The Cubs signed manager Mike Quade to a two-year deal with a club option for 2013, according to the team. Quade, 53, became Chicago’s interim manager on August 23rd after Lou Piniella retired. He was the team’s third base coach from 2007-10 after managing the Triple-A Iowa Cubs for four seasons.
Iowa’s most recent manager, Ryne Sandberg, was also a finalist for the major league managerial job. Mariners manager Eric Wedge interviewed for the position and the Cubs also appeared interested in Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose contract expires after the season.
Quade led the Cubs to a 24-13 record down the stretch, though he had never before managed in the major leagues. He has managed for 17 years in the minors, though, and got his first managerial gig 25 years ago.
Good move. Sandberg wasn’t ready, and a rebuilding team has better places to spend money than manager.
Not happy about this at all. Now we might lose Sandberg! Wtf Jim Hendry!
I understand the Sandberg feeling. He will be fine. You can’t knock the Quade move. Hang in there. I think they can work it out. Let’s see what the Cubs do and what Ryno decides.
If Derek Jeter retired, and the Yankees put him in the minor leagues for 4 years, to groom him for the job, and then hire a no name, the Yankees fans would be in an uproar. That is exactly what is happening to Sandberg. He is a Cubs icon.
Quade is qualified, no doubt, but I still think Sandberg is better qualified to run this team. Look at all the one run games we lost! Sandberg is a master at small ball.
He is also a Hall of Famer! Hall of Famers know the game of baseball!
I’m going to puke when we see Sandberg managing for someone like the Blue Jays and actually wins it all.
Quade better go all the way or it’s going to leave a really bad taste in the PAYING fans mouths. I was going to go to Wrigley a few times this year, but I will save my money. I do not want to financially support the likes of Ricketts and Hendry!
“He is also a Hall of Famer! Hall of Famers know the game of baseball!”
Anyone who has watched Joe Morgan on Sunday Night Baseball knows that isn’t true.
That is just plain awesome!
Your comment made my day!
Thank you, sir!
Your comment made my day!
Thank you, sir!
What nonsense! You may not agree with Joe Morgan opinions or comments but to say he doesn’t know the game of baseball is . . . well, nonsense. Joe Morgan has earned his privilege to comment about baseball from playing the game for years at a Hall of Fame level and has been around players, coaches, managers, GM’s for 40 years now. He knows plenty about baseball – much more than any poster on this site.
There is a very strange perspective afoot in this great country of ours. I am an attorney by profession and far too often hear people who should know better claiming that “the judge doesn’t know the Constitution” or other such blather. It is certainly one thing to disagree with someone but quite another to argue that they “don’t know what they are talking about” when quite clearly their resume and experience suggest that in fact they know a great deal. You may not agree with what is said (and believe, me I have my share of disagreements with both trial and appellate judges) and sometimes they mix up a fact or forget something, but they are also human beings who sometimes aren’t perfect.
Joe Morgan has a resume and experiece in baseball which generates an expertise about the game that is beyond reproach. His perspectives and opinions are always subject to debate and we are free to agree or disagree with him. But we ought to respect where they come from.
Just like John Madden knows a lot about football…
He did. He’s retired now. I don’t know how much he is paying attention anymore. I guess some fans really do believe that men who have coached and played the game at the highest levels really don’t know much about the game. Go figure.
OK the list goes on… Chris Colinsworth, Ron Santo, Hawk Harrelson… I can name more if you want to, but the point is that the only reason they have broadcasting jobs is because they have experience in the pro’s. You are arguing that just because they have experience means that they aren’t talented. This is ridiculous because these guys just take jobs/money away from better and more talented announcers. These guys already had their fame, plus they sound like idiots. And we are stuck listening to them just because they played the game before. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy hearing from Pros who have experience, as long as they can formulate a sentence, or find an explanation for a play other than blaming it on the umpires (Hawk Harrelson).
