The Cubs Way

The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse

By: Tom Verducci

Narrated by: Tom Verducci

Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

With inside access and reporting, Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and FOX Sports analyst Tom Verducci reveals how Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon built, led, and inspired the Chicago Cubs team that broke the longest championship drought in sports, chronicling their epic journey to become World Series champions.

It took 108 years, but it really happened. The Chicago Cubs are once again World Series champions. 

How did a team composed of unknown young players and supposedly washed-up veterans come together to break the Curse of the Billy Goat? Tom Verducci, twice named National Sportswriter of the Year and cowriter of The Yankee Years with Joe Torre, will have full access to team president Theo Epstein, manager Joe Maddon, and the players to tell the story of the Cubs' transformation from perennial underachievers to the best team in baseball. 

Beginning with Epstein's first year with the team in 2011, Verducci will show how Epstein went beyond "Moneyball" thinking to turn around the franchise. Leading the organization with a manual called "The Cubs Way", he focused on the mental side of the game as much as the physical, emphasizing chemistry as well as statistics. 

To accomplish his goal, Epstein needed manager Joe Maddon, an eccentric innovator, as his counterweight on the Cubs' bench. A man who encourages themed road trips and late-arrival game days to loosen up his team, Maddon mixed New Age thinking with Old School leadership to help his players find their edge. 

The Cubs Way takes listeners behind the scenes, chronicling how key players like Rizzo, Russell, Lester, and Arrieta were deftly brought into the organization by Epstein and coached by Maddon to outperform expectations. Together, Epstein and Maddon proved that clubhouse culture is as important as on-base percentage and that intangible components like personality, vibe, and positive energy are necessary for a team to perform to their fullest potential. 

Verducci chronicles the playoff run that culminated in an instant classic Game Seven. He takes a broader look at the history of baseball in Chicago and the almost supernatural element to the team's repeated loses that kept fans suffering but also served to strengthen their loyalty. 

The Cubs Way is a celebration of an iconic team and its journey to a World Championship that fans and listeners will cherish for years to come.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 Tom Verducci (P)2017 Random House Audio

The best baseball book I’ve ever read

People that need to read this book are as follows:

People interested in how to manage people
People that like baseball
Cub fans


I can’t say enough good things about this book. I absolutely love it.

Outstanding book on an outstanding baseball team

If you could sum up The Cubs Way in three words, what would they be?

Fly the "W"

What other book might you compare The Cubs Way to and why?

None really - no book I have read captures the story of a team like this one does

What about Tom Verducci’s performance did you like?

Sounds just like he does on TV - not a homer, but as a no-nonsense reporter

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Cubs Win! Cubs Win!"

Any additional comments?

Nearly everyone, including non-baseball fans, is aware of the story of the Chicago Cubs during the 2016 season. Having not won the World Series since 1908, the team was led by a core of young position players and not only compiled the best record in baseball, they broke the so-called “curse” and defeated the Cleveland Indians in a thrilling 7-game World Series. The story of how this championship team was built is told in this outstanding book by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. He also narrated the audiobook, which was also done well. Authors who narrate the audio version of their books help to lend an air of authority to the work.

The story of the team is told mostly through extensive interviews with Cubs president Theo Epstein and field manager Joe Maddon. Both of them have ideas and viewpoints that go against the traditional way of building and managing a winning team, something that is noteworthy in the usually conservative business of baseball. For example, many teams try to build their teams through pitching as there are plenty of clichés and conventional thoughts that state pitching is more important.

However, Epstein didn’t follow that model. Instead, he concentrated on obtaining a core of talented position players who would live up to his standards for talent, character and leadership. Between trades and the draft, Epstein found his core players. First baseman Anthony Rizzo (trade), third baseman Kris Bryant (draft), catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber (draft) and shortstop Addison Russell (trade) make up that core and Verducci tells the reader why each of these players are so important to the team. Oh, and as for pitchers – through some shrewd trades and free agent signings of veterans like Jon Lester and Jake Arrietta, that was addressed as well.

The best and most extensive writing, however, is saved for the lengthy passages about Maddon and his unorthodox approach to running his team. Having already achieved success with the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon’s complete story with the Cubs is captured with humor, detail and inside information that he was more than happy to share with Verducci. The reader will feel like he or she is part of the Cubs clubhouse – which is one of those important details that helped change the culture of the team after it underwent a multi-million dollar upgrade.

If Cubs fans read only one book about their team’s magical 2016 season, this is the one they must read. Even readers like me who are not Cubs fans but want to read about an excellent baseball team, this book should be added to their libraries. Verducci can certainly fly the “W” with this winner of a book.

Classic Book About the Youngest Legendary Team Ever

This is an amazing book about the greatest story in the history of sports: the green Chicago Cubs winning the World Series after a century+ drought. Wonderful writing about baseball, character, creativity, life, and resilience. This book puts words to a defining moment for Chicago , Cub fans, and all sports lovers.

Thrilling. Revelatory. Mythic.

When winning the World Series is a more than just destiny. Money, analytics, innovation, character -- and characters.

Management 101

The book relives the Cubs 2016 season with incredible insight into every player’s, coach’s, and executive’s journey to Game 7 of the World Series. More importantly, it delivers a powerful message about leadership and the importance of people. Sits nicely alongside Astroball.

Verducci does a serviceable job as the narrator of his own book. He isn’t a polished audiobook reader, but he gives the yeoman’s effort and the book’s story pushes everything to five stars.

Masterpiece

Like the season it immortalizes, this work is a masterpiece. Like the 2016 Cubs, it goes wire to wire with joy, skill and smarts. This is a national treasure.

Cubs Win!

Thought I might go a whole lifetime without seeing this but wow, they did it! I am a Yankee fan for my whole life but this was a great story. Theo is a genius!

All the Feels again

I absolutely loved hearing the full, behind the scenes story of the greatest story in baseball history (yes, I am very biased...lol). The twists and turns of that World Series still made me nervous hearing it read to me...just wonderful.

Awesome 👌

I Reilly like this book ! Narration by Tom Verducci was just the icing on the cake. I recommend this to any baseball, sport and especially Cubs fan

A good effort

Well researched and well told. Provided insights not available to the average fan. I still can’t believe the Cubs won the World Series!

Decent story, but not a lot of insights

This is a decent story, but likely much more interesting to lifelong Cubs fans or those that devour baseball books. No great insights, much more personal backgrounds of players, coaches and management

A little dry

It may be due to Moneyball being my only previous baseball read, a masterpiece, but I found this a little disappointing. A good story for sure, but lacking the excitement I’d expect such a tale to convey.

The Cubs Way!!!

What a listen. Read the book a few years ago, and enjoyed the listen even more.

Author does a great job at telling the story, while digging into the psychology and coaching of the organisation

That’s cub.

A must for all baseball fans

Even as Tampa Bay Rays fan, this was phenomenal. A real insight into the day to day management of a Major League Baseball team. Every minuet retail was covered in a rally interesting way. Loved listening to this on my commute into London. 10/10