The Plan: Epstein, Maddon, and the Audacious Blueprint for a Cubs Dynasty

The biggest sports story of 2016 was the Chicago Cubs. The team's 108-year World Championship drought finally came to an end after a stellar season and a thrilling seven-game World Series. The names Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Joe Maddon, Jake Arrieta, and David Ross will be remembered in Chicago as fondly as Ernie Banks or Ron Santo. Here, Kaplan reviews the team's recent history, primarily its ownership and management along with key decisions and player acquisitions that led to the Cubs' success. Kaplan covers the Cubs for CSN Chicago along with hosting CNN's Sports Talk Live and cohosting Kap & Company on ESPN 100. The author offers insight into the inner workings of the team based on firsthand interviews with executives such as Cubs president (and former Boston Red Sox general manager) Theo Epstein. However, it is unfortunate that such access did not result in a more readable book. The quality of the writing throughout is subpar, hampered by repetition and poor sentence structure. Stronger editing would have helped.