OK the list goes on… Chris Colinsworth, Ron Santo, Hawk Harrelson… I can name more if you want to, but the point is that the only reason they have broadcasting jobs is because they have experience in the pro’s. You are arguing that just because they have experience means that they aren’t talented. This is ridiculous because these guys just take jobs/money away from better and more talented announcers. These guys already had their fame, plus they sound like idiots. And we are stuck listening to them just because they played the game before. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy hearing from Pros who have experience, as long as they can formulate a sentence, or find an explanation for a play other than blaming it on the umpires (Hawk Harrelson).
Probably the greatest coach in the NFL, he probably does know a thing or two about football…
I hate Listening to Joe Morgan call a game and its not because I think he doesn’t know the game, its because he talks down to the audience like they’ve never seen the game before. Also he has no respect for any statistic that didn’t exist when he started his playing career.Basically I don’t like him NOT because I think he knows nothing about baseball, but because HE thinks I know nothing about baseball
A knowledge of how to play the game is not the same as a knowledge of how to explain it, teach it, analyze it, etc. Morgan knows how to play, no question; he’s the greatest second baseman of all-time. But he doesn’t understand anything else (or at least very little) about it. He sure as heck can’t explain it and doesn’t understand it enough to know why teams use advanced statistics and, even worse, chooses to ignore them simply because the people who designed them never played. He thinks “I played the game so I know more than you!” That reasoning is conceited and ignorant. Fortunately, most people in baseball don’t have that mindset. Otherwise Theo Epstein wouldn’t be a GM.
Ted Williams is the best hitter ever but he was a poor manager. Bobby Cox was a terrible player who barely got a cup of coffee in the majors, but he’s a hall of fame manager. I recall a story about Hank Aaron being a hitting instructor. He got so tired of watching the guys stink during BP that he took a bat, went in, and started hitting balls out of the stadium.
As I said, a knowledge of how to play exceptionally well does not mean one also has the same level of knowledge of other areas of sports. A man can be an expert marksman but that doesn’t mean he knows how to build a rifle.
I can’t deny the Cub in me dreams of Ryno at the helm when they finally get it all together and win it all. I am taking emotions out of it. I can’t bash the Quade move. Also, I can’t believe the Cubs would be foolish enough to take such a PR hit to let a former player of his status in Cub history go.
The only problem I see is if Ryno is so disappointed/angery that he walks regardless. I think it all works out. I agree. I would hate to see Ryno win on another MLB team.
I can’t deny the Cub in me dreams of Ryno at the helm when they finally get it all together and win it all. I am taking emotions out of it. I can’t bash the Quade move. Also, I can’t believe the Cubs would be foolish enough to take such a PR hit to let a former player of his status in Cub history go.
The only problem I see is if Ryno is so disappointed/angery that he walks regardless. I think it all works out. I agree. I would hate to see Ryno win on another MLB team.
Hiring the ‘company guy’ doesn’t always guarantee success…also, what happens if Ryno had gotten the job, and the Cubs lose an average of 90 games over the next 2-3 years. Would the North Side faithful turn on him, and would he really deserve the ridicule?
The 2011 (and likely 2012) Cubs aren’t going to be overly competitive, so let’s have a guy who is experienced at working with younger guys groom the next generation of playoff-bound Cubs teams, whether he is actually at the reins when they are actually competitive or not.
Hiring the ‘company guy’ doesn’t always guarantee success…also, what happens if Ryno had gotten the job, and the Cubs lose an average of 90 games over the next 2-3 years. Would the North Side faithful turn on him, and would he really deserve the ridicule?
The 2011 (and likely 2012) Cubs aren’t going to be overly competitive, so let’s have a guy who is experienced at working with younger guys groom the next generation of playoff-bound Cubs teams, whether he is actually at the reins when they are actually competitive or not.
“He is also a Hall of Famer! Hall of Famers know the game of baseball!”
If that’s true, then why are/were most of MLB’s best all-time managers horrible or borderline MLB players, if they made the bigs at all?
“He is also a Hall of Famer! Hall of Famers know the game of baseball!”
If that’s true, then why are/were most of MLB’s best all-time managers horrible or borderline MLB players, if they made the bigs at all?
