Sveum had been in charge of the National League team for the past two seasons. The Cubs released a statement, which said it was a difficult decision to make since Sveum was very committed to the organization. The club thanked him for his effort and time and wished him luck in the future.
It shouldn’t have come as a total surprise for Sveum, since the Cubs announced on Sept. 17 that he and his coaching staff were being evaluated. However, the former manager simply didn’t produce for the Cubs, as he led the team to a 61-101 record last year and finished in the NL Central division’s cellar this season after going 66-96.
The organization has been rebuilding ever since Sveum took over, with some established players being traded for prospects. Some of the veterans who were shipped out included starting pitchers Paul Maholm, Ryan Dempster, Scott Feldman and Matt Garza. This is also along with David DeJesus, Alfonso Soriano and catcher Geovany Soto. The team used a franchise record of 56 players this season with just 12 of them finishing the campaign from the opening-day roster.
The Cubs said they didn’t dismiss Sveum just because of the their record and pair of last-place seasons, but also took into consideration the development of their young prospects.
Sveum may have brought some unwanted attention to himself during a series against the Milwaukee Brewers between September 16-18 when he was seen on camera embroiled in a dugout argument with pitcher Edwin Jackson. The following day, Jeff Samardzija and coach David Bell also had an argument. However, the Cubs claimed these were just minor incidents and were the only two that took place under Sveum’s reign.
Perhaps Sveum should have known that the 2013 season wasn’t going to be a good one. He was accidentally shot in the backside during the offseason by former teammate Robin Yount in a hunting accident.
The season wasn’t a total disaster, though, as some of the Cubs showed marked improvement this year under Sveum. These included Travis Wood, Welington Castillo, Chris Rusin, Hector Rondon, Darwin Barney and Samardzija. It’s expected that Barney will win a gold glove for his fielding this year.
A few of the players didn’t live up to their potential, though, and this is why the club struggled for most of the season. The organization is now looking for a suitable replacement to take over as manager and will take the time to interview several candidates. If they have anybody specific in mind, it’s a secret since they haven’t mentioned any names as possible candidates.
Whoever takes over will have their work cut out for them, though, as the team will try to dig itself out of the basement in the 2014 MLB season.
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