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Can somebody please stop the stupidity in Chicago?

Jim Hendry was not fired after signing Alfonzo Soriano to a long, agent-pleasing deal. He was not fired for doing the same with Carlos Zambrano.

In a deal in which everyone, but KJ Duke, knew was a bad signing, Hendry even gave Milton Bradley a three year contract without being fired.



New owners have arrived. Instead of cleaning house with the departure of Lou Piniella, most of the loveable losers keep their jobs, including Hendry. Hey, it is the Cubs, right?



Hendry is doing an NFL type of job in finding a replacement for Piniella. NFL style is finding past fired coaches and interviewing them. BAH!



The Cubs have had their Manager of the future ready at AAA. Ryne Sandberg is ready and Cub fans are ready to embrace him.

If Hendry had sense, he would have hired him after a pre-requisite interview before the playoffs. Made no bones about it, this is Sandberg's team and the start of a new era.

Instead, Cub fans hold their breath, hoping Hendry does the right thing. It may not happen. Hendry's two previous hires were higher publicized retreads. Piniella and Dusty Baker.



Most likely, the Cubs are in for a couple of long seasons over the next two years. Their personnel does not seem up to snuff in making a run at a pennant. At the least, losing would be a lot more tolerable with a Manager in the dugout who local fans revere, and whose number was retired by the Cubs.

Worse, in two years, when the Cubs are firing Melvin or Wedge, or Quade, or another retread, Sandberg will be happy, already managing another team, and unavailable to the Cubs.

It wouldn't be surprising.

Hey, it is the Cubs, right?

Hendry could interview every guy that’s ever put on a uniform, doesn’t matter. This job is between two people, Ryne Sandberg and Joe Girardi.



Tom Ricketts has essentially said that he expects the next manager of the Cubs to be a life-long hire. Life-long as far as a past connection to the Cubs organization and life-long in terms of, he wants a Walter Alston/Bobby Cox like 20+ year tenure in the third base dugout.



I think Ricketts really wants Girardi and the Cubs are going to wait until the Yankees are done with post-season to find out if Joe is willing to come back to Chicago and manage the Cubs. If he says no, then the Cubs will go with Sandberg.



I will be happy with either guy.



Sandberg was one of my favorite Cubs players and although he hasn’t done it at the ML level yet, he has done very well as a minor league manager including this year’s PCL manager of the year.



Girardi was a Cub fan favorite here and he’s been proven to be a winning manager early in his career.



So. I think the only way Hendry could blow this is to go with anyone other than Sandberg or Girardi.

Who cares? The Cubs won't win a Series for another millenium.



What's really important is who are the Mets hiring?



Glenn

Originally posted by Glenneration X:

Who cares? The Cubs won't win a Series for another millenium.



What's really important is who are the Mets hiring?



Glenn Ah, that may be true.

But, one thing the Cubs have over the Mets,they are loveable losers.



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i will say this- quade is about as smart a guy as i have heard. i was really impressed with him. since he did not play in the bigs i doubt he has a chance, but he knows his baseball and the cubs played great baseball for him. ryno- i just don't know if he is the leader type or the teacher type the cubs need. he said about 10 words the whole time he played- a good trait in most cases but not in managing. i expect him to get the job, girardi is way to smart to leave ny until the big 4 retire. he knows the cubs job will be open about once every 2 years.

Originally posted by Glenneration X:

Who cares? The Cubs won't win a Series for another millenium.



What's really important is who are the Mets hiring?



Glenn both of these overpriced franchises suck... it such a shame to have such a great following, and ZERO leadership.

Originally posted by Navel Lint:

So. I think the only way Hendry could blow this is to go with anyone other than Sandberg or Girardi. It'll be interesting to follow the Cubs path over the next two years and also Sandberg's career paralleling it.

We don't know if this is a good or bad decision now. However, it does seem that sometimes(as in the cases of Bradley and Sandberg), Mr. Obvious knocks on the front of Hendry's head, only to leave the back, Mr. Oblivious.