but they also rank seventh in the game with a whopping 28 blown saves. Craig Kimbrel, arriving midseason and blaming a lack of prep time for his struggles, has not been the addition Maddon and the Cubs expected. Perhaps some of that blame goes to the front office that didn't acquiesce to his demands earlier and create a more routine schedule?

If you're going to blame someone for the Cubs misfortunes in recent years, you shouldn't be pointing the finger at Maddon. Only so much coaching can help coax a team towards the finish line; smart managing can't fix a busted rotation, nor can it halt an historic surge from your rival. It might be best for both sides to part ways, but unless he's retiring, his new team will be gaining a future Hall of Fame manager.