The Cubs WayThe Cubs Way

It took 108 years, but it really happened. The Chicago Cubs are once again World Series champions. How did a team of untested young players and carefully selected veterans come together to break the longest championship drought in professional sports? Beginning with Theo Epstein's first season as team president in 2012, sportswriter Tom Verducci shows how Epstein went beyond "Moneyball" thinking when planning the path to a championship. Epstein focused on the mental side of the game as much as the physical, emphasizing chemistry and character 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 a lack of rules to keep his team loose, Maddon mixed New Age thinking with old-school leadership to help his players find their edge. The Cubs Way tells how key players such as Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber, Russell, Arrieta, and Lester were deftly brought into the organization by Epstein, and guided by Maddon to outperform expectations. From Maddon's game plans to rain-delay pep talks, Verducci provides a previously unseen view from the bench, inside the locker room, and even in the owner's box. This is the World Series unveiled.