Give Jon a Dollar – Judging by your comments you are a Ryne Sandberg fan, not a cub fan. Either that or you have a blind spot about what might be best for the organization. Honestly both Sandberg and Quade would have been good choices but Quade got the job because the people who made the decision (who were a lot closer to the men than we are) felt it best. I understand your strong feelings for Sandberg but in the process you are damning Quade who has done nothing but good things for the Cubs. Frankly I think he’s the better choice. Maybe, maybe not but in the grand scheme of things it’s not likely to make a big difference either way, but don’t give up being a Cub fan just because your guy didn’t get the job. HOF players don’t necessarily make good managers. The Joe Morgan comments below are apropos, he may know a lot about the game but I wouldn’t let him manage my team if he paid me. Being good at baseball doesn’t make you good at running a baseball game. Sandberg is learning, Quade already knows.
Btw, Sandberg will be back when it’s his time. If everyone stays calm and this doesn’t blow up into something stupid and cause bad feelings then it could be soon. Let him cut his major league teeth somewhere else. He can win a World Series in Toronto for all I care but when the Cubs finally do come calling for him he’ll come back.
Totally agree…..
This, except I will laugh, since I’m not a Cubs fan.
Dislike the hiring I think Henry should go personally. he signs too many bad contracts n block the young players. Ryno would b perfect if there in rebuild mood he worked the most with the younger players for four years… Leave it though to Henry to screw it up for the cubs again….
Sandberg has managed in the minor leagues for what, 4 years? Quade managed in the minor leagues for about 40 years. If you’re going to go with a low-dollar manager then you might as well choose the experienced one.
Not bad, the fan base probably wanted Sandberg but not like they are getting some slouch.
Kind of a conundrum here for the front office. Sandberg does everything the organization asks him to do to become manager, but the timing isn’t right for him to take it. Quade gets an unforeseen opportunity and takes advantage of it – can’t argue w/ results.
I hope Sandberg stays with the organization, either at Iowa or as a bench/3rd base coach with the Cubs. I know he was asked to not allow other teams permission to interview him for other jobs but now that he didn’t get this gig I could see him looking at Toronto or Florida before eventually returning.
I would have been happy with Quade or Sandberg. It will just be interesting to see if Sandberg is brought on as a bench coach, or if he leaves the system.
Quade knows the game. I can’t argue the move at all. The question is what about Ryno. The Ricketts family and front office knows the PR backlash of letting Ryno walk. I think they keep him in the organization. But that’s up to Ryno, too.
Yeah, this was the last thing I wanted as a Cubs fan. It’s nothing against Quade; he did a nice job and chances are he’ll continue to do a nice job for the next two years. But with all of the managerial openings and Sandberg’s statements that he does not want to be a bench coach, I feel like we’re going to lose him to some other organization. The only manager in baseball who I would have been okay with that for would have been Girardi. I also don’t necessarily agree that Sandberg wasn’t ready. He’s been a manager now for several years. He sticks up for his players, he’s intimately familiar with the young guys who are going to be playing for the Cubs and making up a significant portion of the roster in years to come, has a manager of the year award and a couple playoff appearances under his belt, stresses fundamentals (important to any team but especially one that is going to have as many young players as the Cubs are likely to) and of course was a tremendous player who would command immediate respect from all of the players on the team. He was also a middle infielder, who can help Castro now and possibly later if he gets displaced over to second base for Hak-Ju Lee in a couple of years.Hopefully Sandberg changes his mind, becomes Quade’s bench coach and takes over the reins in two years. That’s the best I can hope for at this point.
Is that a possibility? I know Jaramillo and Rothschild will be back, but what about Trammel? Is that up to Quade? I think Ryno would make a stellar bench coach. Think of the ways he can sit one on one he can sit with Castro and help him improve..
I can’t speak to the specifics of this situation because I don’t know them, but generally speaking GMs give managers the ability to choose their staff. I also think Trammel’s ticket out of town was punched when Hendry told him he wasn’t even going to consider him to be the manager.
Coaches are like players. They have a contract but that doesn’t mean they can’t be let go for whatever reasons, you just have to pay them. It certainly CAN happen. Whether they gave Quade that latitude and whether or not Sandberg would have any interest in being bench coach are the questions I can’t answer.
