Try Not to Suck: The Exceptional, Extraordinary Baseball Life of Joe Maddon

by Bill Chastain, Jesse Rogers, Ben Zobrist (Foreword)

With his irreverant personality, laid-back approach, and penchant for the unexpected, Joe Maddon is a singular presence among Major League Baseball managers. Whether he's bringing clowns and live bear cubs to spring training or leading the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series victory in 108 years, Maddon is always one to watch. In Try Not to Suck, ESPN's Jesse Rogers and MLB.com's Bill Chastain fully explore Maddon's life and career, delving behind the scenes and dissecting that mystique which makes Maddon so popular with players and analysts alike. Packed with insight, anecdotes, and little-known facts, this is the definitive account of the curse-breaker and trailblazer at the helm of the Cubs' new era.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2018

About the author

Bill Chastain began his journalism career as a freelance writer shortly after graduating from Georgia Tech in 1979. Some of the more notable publications where his stories have appeared over the years include: Razor Magazine, Nation’s Business, SPORT Magazine, and Inside Sports. Chastain worked as a sports reporter for The St. Petersburg Times and The St. Petersburg Evening Independent before going to The Tampa Tribune in 1990, where he worked for twelve years as a columnist and sports reporter. While with the Tribune he also served as a correspondent for Sports Illustrated. Currently he covers Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays for MLB.com.

Reviews

[ALLEN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Concurrent with today's news that the Chicago Cubs' spring opener has been snowed (not rained) out comes the realization that Try Not to Suck: The Exceptional, Extraordinary Baseball Life of Joe Maddon is still high on our local bestseller lists. Actually, this book doesn't suck at all, but as a buddy of mine said, it sure is a light read for such a heavy book. Cubs fans who know a lot about Maddon's career already may well want the book anyway as a souvenir of the man who helped get the Cubs to the World Series in 2016; Devil Rays fans may find their curiosity assuaged about how their old manager fared after leaving Florida. However, "in-depth" provides surprisingly little insight in this book beyond enthusiastic interviews and similar encomiums toward this singular, successful man. Worth reading, but even a solid fan can be forgiven for waiting for the price to come down.

[Michael Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The feature of this book, Joe Maddon, is worthy of 5 stars. The book though was average. I pulled a few new insights I wasn't aware of. If anything, it increases my hunger for the release day of #70's story in his words. That will be a 5 star read!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminds me of the bios of baseball that were meant for teens that I read growing up. Pretty simple read, written ok, but simplistic and overly laudatory. An ok beach read.

[Allison Kallberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Maddon is definitely a manager I would thrive under given his leadership style. Made me think about how my coaches impacted me both positively and negatively back in my sports days. Also really got me dreaming about being a PT for professional sports🙏

Also, brought me back to freshman year watching them FLY THE W!!🤩🤩🤩

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad, though after 300 pages I couldn't tell you what makes Maddon's coaching style so unique other than he "listens." To enjoy this book it helps to have an affinity for the Cubs and more specifically the 2015-16 Cubs.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Cubs fan and a converted Joe Maddon fan, I sure learned a lot about the Rays reading this book. I was in high school when Joe Maddon played single A ball with the local Angels affiliate. I didn’t attend any games that year, to my delayed regret. His playing career is covered pretty quickly – the reason being it was over pretty quickly. The book does spend a lot of time on his growing with the Angels and his days with the Rays. The Cubs content appear to heavily lean on interviews with Jon Lester, Jed Hoyer, and Theo Epstein, as well as news reports. The book does a good job of covering the way Maddon’s philosophy of coaching has changed over time, and how it expresses itself with slogan, theme days, and in conversations with the players and the press. He often breaks, or at least bends, convention, and manages through trust when he can. Maddon's research, his methods, and his outcomes would make an interesting Business/HR case study. And possibly a good Business Analytics case study as well, although that isn't covered in much depth here. Maddon is a very interesting character, and this really just gives a flavor of how he thinks. I look forward to future Maddon books more detailed and personal.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick read for a plane ride. Was bugged by a few factual errors and was surprised that the story of how Maddon was interviewed by Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer was omitted. I know it's well-trodden ground, but still a fun anecdote.
I think the book nailed Maddon's philosophy too, so if you're looking at mantras or mentalities to apply to your life or work, this book does deliver on that.

[Zack Teibloom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Joe Maddon. I liked this book. He’s a fascinating dude and a great coach and I loved rooting for his Tampa and Cubs teams. The book reads like (and mostly is) newspaper type features on those Rays and Cubs seasons which I certainly care about more than most, but they don’t go far beyond newspaper level reporting. There are some good Joe anecdotes but I’d much rather read his version of events.

[Matt O'Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine a coach or manager who trusts you as a baseball player and is positive, trustworthy and thinks outside the box. The book Try Not to Suck is the life of Joe Maddon, a baseball team manager, who demonstrates the trust technique with major league baseball teams.
Try Not to Suck illustrates the ups and downs of the life of one of the most well-known managers in all of baseball history. Joe Maddon’s life and career are described with many behind the scene details that take place both on and off the baseball field. His love of coaching, philosophy and the way he changed the sport itself is described in his laid-back approach with players.
The opinions, interviews, and interpretations stated throughout the book by members of the baseball community were one of the features that attracted me to reading this book. Joe Maddon’s managing style and techniques although discussed on the surface could have been discussed in greater depths.
I felt this book was enjoyable and I was able to see the insights of Joe Maddon and the game of baseball through a historical and inspirational manager.

[Kyle Beacom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while also reading the more recent "Book of Joe" by Tom Verducci. This book is the second best of those two. The Verducci book has more depth, including a ton of quotes from Maddon and those around him. Nevertheless, getting a closer look at Joe Maddon's decision-making is always fascinating to me as a baseball coach. His unconventional tactics will leave you asking "What if?" and looking for your own tactical advantages.

