Obsessive New Manager Watch: Dale Sveum Speaks

Like Pete Mackanin before him, Chicago Cubs managerial interviewee Dale Sveum, 47, was tasked with meeting with the media immediately after a grueling day of interviews. Among the notable quotes and thoughts…

  • On his relationship with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, who were in the front office when Sveum was the third base coach with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2005: “We were very fortunate to win the first World Series in Boston in a very long time. I was only there two years, but we had a good relationship. It was my first tenure as a coach in the big leagues and he was just starting out as a general manager. It was fun. When you win, it cures a lot of things. But it’s not like we kept in touch. But we always have had mutual awareness of each other and respect as well.” It sounds like, while they all worked for the same company for a couple years, they weren’t exactly hanging out together at the water cooler.
  • On being passed over for the Brewers’ job in 2009, after a short, successful interim manager stint: “I was disappointed, I would’ve liked to have gotten the job. I didn’t dwell on it. I understand the decisions people make. I was as professional as I could be about it and moved on. It was disappointing. I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t disappointed. There’s no doubt about it that I wanted that job and felt it was the right time. I moved on. I knew it would happen someday that I would get an opportunity. I never lost hope.” It’s a credit that Sveum stayed on with the Brewers after being passed over, and that he’s stayed on staff through three managerial changes. He’s clearly a valued voice in the dugout.
  • On the future of his pupil, free agent first baseman Prince Fielder: “Well, wherever he signs they are getting one heck of a guy. [He’s] one of my favorite people I’ve ever coached. And the way he competes and plays the game hard as he does every night, you wish you had 25 Prince Fielders. The leadership he brings by the way he plays is unmatched by anyone in baseball.” While I don’t buy the idea that the Cubs will or will not pursue Fielder on the basis of the manager’s prior relationship with him, I do buy the idea that Sveum would push the Cubs to pursue Fielder, and might make the Cubs a tiny bit more attractive as a landing spot.
  • On his competition, Mike Maddux: “He’s a lot like me as far as due diligent work that he does every day. He’s one of the hardest working coaches, if not the hardest working coach, in baseball, and that’s why he’s put himself in this position to get one of these jobs. It’s just nice to be mentioned with a Mike Maddux, because he’s a good friend of mine and he’ll make a good manager someday, if not this year,”
  • On his approach to preparing for games: “We can all use stats the way we want them to be used …. I do my due diligence and video work and prepare as much as anybody. As far as the stats, those are what they are, and we can use them to our advantage. It’s a big part of the game now. It’s helping us win a lot of ballgames, the stats and the matchups. That’s just part of the game now, and you use what you can. But a lot of that stuff, we do throw out, too.” Not much beyond what you’d expect him to say, but the buzz is that Sveum is a bit more heavy into the stats and preparation than most.
  • On his stoicism in front of the players: “I think one trait you have to have as a manager is never let [the players] see one way or the other how you’re feeling, whether you’re nervous or mad or whatever. I think it’s a bad trait to show body language to the players nowadays.” Sveum says he’s an emotional guy (his nickname is “Nuts”), but he tries to keep it cool in the dugout and on the field.
  • On rebuilding, or not: “When you’re dealing with the Cubs or any major market [team], you’re expected to win that year. You’re not expecting to be rebuilding or doing anything other than thinking about winning the World Series. That’s anybody’s goal. It’s obviously very important to the city of Chicago and the Chicago Cubs and Theo Epstein to not just compete and play .500 baseball.” The inclusion of Epstein, by name, in that statement, to me, suggests this is the impression Sveum got from Epstein during the interview.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Braves vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Atlanta Braves start their season as road favorites (-125) in a matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSSO from Citizens Bank Park.Spencer Strider will get the ball for Atlanta while Philadelphia will...

    Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

    Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

    Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Milwaukee Brewers open their season as -110 favorites in a road matchup with the New York Mets on Friday at 1:40 PM ET, live on SNY.Freddy Peralta gets the starting nod for Milwaukee while Jose Quintana is New York's...

    Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) host the Atlanta Braves (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.The Braves will call on Spencer Strider against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs. Phillies Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday,...

    Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

    Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) and the New York Mets (0-0) face off on Friday at Citi Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 1:40 PM ET.The Brewers will look to Freddy Peralta versus the Mets and Jose Quintana.Brewers vs....

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

    Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

    more cubs news