Putting Sandberg on the bench is not the right move, Don’t put Quade under more pressure having Ryno sitting there waiting to talk over. Also, would love to see Greg Maddux take over as pitching coach.
Putting Sandberg on the bench is not the right move, Don’t put Quade under more pressure having Ryno sitting there waiting to talk over. Also, would love to see Greg Maddux take over as pitching coach.
Putting Ryno as the bench coach would be a mistake and may make Quade a bit tense. Who wants to have a guy looking over your shoulder that wants the job badly? If Quade was older and on his way out it may work, but he is not. Also, consider Maddux as the new pitching coach!?
Putting Ryno as the bench coach would be a mistake and may make Quade a bit tense. Who wants to have a guy looking over your shoulder that wants the job badly? If Quade was older and on his way out it may work, but he is not. Also, consider Maddux as the new pitching coach!?
I’m not a Cubs fan, but I really wanted to see what Sandberg could do with that team. Nobody knows if he’s ready or not until he manages a big league club.
As a Reds fan living in Chicago, I find this move all too familiar. Sure there’s a chance Quade works out; more likely, he’s a Dave Miley or a Jerry Narron. It’s no certainty that Sandberg will be a good manager, but he’s a Cub legend who slummed it for years to earn this chance. He should be calling Toronto and Florida post haste.
No offense but I think Quade is head over heels more suited to managing in the majors than either Miley or Narron. The Reds in the past operated like an amateur team, or like a regional rather than national team. Not sure if that makes sense but to me that’s why they went for guys like Narron and Miley. I have to give credit to Castellini for finally going big and getting Jocketty and though I won’t defend Dusty Baker at least he’s a high profile guy. The Cubs have gone high profile for awhile now, that’s not what they needed to do again. Sandberg is more of a question mark than Quade is at this point.
For all people going on about Sandberg leaving the organization, if it happens it happens. Maybe he goes somewhere and gets his feet wet as a major league manager, so what? I happen to think Quade is more qualified for the job right now and is of more value to the team than Sandberg (from a non-marketing standpoint anyway), so why wouldn’t Cub fans be upset if he left the organization? Sandberg is always going to be a Cub, Quade won’t, if he were let go he could very well go somewhere else and thrive.
Point being, it’s a good hire. There’s no reason to be disappointed other than losing the good PR value of seeing a Cub legend manage the team. Nothing against Sandberg, I love the guy and wish him well, but I’ll go substance over style every time and I think that’s what Jim Hendry did.
The Reds in the ’00s were laden with deadweight contracts and semi-prospects with low ceilings. Miley and Narron were both career managers with brief stretches of very minor interim success under their belts. Hendry’s no Jim Bowden, or even Dan O’Brien, but he certainly needs to go.
Really, neither Quade nor Sandberg represent a lockdown solid hire. Jilting Sandberg, though, is a PR nightmare and, really, just plain rude. This will not go over well in this town.
Sandberg has done all that Hendry asked him to do, and he was successful. Quade has been bouncing around the minors for two decades…and nobody has wanted him. Why should the Cubs want him now?
Sandberg has been bouncing around the minors for about 1/5 the time Quade did, he’s never managed in the majors and didn’t just turn around a team that looked hopeless in August. Again, nothing against Sandberg but why should Quade be taking heat after doing the job he did? He won the job fair and square. Sandberg did what he was asked but he was never guaranteed anything and doesn’t deserve anything simply because of his name.
Sandberg didn’t bounce around. He’s been in the Cubs’ system being “groomed” (for lack of a better term) to move up the ladder. I understand that Quade has been successful in the minors, but it’s never caught anybody’s eye before. If he had done such a great job, why hasn’t anybody ever been after him to manage in the big leagues? His minimal success this year was with a team that had nothing to lose. That takes away a lot of the pressure that comes with managing the Cubs.
Also, Sandberg didn’t need to spend a lot of time in the minors. While Quade was coaching down there, Sandberg was busy having a Hall of Fame career on the field. I know that doesn’t guarantee managerial success, but it shows that he understands the game and knows how it’s played a little better than most everyone.