I enjoyed the recap of the wild Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and a close look at the decisions made by Maddon in that game. Though I'm not a Cubs fan, that is one of the best baseball games ever played, rain delay and all!

My favorite quote from Maddon in the book: "I believe that chemistry can create winning."

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first few chapters of Maddon's early life and then skipped to the last few chapers about his time with the Cubs. That was enough. I enjoyed what I read but was less interested in the details of his time with other franchises. I learned some things about baseball and about Maddon's style of letting players be themselves and treating them like the grown men they are. Batting practice? Up to them. Days off to rest? A good idea. Pulling pitchers before they are in trouble? Not always a way to make pitchers happy but that's his style.

Jim is reading the book too and probably enjoying it more than I did. He has read several little bits aloud to me to share his enjoyment!

[Laurie Hoppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this a good book? Or an OK good book about a fascinating man? I don't know how to review it, because the subject is sui generis. There is no one in baseball quite like Joe.

There are many times in his life when he could have viewed himself as a failure. But his optimism, curiosity, and insights carried him beyond and upward. I enjoyed having him in my head as I read.

Just know that this book ends in 2017. Before the wheels came off here in Chicago and before he went back to Los Angeles and was unceremoniously fired. How he faced those setbacks would have made fascinating reading, too.

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about Joe Madden and his life and baseball. Joe is not your typical old school manager. He is the ultimate players coach. He is great at keeping his players loose and fresh through out the long MLB season. Being a Cubs fan, I had already seen this first hand, but it was nice to learn about him growing up and early in his baseball career. This isn’t a book that gives your groundbreaking insight, but it is a good history of an interesting baseball life. If your a baseball fan you will enjoy this book.

[Jim Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only recommended for fans of Angels, Rays, or Cubs--the 3 Major League Baseball teams Maddon has been associated with. Interesting story of his climb from a mediocre minor league player who never reached the majors to one of the top managers in the game. A long slog fueled by perseverance, smarts, leadership skills, and luck. Too many repetitive cliched words of praise from those he's worked with. Was fun to read about Maddon's unpersuasive justification for his questionable moves in games 6 and 7 of 2016 World Series.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely the beach-reader version of the Joe Maddon story, or basically a really long Wikipedia entry on him. When I read about another person’s life and accomplishments I’m looking to really dig in to their mindsets, beliefs, and practices, and while this touches briefly on some of that, it really doesn’t go deep like you want it to. Hopefully Joe will give us an auto-biography someday.

[Jonathan Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddon's writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making it a quick read. The book is filled with valuable insights, not just on baseball but also on leadership and the importance of creating a positive culture within a team. Maddon's approach to the game and his ability to lead a team to success is truly inspiring. I highly recommend 'Try Not to Suck' to any baseball fan or anyone looking for a motivational read."

[Carrie Ill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Cubs fan. I like Joe Maddon. I enjoy baseball books. So, it made sense that I would pick this book up when I saw it. Sometimes sports biographies are only interesting to true fans. I don't think that is the case with this one. it is well-researched and written and has enough human interest to capture the attention of even a mild baseball fan. However, I would not recommend it to someone who doesn't know anything about baseball. While not overly technical, parts might be confusing or uninteresting to those who don't understand the game. However, as people like me are the intended audience, I don't see that as an issue.

[James W. Lanning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written, shallow, and the yet ending somehow still manages to be anti-climactic and unfulfilling. It's predominantly a litany of esoteric baseball trivia, with precious little of Maddon and his thoughts sprinkled throughout. Perhaps I read it for the wrong reasons, but if you don't like baseball, you're not going to like this book. You might not like it even if you do like baseball.

[David Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is great to read about a manager/coach that cares for his players and wants what is best for them. Maddon is enjoyable to hear be interviewed. He has great insights and the book brought out those ideas. Good book for those that will work with people in just about any field.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have big a BIG Cubs fan since 1967. This was an excellent read about Joe Maddon that allows one to understand the reasoning behind of lot of his managerial moves, such as the handling of his bullpen in Games 6 and 7 of the 2016 World Series.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun look at the life and career of Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon. Going back to his time in the minor leagues, the book discusses Maddon's journey to the Cubs and the uniqueness of his management style. It's an incredibly enjoyable read for any baseball fan.

[Edward Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book. However, I am Cubs Fan. I think this book is a good precessor that was going to happen. Joe's teams seemed to play really good for him in the beginning and than his sticks gets old. But I will be forever gratefully because I am a cubs fan

[Lake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wayyyyyy too many errors. Not just grammatical errors, not errors made in the field huge errors like saying the Cubs won the World Series in 2017!!!! Can’t make such obvious mistakes. “Try Not to Suck” should heed that advice...

[Brian Sexton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of this one. It didn't go into much detail. Instead it told a short anticdote followed by a quite by Joe or someone involved. Neat to learn Joe's story, but the way it was written never made me feel like I was really getting into the book.

[Andrew Westerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needed to be proofread more!!!! How does a baseball player "steal" for the cycle??? And when did the LA Angels of Anaheim join the AL East???

Say it ain't so, Joe.

[Dennis Cahillane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography for anyone interested in Joe Maddon! Written in the low-stakes style of a baseball radio broadcast, everyone you meet is the greatest guy ever.

[Chris Case · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maddon is one of the most compelling figures in modern day sports. Unfortunately Chastain's biography does not live up to the subject matter. I expected more out of this.

[Garry · Rating 3 out of 5]

11/20/2018

[Emily Cramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very good to know more about the cubs manger.

[Jacques Skrak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book, details the illustrious career of one of the biggest names in baseball.