HR0874 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0874 LRB099 15503 MST 39792 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives would like to congratulate Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon on being named Major League Baseball's 2015 National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America for leading his team to achieve tremendous accomplishments this year; and

WHEREAS, Joseph John "Joe" Maddon was born in Hazleton, Pennsylvania on February 8, 1954 to Joe and Albina Maddon; and

WHEREAS, Joe Maddon played baseball and football for Lafayette College located in Easton, Pennsylvania; he graduated in 1976 and pursued a career in baseball shortly thereafter; and

WHEREAS, Although Joe Maddon signed a minor league contract with the then-California Angels organization as a catcher, he would not make it to the higher echelons of the organization as a player; however, he proved to have a different calling and a more important role to play by coaching, scouting, and managing for the Angels for 31 years; and

WHEREAS, Joe Maddon has enjoyed much success throughout his storied managerial career in Major League Baseball (MLB); after becoming the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (later named the Tampa Bay Rays) manager in November of 2005, he was determined to help turn around a struggling team; and

WHEREAS, In 2008, Joe Maddon successfully led the Tampa Bay Rays to their first winning season, their first American League East Championship, and their first American League Championship pennant - ultimately reaching the World Series, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies; for his revolutionary transformation of a down-on-its luck baseball team to a World Series contender, he was awarded the American League Manager of the Year Award, the first of his career (his second would come in the Tampa Bay Rays' 2013 season); and

WHEREAS, Joe Maddon would continue to lead a championship caliber team in the Tampa Bay Rays in the following years, reaching the post-season in 2010, 2011, and 2013; after 9 seasons of managing Tampa Bay, he amassed an overall winning record of 754 wins and 705 losses; and

WHEREAS, After the 2014 season, Joe Maddon decided to end his tenure with the Rays and pursue other opportunities; on November 2, 2014, the Chicago Cubs announced him as their new manager; he brought with him not only a new-found sense of hope, but, perhaps more importantly, a stellar resume and proven track record of success; and

WHEREAS, With Joe Maddon joining a new team came new opportunities for both the 'skipper' and the historic Cubs franchise; after years of rebuilding, readjusting, and renewing the ball club, general manager Theo Epstein and Cubs fans everywhere believed that a key piece of the Cubs' winning equation had been found; and

WHEREAS, The young Chicago Cubs team, under the direction of Joe Maddon, went on to post a record of 97 wins and just 65 losses - a record good enough to put them at third best in MLB; they successfully defeated their division rival, the Pittsburgh Pirates, in a one-game wild card playoff bout to earn a place in the National League Division Series; and

WHEREAS, The Cubs then went on to play the National League Division Series against their archrivals, the St. Louis Cardinals; after a heated series, the Cubs proved victorious and went on to face the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) - a feat that had not been accomplished by the Cubs since the memorable 2003 season; while the season would end with the NLCS this year, the Cubs proudly displayed excellent character and will - a testament to manager Joe Maddon; and

WHEREAS, The 2015 season was the first time since 2008 that the Cubs managed to reach the playoffs; the Cubs, made up of a medley of young, salubrious talent, has given Cubs fans everywhere a renewed reason to root on the team; manager Joe Maddon is very much a reason for this; and

WHEREAS, For his demonstrated efforts and proven leadership with the 2015 Chicago Cubs, Joe Maddon, received 18 of 30 possible first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and was the only manager named on every one of the ballots cast for National League Manager of the Year; he now joins Jim Frey (1984), Don Zimmer (1989), and Lou Piniella (2008) on the short list of Cubs managers to win such a prestigious award; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon for being named Major League Baseball's National League Manager of the Year and wish him and his ball club continued success in their pursuits of a World Series championships in the years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon as a symbol of our appreciation.