I will reserve my judgements on quade wanna give him a fair shake as he deserves….my hesitation with this move comes that he managed a short stint at a time of year when many teams were not fielding their A team playing many young guys to look toward next year…..and yes the cubs did some of that also but most the core team was still proven vets who won 96 games just 2 years prior.My heart wants ryno like most other cubs fans did…..more so cause i thought he would bring back a positive high energy attitude which may have been the missing link with this team it seemed it was to tense,no more so evident then when they were in the playoffs i’m not sure i have ever seen a team play so tight,they looked like the had a million pounds on there shoulders from the minute they stepped on the field.Understandable Of course considering what was being asked of them breaking such a long streak in a town who endures them so much…..but all the same its a mangers job to make sure they are capable of doing so and ryno might have been that guy.
Why should the Cubs want him? $$$ And management (Hendry and Ricketts) can control him.
Nobody gets more out of a 5th place team than Mike Quade! He will be perfect for the Cubbies (especially as they begin to reduce payroll)
I don’t know that I agree. Hendry has many faults, but loyalty is not one of them. I don’t think he makes this decision based on an ability to “control” Quade.
To be quite honest, I think he tied his own hands when he made Quade interim manager and he had success. Anybody looking objectively knows it doesn’t mean much with that small of a sample size, in September in meaningless games, but it becomes difficult to go “hey Mike, thanks for your service to the organization. 24-13 is pretty damn good, but seeya!”
I feel like a week ago, when I told everyone this was going to happen, I got bashed pretty hard. Now, I didn’t have any “insider information” just a hunch, and long list of things the Cubbies have done to dissapoint. Now, I must raise the question again, Ryno to Milwaukee? It just makes WAY to much sense for me. I loved him as a player, even as a Cub, and I know for a fact the dude is a winner. He’s intense, great with the young guys (reference his championship if you need the proof) and has done everything asked of him by the Cubs org. to become Manager. If I was him, I would feel as if I got shafted pretty hard here. Just my thoughts, let me know how far off I may be….
You never said this would happen. You said Sandberg signing with Milwaukee would be a great slap in the face to Chicago. You didn’t offer a reasonable explanation then, and you are still off base. What does Milwaukee have that is so much better tha he would want to manage there? His name has never even come up for the Milwaukee job. He will either be in Toronto or serving as the bench coach.
That is incorrect sir. I did post on a few Brewer’s posts about this same thing.
I have never said Milwaukee would be a better job, I’m just saying it’s A JOB.
I would love it, there isn’t even a rumor of him on the radar of the Brewers.
This is just pure hope on my part, but I can tell you that if someone offered him the Manager position, it’d be tough for him not to take it. The Crew’ isn’t known for taking risks, or going “out of the box” much, whether it be players or personnel.
Definitely wasn’t trying to get you all riled up this afternoon, just simply stating that this is something that I, as a Brewers fan, would LOVE.
No ill-intent brov, I’m not trying to start some Cubs/Brewers argument, the both of us have a laundry list of issues that would take Jesus himself to get fixed in just this offseason. Good luck with Quade, I can tell you now it’s better than the inevitable Bob Melvin hiring up here.
That is incorrect sir. I did post on a few Brewer’s posts about this same thing.
I have never said Milwaukee would be a better job, I’m just saying it’s A JOB.
I would love it, there isn’t even a rumor of him on the radar of the Brewers.
This is just pure hope on my part, but I can tell you that if someone offered him the Manager position, it’d be tough for him not to take it. The Crew’ isn’t known for taking risks, or going “out of the box” much, whether it be players or personnel.
Definitely wasn’t trying to get you all riled up this afternoon, just simply stating that this is something that I, as a Brewers fan, would LOVE.
No ill-intent brov, I’m not trying to start some Cubs/Brewers argument, the both of us have a laundry list of issues that would take Jesus himself to get fixed in just this offseason. Good luck with Quade, I can tell you now it’s better than the inevitable Bob Melvin hiring up here.
Not that I’m saying he’ll end up there, but what does Milwaukee have that is so much better? As of today, an open managerial opening.
