Schuster: Looks Like It's Sveum
By David Schuster-
MILWAUKEE (CBS) From all appearances it looks like Dale Sveum will be the new Cubs' new manager. All indications point to that following a series of events Wednesday.
The initial indication came from a source who told me that some news would soon break out moving the Cubs in a certain direction. That source was correct as Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux had withdrawn his name from consideration just one day earlier. Maddux may or may not have been the leading candidate at that point but Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer quickly moved to interview Sveum a second time while up in Milwaukee. Owner Tom Ricketts was also up in Milwaukee and even though he would not confirm a meeting with Sveum it appears that he also met with his prospective new manager.
Then late Wednesday night the Red Sox confirmed that they are expanding their own managerial search, which is code for they know that Sveum has been offered, and likely accepted the Cubs' offer.
Of course, no one has made any official declaration that Sveum will be the new manager, specifically the Cubs, but all the top experts in the game have already come to that conclusion.
Sveum is a baseball lifer who was made to manage. He has had an incredible amount of success as a hitting coach (both in Milwaukee and Boston) and comes with some great built in advantages. He is familiar with the Cubs having faced them the last couple of years, but maybe more importantly he knows the division through and through and actually will help his bosses with their learning curve, too.
Look for an official announcement perhaps as soon as later today with a press conference over the next few days.
