10 Years Post Title, Maddon, Baker, and Piniella Hit Hall of Fame Ballot

Three former managers of the Chicago Cubs have earned spots on the Contemporary Era Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. The announcement came on November 2, marking ten years since the team won its 2016 World Series title. Joe Maddon, Dusty Baker, and Lou Piniella are now part of a group of eight finalists who face a 16-member panel for a chance at induction.

Maddon led the Cubs to their first championship in 108 seasons. He spent five seasons with the team and recorded 471 wins. Before his tenure in Chicago, he managed the Tampa Bay Rays to their first World Series appearance in 2008. His arrival in Chicago preceded the 2015 season, and he guided the team to three consecutive National League Championship Series appearances.

Dusty Baker, who ranks eighth on the all-time list for managerial wins, also made the ballot. He spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco Giants, where he won 840 games and reached the 2002 World Series. He joined the Cubs the following year and helped them defeat the Atlanta Braves in the 2003 National League Division Series, ending a 95-year playoff win drought for the club. He finished his time in Chicago with 322 victories and later won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2022.

Lou Piniella, the third Cubs manager on the list, won the 1990 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds. He later managed the Seattle Mariners to a record 116 wins in the 2001 season. Piniella took over the Cubs before the 2007 season and became the first manager since Frank Chance to lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances. The team won division titles in 2007 and 2008 under his leadership. He left the organization late in the 2010 season with 316 wins.

The ballot also includes Bruce Bochy, who has 2,252 career wins and four World Series rings. Brian Sabean, who served as the general manager for the Giants during their three World Series victories, is also a finalist. Other candidates on the list include Sandy Alderson, Ted Turner, and Bill White. The panel consists of Hall of Fame players, MLB executives, media members, and historians.

A candidate must secure at least 75 percent of the votes to be enshrined in Cooperstown. The panel will cast its ballots in the coming weeks, with the final decision scheduled for announcement on December 6.