First time poster but here’s my 2 cents. Ricketts has said he wants a larger percentage of the focus to be put on the minor league system being built to a point where impact players are making their way up to contribute to the big league club. It’s in all likelihood going to be a very tough couple years ahead while the Cubs wait for these big contracts (see: Soriano, Fukudome, Zambrano, etc.) to come off the books. They want to compete every year and you can’t do that unless you continue to have affordable talent being grown in the farm. Sandberg is a Cubs legend. If he comes up now he runs the risk of having that image smeared because of a couple/few poor seasons. No one wants that, including Ricketts. Even if he leaves, this at least gives him the opportunity to come back some time down the road and still bring that “legendary” status to the table. The Cubs just hired themselves a lame duck that they could fire whenever they wanted without any backlash and at the same time he may even do a half-way decent job. Win-win in my book.
If you listen to Chicago sports radio, you know Quade was a lock for the job weeks ago. No big surprise here.
This may not be a bad move, but it doesn’t mean that people will like it. I, for one, am disappointed because Ryno is my favorite player. If he was hired, it would’ve given me something to look forward to for this season because, let’s be honest here, it doesn’t look like the Cubs are ready to contend for a championship. The division, sure, anyone can win this division with the right mix of talent. That being said, I hope he manages an MLB team this year to get the intricacies of managing at this level down so he can truly earn the job and succeed in a couple years or a few years or whenever it opens back up again. This is his dream job and, from a fan’s standpoint, I hope he gets it someday.
This may not be a bad move, but it doesn’t mean that people will like it. I, for one, am disappointed because Ryno is my favorite player. If he was hired, it would’ve given me something to look forward to for this season because, let’s be honest here, it doesn’t look like the Cubs are ready to contend for a championship. The division, sure, anyone can win this division with the right mix of talent. That being said, I hope he manages an MLB team this year to get the intricacies of managing at this level down so he can truly earn the job and succeed in a couple years or a few years or whenever it opens back up again. This is his dream job and, from a fan’s standpoint, I hope he gets it someday.
Look I love Ryno as much as anybody, he’s my all time favorite player, but Quade is the right man for the job right now. He has more experience, has been coaching with the organization longer and has been with the Big league club the last 4 years and was clearly the player’s choice. Add to that the fact that he made the team look respectable the last 2 months of the season. I know that winning games in September when nothing is on the line isn’t like managing games in a playoff race but I imagine its certainly closer than managing in AAA(which Quade has done as well). I hope Sandberg does get consideration for the Toronto job, but if he doesn’t get the chance to manage in the bigs this year I’m sure the cubs will offer him the bench coach position which will give him more experience and certainly make him the favorite for the job after Quade.
I love Ryno and wish him nothing but the best, but we got the right guy.
why sign quade to 2 or 3 years why not just 1 yr to see if he continues his success if he doesnt fire him and promote sandberg if he is still in the organization.
I wanted sandberg to be the manager more than anyone but what if the team sucked with ryno at the helm what then, fire him that would be worse than promoting someone over him.
Because 1 year isn’t enough to see how a manager does, Quade’s late season run is better than no Big League experience but still not enough to determine how he’ll be as a manager
well then sandberg should have had his shot when lou retired
Then I guess its the Cubs fault for not letting Sandberg have 17 seasons of Minor league experience too? It wouldn’t have made any sense to pull Sandberg up to finish the year as the manager, because then you guys that are against this wouldn’t even have the minor league playoff experience argument going for you 😉
Precisely because of that. One year says “I’m not sure I made the right decision and don’t want to be locked into it for too long.”
why sign quade to 2 or 3 years why not just 1 yr to see if he continues his success if he doesnt fire him and promote sandberg if he is still in the organization.
I wanted sandberg to be the manager more than anyone but what if the team sucked with ryno at the helm what then, fire him that would be worse than promoting someone over him.
The Cubs beat the Padres 3 out of 4 and basically knocked them out of the playoffs. The week before that they scared the hell out of the Giants. How can Quade not a get a chance, in meaningful games he had them standing up with contenders?
The Cubs beat the Padres 3 out of 4 and basically knocked them out of the playoffs. The week before that they scared the hell out of the Giants. How can Quade not a get a chance, in meaningful games he had them standing up with contenders?
