Ken Ravizza–who had known Joe Maddon since the 1980s–was one of the most influential thinkers in the game of baseball, and his impact on the Chicago Cubs (where he had coached from 2015 until his passing) was tangible.
From Jason Heyward‘s rain delay speech in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series to a 2017 season where the Cubs responded to a 43-45 record at the All-Star Break by going 49-25 in the second half, Ravizza’s lessons of confronting and conquering adversity seemed to define an organization that made three straight NLCS appearances.
The Cubs were in the midst of what would be a six-game win streak when Ravizza died and would still finish the first half strong, taking over first place in the division.