Photo by: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images North America
The Chicago Cubs seem to be turning into the Boston Red Sox 2.0. After hiring Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer to run the club, along with stripping the Red Sox of several other workers in the system the Cubs continue to turn to former Red Sox.
This past offseason we saw the Cubs sign former Sox ace, Jon Lester. While Lester is expected to lead the rotation for several seasons the Cubs need to mentor their young hitters. Their answer, former Red Sox stars, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis.
‘Man-Ram’ and ‘Youk’ have been brought on as consultants. Ramirez served in a similar role as a player-coach last season at Triple-A for the Cubs organization. He was credited with helping the highly touted prospect, Javier Baez, among others. Ramirez played under new manager Joe Maddon for a brief amount of time in 2011, but Maddon likes the way he delivers the message to younger players.
Youkilis will serve in the scouting and player development department. Youkilis played for 11 MLB seasons, most with the Red Sox. His time in Boston ended roughly with many disputes with former manager Bobby Valentine.
