A LEGACY TO STAND ON
But Maddon has more he wants to accomplish
MESA, Ariz. — Manager Joe Maddon has a restaurant coming this year to the Cubs’ commercial and office building on Clark next toWrigley Field. The plans naturally call for a baseball- and- Cubs theme throughout, heavily influenced by the team’s recent run of success that includes a historic World Series title, and the restaurant will have Maddon’s name emblazoned across the front. Talk about a legacy. Like Tinker to Evers to Chance, the legend of Merkle’s Boner and even Harry Caray’s singing of the seventhinning stretch at Wrigley Field, the restaurant is almost certain to outlive its inspiration — and certainly Maddon’s managing career with the Cubs. ‘‘ I haven’t thought about legacy,’’ said Maddon, who has two years left on a five- year contract that escalated to $ 28 million in total value after the 2016World Series. Good food, wine and winning more baseball games, sure. But the managing legacy he already has built during arguably the most successful three- year run in franchise history — not to mention the brickandmortar legacy of the eatery — is a thought that must wait.
‘‘ Regardless of that, I still would want to stay,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘ Iwould never— never— try to forcemyself on anybody. If anybody did not want me to be anywhere, I would leave without kicking and screaming. I promise you that’s true.
‘‘ But I like to believe we’ve developed this wonderful relationship that even when we’re done doing this, when the Cubs do need somebody else to manage, that there’s still going to be a strong relationship.’’
On Thursday, Maddon will open his 13th season as a big- league manager with a team that looks — on paper— as though it has the potential to be his best yet.
In three seasons with the Cubs, his teams have averaged 97 victories and have won six of eight postseason rounds they have played.
And what Maddon wants most is more. At least another championship and at least five more years of managing.
‘‘ That’s what I’m thinking right now,’’ he said. ‘‘ If it’s up to me.’’
It might be hard to believe, but the manager known for onesies, zoo animals and an ability to draw high performance from young players became the oldest manager in