The Chicago Cubs fired manager Dale Sveum on Monday. The Cubs finished last in the NL Central for the first time in seven years.
Sveum took over for Mike Quade after the 2011 season. The Cubs finished the season with a 66-96 record. They lost 41 of their final 59 games, including six of their last seven games. In his two seasons with the Cubs, Sveum went 127-197, according to ESPN. He had one year remaining on a three-year deal.
“Today, we made the very difficult decision to relieve Dale Sveum of his duties as Cubs manager," Cubs president Theo Epstein said in a statement, according to the Chicago Tribune. "Dale has been a committed leader for this team the last two seasons, and I want to thank him for all of his dedication and hard work."
Epstein and his staff were not happy in areas in which Sveum was evaluated. Those areas include development of young players, in-game decision-making, use of the 25 man roster, and the ability to “create a culture of accountability, hard work and preparation, and the ability to develop a strong trust with his players,” notes the Chicago Tribune.
With Sveum now gone, the Cubs could peruse New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose contract ends at the end of October. Giradi will talk to the Yankees before he talks to any other team.
The Cubs will have their fifth manager in five seasons in 2014.