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Once the Cubs managerial candidates settle into their seat for an interview, they will be put through an unconventional interview that's a bit more complicated than asking "What do you know about Wrigley Field wind currents in April and May?"
One part of the process is game simulations, in which the candidate is handed lineup cards, statistics, a history of the relievers' workloads and other relevant facts. A candidate will watch a tape of a game with the Cubs' brass, who will stop the tape at various junctures to ask the candidate what he would do in a particular situation.
Terry Francona passed the test with the Red Sox, and won two World Series.
"We'd try to create some intensity, so we got right in his face and asked for an answer pretty quickly," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We weren't looking so much as to what the managerial candidate said, in terms of the strategy he would employ, but what pieces of information he would use — what his thought process would be in trying to make a decision (under pressure)."
Starting with Pete Mackanin on Friday, the candidates will meet with the Cubs' top four baseball executives — Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer, vice-president of scouting/player development Jason McLeod and assistant GM Randy Bush.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts will not be involved in the initial meeting, but Epstein said they will "expose other members of the baseball ops department as appropriate," bringing Ricketts in with the rest of the board — his siblings Laura, Todd and Pete — when they have made a decision.
"Tom and the board will meet with our recommendation before moving forward," Epstein said.
Epstein's only managerial hiring was eight years ago in Boston, when he ultimately decided on Francona over then-Angels coach Joe Maddon as Grady Little's replacement. He and Hoyer will use a blueprint of the methodology they concocted in Boston when choosing the next Cubs' manager.
"The process is to figure out how somebody's mind works," Hoyer said. "It is really hard in the standard (interview) format to get a feel for that. …"
Epstein said "conventional" interviews are fine, but added "we tried to incorporate other elements that might shed some insight into how this person would actually do" in realistic situations.
They didn't want someone who was impressive in an interview and turned out not to be a good fit.
"You have someone really impressive in an interview, and then you hire them as a manager and they turn out to be a dud," Epstein said. "Or you get somebody who is a dud in the interview, and they turn out to be a fantastic manager and leader of men."
For the Red Sox, candidates were asked to play "games" to reveal their thought process.
"We ask them to make lists," Epstein said. "Some questions we ask for immediate answers, some we give them half an hour to kind of compose thoughts. Just try and simulate the different things a manager has to do over the course of the day."
The final test is how the manager deals with the media. In a distinct change of philosophy, the Cubs will bring some candidates in to meet the media after interviews, including Mackanin.
Like a "simulated game" for a Cubs' pitcher, Epstein said he wanted to "simulate" how the candidate performs under the media spotlight.
One part of the process is game simulations, in which the candidate is handed lineup cards, statistics, a history of the relievers' workloads and other relevant facts. A candidate will watch a tape of a game with the Cubs' brass, who will stop the tape at various junctures to ask the candidate what he would do in a particular situation.
Terry Francona passed the test with the Red Sox, and won two World Series.
"We'd try to create some intensity, so we got right in his face and asked for an answer pretty quickly," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We weren't looking so much as to what the managerial candidate said, in terms of the strategy he would employ, but what pieces of information he would use — what his thought process would be in trying to make a decision (under pressure)."
Starting with Pete Mackanin on Friday, the candidates will meet with the Cubs' top four baseball executives — Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer, vice-president of scouting/player development Jason McLeod and assistant GM Randy Bush.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts will not be involved in the initial meeting, but Epstein said they will "expose other members of the baseball ops department as appropriate," bringing Ricketts in with the rest of the board — his siblings Laura, Todd and Pete — when they have made a decision.
"Tom and the board will meet with our recommendation before moving forward," Epstein said.
Epstein's only managerial hiring was eight years ago in Boston, when he ultimately decided on Francona over then-Angels coach Joe Maddon as Grady Little's replacement. He and Hoyer will use a blueprint of the methodology they concocted in Boston when choosing the next Cubs' manager.
"The process is to figure out how somebody's mind works," Hoyer said. "It is really hard in the standard (interview) format to get a feel for that. …"
Epstein said "conventional" interviews are fine, but added "we tried to incorporate other elements that might shed some insight into how this person would actually do" in realistic situations.
They didn't want someone who was impressive in an interview and turned out not to be a good fit.
"You have someone really impressive in an interview, and then you hire them as a manager and they turn out to be a dud," Epstein said. "Or you get somebody who is a dud in the interview, and they turn out to be a fantastic manager and leader of men."
For the Red Sox, candidates were asked to play "games" to reveal their thought process.
"We ask them to make lists," Epstein said. "Some questions we ask for immediate answers, some we give them half an hour to kind of compose thoughts. Just try and simulate the different things a manager has to do over the course of the day."
The final test is how the manager deals with the media. In a distinct change of philosophy, the Cubs will bring some candidates in to meet the media after interviews, including Mackanin.
Like a "simulated game" for a Cubs' pitcher, Epstein said he wanted to "simulate" how the candidate performs under the media spotlight.
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