I get why people could question Quade. He is barely known with Cub fans, let alone anyone else. People who follow the team and know Quade’s backround, know he is a good baseball man and he communicates well. He is a Hendry guy/hire and was college roommate of Assistant GM Bush. So he had the inside track and it was his to loose.
I take a back seat to no one as a fan of Ryno’s. I am taking my emotions out of it. Yes, Ryno did everything asked of him and had success at each level in developing players and winning. While wins and losses are not the most important quality in the minors, it helps. Ryno is in a select few of Cub legends. Cub fans will forever take his side, even if he is managing another team. Ryno could be holding a bag of stolen money and Cub fans would say he was framed…myself included. My point is the backlash will be hard if the Cubs let Ryno walk. Up to now (my previous posts) I thought the Cubs would work it out. Now, I think Ryno does walk.
Ryno is a Cub great, legend and Hall of Fame Player. He is a Cub. His #23 is retired and the flag flys off the right field pole. Ryno is a Cub and forever will be a Cub. That said, I can’t bash this move. Quade is a good call. Regardless of if it is Quade or if it was Sandberg, this team is in transition. They are increasing money to the farm and decreasing money from the big club.
Joe Girardi’s asking price just went way down. With the Cubs and Cards off the table, he better hope the Yankees want to resign him.
Are you kidding me, there was no way Girardi was going anywhere. They’d run Cashman (Yankee’s GM) out of town if they let him go. This is his second season he already has 1 WS title and still has a chance for a second. Anyone who thought there was even a remote chance of Girardi giving up the Yankee job for the Cubs job was just delusional.
ah nevermind.
ah nevermind.
Cubs in “transition” ?
more like limbo.
the Cubs are a freakin’ mess. a filthy expensive mess.
the thing they should be hoping is that Quade can keep the likes of Zambrano on track and they can trade Z, Aramis, Silva, Dempster, Fuku, maybe even Byrd at near-max values. (they’ll have to suffer through Soriano for a couple more years.)
Yeah, we already know that stuff. But they are in transition. Yes, it is a mess. Big messes take a long time to correct when long and expensive contracts are handed out. The team is placing a ton into the farm and it will take time to see those benefits. The old days of the Soriano contracts are done there.
Yeah, we already know that stuff. But they are in transition. Yes, it is a mess. Big messes take a long time to correct when long and expensive contracts are handed out. The team is placing a ton into the farm and it will take time to see those benefits. The old days of the Soriano contracts are done there.
The cubs are such a joke, they think that they are so good when they haven’t one a single championship in forever while spending so much money. They are the worst franchise in baseball, making bad decision after bad decision.
How many consecutive losing seasons has it been? It must be lonely that far down in the cellar. I’d be willing to bet the Cubs win a championship before the Pirates make the playoffs again. How is this a bad decision, by the way?
How many championships have the pirates one during the time the cubs haven’t? FIVE!!! The pirates are making the playoffs by 2013 I’ll guarantee it while the cubs will finish around .500.
How is hiring Quade a bad move?
Other than you dislike toward the Cubs.
Baseball is a business, and the Cubs sold over 3 million tickets going under .500. If my math is right, thats a lit of dough, and I would say that they are one of the most successful franchises in the MLB. How much did the Pirates sell? Just over 1.5 million. Good luck rebuilding on that. Its a good thing you’ve been rebuilding for so long that you have a head start.
But what have the Cubs done with all of that money? Certainly not build a nice, new stadium or field a pennant caliber team. They have a very large payroll and don’t get much out of it, so how does that make them successful? Your point about tickets sold is not true because look at the Rays and Marlins, they have been successful without large attendance, while the cubs have not.
First of all Wrigley is historic and may not have all the new amenities of PNC Park but Wrigley is amazing. There’s something about walking into a place where some of baseball’s all-time greatest moments took place. I wouldn’t trade Wrigley for any other stadium in the league. (On a side note I’m a cubs fan that lives about a hour outside Pittsburgh and go to PNC all the time, and its a beautiful new stadium). Look the cubs haven’t delivered but to say they weren’t a “pennant caliber” team in recent years is ridiculous. I guess we can forget about 08 (just 3 years ago) when they scored the most runs, Had the 3rd lowest ERA and oh yeah lead the league with 97 wins. For comparisons sake that was 30 wins more than the Pirates had that year. They certainly didn’t get the job done but to say they weren’t a team that was capable of winning the pennant just shows how ignorant you are to what really has been happening in the baseball world.
