Dave Martinez is the Perfect Sidekick

The Cubs’ bench coach does more than you think, and is extremely influential to Chicago’s success.

Jeff Briscoe/ via Flickr.com from Joe & Dave’s Tampa Bay Days

Everyone needs a Robin, and for Joe Maddon it’s Dave Martinez.

Whatever the situation, the Cubs’ bench coach is a constant within his colleagues confines. The “perfect sidekick” has been with Chicago’s man in charge since 2008, when he took over as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. The partnership has been through it’s ups and downs, but the chemistry is palpable.

Nine years of loyalty, struggles, and a World Series championship later, they will look to band together and try to obtain another championship on the north side.

Throughout Martinez’s 16-year Major League Baseball career he collected 1599 hits, 91 home-runs, and played in 1919 games. The outfielder and part-time first baseman played for 9 Major League Baseball teams, and definitely understands what it takes for a team to be successful.

The Cubs’ coach even played Center Field for the Cubs for four seasons before he got traded to the now non-existent Montreal Expos. There he continued to be prove himself in the outfield and stayed there for another four seasons. It’s safe to say that Dave knows something about loyalty. So the success as a teacher should come as no surprise to those who have watched him over the years.

His relationship with Joe Maddon is something special, the two have quite a history, and have relied on each other for many years — from Tampa to Chicago, the duo has remained. Even when dealing with difficult decisions, Martinez continues to be Joe’s secretary of defense.

Even without the immediate spotlight, the Cubs second in command in the dugout has accepted his role as the “bad guy.” Delegating days off, managing different personalities, and being the middle man have all come naturally to Maddon’s assistant according to a Jessie Rodgers’ report in 2016.

“I have a great relationship with these guys and I try to be as brutally honest with these guys, and they get it. I don’t mind the pushback. I really don’t. It’s part of it.”

Martinez is certainly qualified for a managerial position after various successes. So far he has obtained interviews from the likes of the Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, and even the Cubs at one point. With his track record, one can assume he will get a promotion sooner rather than later.

His importance to this current Cubs’ squad is difficult to measure, and his loyalty to Maddon is something fans shouldn’t take for granted. The two have a high regard for one another, and that chemistry to continue for so many years is rare. To be honest, Martinez seems like Maddon’s hitman — constantly doing the dirty work, having the difficult conversations, but the Cubs’ are just fine with it, and that’s because it works.

The organizational success is no accident, and since Epstein has taken over the prosperity from the top down has been evident. From Rickets to Epstein to Hoyer to Maddon to Martinez the consistency has remained. A key cog in the day-to-day operations is the bench coach, and the void that the mentor would leave would be significant.

The good news for the Cubs is that Martinez is around for at least one more season, and have a chance to make even more noise. Robin is still alongside Batman, and the rest of the guys are in the bat-cave waiting to see what’s next. Martinez has certainly been on a ride, but Chicago is happy to have him in the ranks — pretty soon he will be lining up with other battalions in the dugout. Let’s appreciate the head of the bench mob while we still can.

Drew Edstrom is a loyal Cubs fan. You can find him on Twitter at DNEdstrom. You can also check him out on one of Wrigley Rapport’s featured Podcasts “Sosa’s Steam Room.”