With the good comes the tough times in Cubs’ history. There have been some rough runs in the managerial seat, but who are the least successful managers in franchise history? The club let David Ross go this offseason to bring in Craig Counsell. Ross didn’t succeed much in his four years as manager, but he is nowhere near this list. The former catcher finished with a 262-284 record in his tenure, placing him 14th all-time in wins for the organization. This includes a shortened 2020 and 2021 seasons in which the Cubs waived the white flag by trading away everyone at the deadline.
Many believe that the “College of Coaches” the Cubs had in the 1961 season are the least successful managers in the team’s history. For this list’s sake, only individuals in charge of the club at one point in time will be evaluated.
3. Jim Riggleman
Riggleman managed the Cubs from 1995-1999. He had a record of 374-419, equaling a .472 winning percentage. His 419 losses are the fourth most by a manager in franchise history. The only problem is. the three men ahead of him in losses all had winning records. Two of the three are Hall of Famers. One of them (Frank Chance) is a consensus top-five skipper in Cubs’ history at worst.
Riggleman saw one playoff appearance in his five seasons. More was expected out of him to right the ship in the late 90s. The Cubs had the top payroll in the league for three out of the five seasons Riggleman was leading the club. This resulted in much disappointment when it was time to dismiss Riggleman.
2. Dale Sveum
After spending over five years in the Brewers organization, the Cubs hired Sveum in November 2011 to manage the club. Unfortunately for Sveum, he just happened to be a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. The team was still amid their long rebuild, so the hitting guru wasn’t given much to work with.
Sveum posted a 127-197 record in just two seasons, good for a .392 winning percentage. This included a 101-loss season in year one for Sveum back in 2012. His decision-making process regarding managing pitching was rather questionable at times. Seeing young stars like Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo slump at times in 2013 also raised some worries with Sveum’s hitting background.
1. Mike Quade
Quade was an organizational guy through and through. He managed the Iowa Cubs from 2003-2006. After Quade missed out on the big league job in 2007 to Lou Pinella, he still earned a promotion to the big club as the team’s third base coach. With Pinella fired during the 2010 season, Quade stepped in as the interim manager.
In the following offseason, Quade got his interim tag removed. This would be a decision the Cubs would soon regret. In two years, Quade finished with a 95-104 record. The skipper was most likely awarded the job due to respect within the organization. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll win many ball games.
For a team that was just a few seasons removed from a division title when Quade took over, he quickly sent the organization back to a familiar state. Most of all, many fans wanted Ryne Sandberg to take over for the 2010 season. This made the decision to remove Quade’s interim tag an unpopular one.
Without the likes of Quade and Sveum contributing to the horrible seasons this club had in the 2010s, who knows if 2016 would have been a thing? Even though Sveum received a World Series ring from the Cubs later on (and even one in 2015 as the Royals hitting coach) he and Quade’s struggles need to be recognized.
On the bright side, Counsell should be the man this organization has writing the lineup card for a very long time.
Main Photo Credits: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