Maybe I shouldn’t say pennant caliber, because they have had the talent, but they just haven’t had the chemistry, too many big egos and poor leadership. On the stadium note, if the Yankees can give up their stadium which had more history to it than wrigley, I think the cubs and red sox can also do it.
But what have the Cubs done with all of that money? Certainly not build a nice, new stadium or field a pennant caliber team. They have a very large payroll and don’t get much out of it, so how does that make them successful? Your point about tickets sold is not true because look at the Rays and Marlins, they have been successful without large attendance, while the cubs have not.
Look at Sandberg’s comments the last two months: all about I, I, I, me, me, me.
Would you rather have a steady manager who had a long successful career in the minors, and who the players wanted back or a guy who spends too much time tooting his own horn?
Even more interesting is will Sandberg stay with the Cubs in AAA? Personally I don’t think his ego can handle it.
He’d be smart to take the bench coach job and wait for the Cubs to inevitably underachieve and Quade to be fired.
But, like you said, his ego probably wouldn’t allow it.
He’d be smart to take the bench coach job and wait for the Cubs to inevitably underachieve and Quade to be fired.
But, like you said, his ego probably wouldn’t allow it.
(Meh, nevermind.)
I guess that means that Girardi will officially be back to go for #28 next year. It’sTime…. GO RANGERS!
I guess that means that Girardi will officially be back to go for #28 next year. It’sTime…. GO RANGERS!
Hope
Do you really want Ryno having to struggle to manage a cubs team that is handicapped detrimentally by bad contracts like Soriano, Zambrano, Ramirez, and Fukudome? Even Marlon Byrd and Ryan Dempster at this point are most likely going to wind up being bad contracts. Ryne Sandberg should take the helm when the Cubs have money, talent, and a legitimate shot to win it, which will be after Soriano and Zambrano are long gone.
They have a few pieces of talent, like Starlin Castro, Carlos Marmol, and Tyler Colvin. But they are smart in waiting to see how Josh Vitters and Jeff Samardiza and other star prospects develop before jumping the gun on Sandberg.
Take it from me, a Tigers fan. I was devastated when the Tigers had to fire Alan Trammel. It wasn’t his fault that their organization had made bad decisions before he got there.
Like the old saying…Even a blind squirrel sometimes find the nut. Hendry may have gotten this one correct with hiring Mike Quade, but the Titanic Deck Chairs are still being rearranged. I still maintain that this franchise will have no hope of going forward until some drastic mistakes are corrected, starting with the replacement of Jim Hendry. As long as Hendry remains the GM, the lunatics will continue to run the asylum, and the one step forward we made by signing Quade will be washed away by the two steps back by the GM decisions. And what to you want to bet that Quade’s contract also provides the provision that the entire coaching staff must go, and another staff brought in, approved by Hendry. So Ryno will be in, ultimately to be groomed for the Manager’s position, and the rest of the coaching staff will be let go, so Hendry will not have to answer to the mistake of firing Gearld Perry and hiring Rudy Jaramillo at $2.42M/year. Look at it this way folks…Jaramillo leaves Texas and the Rangers are in the World Series, and the Cubs are one of the worse hitting teams in the MLB. And we’ll lose two experienced Coaches WITH major league managing experience. So, the apparent baby that Ryno set on fire that caused him to not get the job will be salved over while he learns from Quade how to be a Major League Manager, Quade will get hosed pretty soon, and the Cubs will be the same ‘ole Cubs. And before you start yelling that Hendry was correct by NOT hiring Trammell, remember that after the 119 loss season, the Tigers increased their winning percentage by a net 57% until he was let go, and Trammell created the foundation of the team that went to the World Series in 2006. SANTO IN THE HOF! RETIRE HAWK’S NUMBER! BRENLEY FOR GM! HENDRY MUST GO! Peace, Out.