SI’s Tom Verducci to Pen Book on 2016 Cubs

You know may know him as one of Sports Illustrated‘s senior writers or as the glorious head of hair on Fox’s baseball broadcasts. No, not Eric Karros. I’m talking about Tom Verducci, who knows a little bit about the game and is planning to write a book about the Cubs’ 2016 season.

Due out on March 28, THE CUBS WAY: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse will narrate the journey from nadir to zenith as the Cubs went from doormat to dominant. The Dooch got to hang out behind the organizational curtain with Theo Epstein and other members of the front office, not to mention Joe Maddon and all the players on the roster.

Here’s what Crown Archetype Vice President and Editorial Director Tricia Boczkowski in a recent press release:

The Chicago Cubs’ dramatic triumph in winning the World Series Championship for the first time in 108 years was the greatest sports story of the year and one that will endure in baseball lore. THE CUBS WAY is a celebration of this iconic team and an exploration of their journey to breaking the longest curse in baseball. We’re thrilled to have Tom Verducci, one of the most respected sportswriters today, narrating their inspiring and historic story.

“Greatest sports story of the year,” Ms. Boczkowski? More like “ever,” amirite? In all seriousness, this is a pretty cool project and I’m very much looking forward to owning and reading it. Given how much Cubs info many of us have consumed and/or covered over the last few years, you might wonder whether there’ll be anything revelatory here, though I think that’s missing the point. Aggregating all the information at once and have a definitive story in place is a very good thing.

And if you’re not into Verducci for whatever reason or perhaps are desirous of a more local angle, I’m sure there will be or already are more such undertakings in the works. It only makes sense that other authors and publishers will want to get a piece of the action in the wake of this historic event. Saying it that way probably makes it sound like a cash grab, but that’s not really what I meant. Well, I mean, it is a cash grab, but there’s also a good deal of merit to cultivating the fertile soil of recency.

Heck, I’d try my own hand at it if I had the time, patience, or access to do so.

Verducci’s tome is being published by Crown Archetype, which is part of Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing Group, and the author will also be lending his voice to the audiobook. You know, if you’re into such things. Stay tuned for info on pre-orders.