Epstein steps down after 9 seasons leading Cubs
CHICAGO » Listening in on fans’ conversations during his walks home from Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein could sense their excitement as the Chicago Cubs set themselves up to capture that longawaited World Series championship.
It was as if they were all in it together.
“It felt like the lines between fans and front office members and players were blurred because we were all part of this club that was in on a secret,” he said. “We all kind of knew what was about to happen, maybe before the rest of the baseball world did.”
Epstein, who transformed the long- suffering Cubs and helped bring home a drought- busting championship in 2016, is stepping down after nine seasons as the club’s president of baseball operations, the team announced Tuesday. General manager Jed Hoyer is being promoted to take Epstein’s place.
Epstein said after the season he anticipated remaining on the job for at least one more year, with his contract set to expire in 2021. But he said Tuesday it became apparent this past summer “for a number of reasons” it was time to move on.
“It became really clear that we’d be facing some significant long-term decisions this winter, decisions with long-term impacts,” Epstein said. “Those types of decisions are really best made by somebody who’s going to be here for a long time, not just for one more year. ... Jed clearly is that person.”
Chairman Tom Ricketts said it was a “sad day for me personally” and called Epstein a “great partner and truly a great friend.”
“Really, I think the legacy that Theo leaves behind is an organization that expects to win, not an organization that is surprised to win,” Ricketts added.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked financial havoc on baseball, Ricketts said money “had nothing to do” with Epstein’s decision. Epstein, who won’t be paid for 2021 by the Cubs, said Ricketts did not bring up his salary when they discussed his future. He also said he was not asked to resign.