Girardi Never had a chance!

by BadGuy on Nov 3, 2006 12:09 PM CST Comment 31 comments

According to this blurb of a 3 page article on SI.com Jon Heyman writes :

"As it turns out, Bruce Bochy was the Cubs' fallback choice had Lou Piniella turned them down. Apparently, GM Jim Hendry determined he wanted significant experience, which ,considering the trend toward cost saving, is refreshing."

Wow! Looks as if we were all duped into thinking that Poor Ol' Joe had a chance at all.

Link to the whole article (no more about the Cubs): HERE

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Cost saving?

For us or teams in general?

"Incidentally, Colossus was right and I was wrong about Maddux being dealt." -Al Yellon

by colossus on Nov 3, 2006 12:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm thinking

In general...A lot of new coaches being hired/looked at.

by BadGuy on Nov 3, 2006 12:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

doh

Hit submit too soon.
Meant in-experienced, young, cheap...new coaches.

by BadGuy on Nov 3, 2006 12:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The Cubs NEVER said they wanted Joe

Just message board GM's and the local beat writers.

I'm quite happy we didn't hire him.

by cubswin on Nov 3, 2006 12:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

yeah

i heard he swears, so good thing.

by mike b on Nov 3, 2006 12:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You are HILARIOUS

"Strikeouts are boring - besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic." Crash Davis

by cubbiejulie on Nov 3, 2006 12:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This local beat writer...

...Simply reported the Cubs interviewed Girardi. Neither I nor any other beat writer said the Cubs "wanted" Girardi. Early on in the process, it became apparent Piniella was their top choice, and it was duly reported.

by Bruce Miles on Nov 3, 2006 1:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The problem, Bruce,

is that the fans wanted to believe the Cubs wanted Girardi and acted as such until the very day Piniella was hired. I think the Cubs hired the right guy since they believe they can contend next season and never had any doubts who they'd hire. Piniella was lobbying for fan support going back several months. It was clear as day he thought he was going to be managing the Cubs next season.

by Maddog on Nov 3, 2006 2:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey Bruce....

A couple days ago I was willing to go out on a limb and say I bet Ramirez will be back, and I thought we had a better than 50/50 chance. Care to weight in? Am I going to be wrong? Would you agree with a lot of Cubs fans(including myself) who thinks if Ramirez walks it'll be a disaster considering we could have traded him, and at least got something in return.

by Macy on Nov 4, 2006 1:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I believe this applies

I think Cuban WILL buy the Cubs...
and I think that because I want him to.

people who wanted Girardi (like me) read things the way we wanted to hear them

SINATRO!!!! Its music to my ears.

by flyball on Nov 3, 2006 1:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Exactly, flyball.

The evidence that the hiring would be Piniella was overwhelming from the start and maybe even going back into August as well. One had to ignore all the evidence to think it would have been Girardi. Wishful thinking all along.

by Maddog on Nov 3, 2006 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

No one was duped...

There was probably some uncertainty as to which guy it would be but Girardi was the huge long-shot. He was a candidate and interviewed along with 4 or 5 others, but he's not a good fit for Hendry who is on his last leg. Hendry was not going to put his last year or 2 on a one year manager who was just fired, unless the guy was a former coach of his from his college days, lol...Once Pinella, Bochy and Brenly were known as candidates, it was definitely one of these 3 with a less than 1% chance for Girardi.

by DudeVf1 on Nov 3, 2006 2:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Let's be clear

When McDonough announced that the next manager would "get it", meaning to most everyone someone who understood the angst of being a Cub fan, that was the definition of Joe Girardi.

Players win awards but teams win championships.

by tharr on Nov 3, 2006 4:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I didn't see it that way.

I took "get it" as someone who had been around and someone who had won--Lou Piniella. You don't have to be a Cubs fan to understand what it's like to be one. That's the biggest misconception around. Do you really think it's that hard for people to figure out what it's like to root for a team that hasn't won anything in 100 years? I had a Russian bellboy tell me "I'm sorry you are Cubs fan" when my wife and I were on our honeymoon this past summer. He hasn't seen a Cubs game, but he knows what it's like to be a Cubs fan.

by Maddog on Nov 3, 2006 6:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hell

those Russian bellboys will say anything to get a big tip.

Players win awards but teams win championships.

by tharr on Nov 4, 2006 2:03 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well,

That may be true (I don't know), but this was a young kid (couldn't have been older than 18) who knew what it was like to be a Cubs fan and had never even seen them play. The point is that you don't have to be a Cubs fan to know what it's like to be one. It's really not that difficult imagining what it's like to be a fan of something that hasn't won in nearly 100 years. In fact, it takes little imagination. Girardi no more "gets it" than Piniella or that young Russian kid did...if we're to assume that "gets it" means being familiar with the Cubs losing ways, which I didn't believe that was what was meant.

For the record, I do believe that McDonough wanted Girardi, but I also knew that Hendry didn't and Hendry was going to win out because it's HIS job on the line.

Also, and this was largely ignored by Cubs fans, hiring Lou Piniella somewhat protects Jim Hendry from the fans. Had he hired Joe Girardi, Girardi would have been given a free pass for at least a year (probably 2 or 3 and maybe even longer) and ALL the anger that Cubs fans have would have been directed at Hendry. Hiring Piniella...a man who many Cubs fans do not like...simply means the anger will be directed at Piniella rather than Hendry.

Combine that with the fact that Piniella is a better manager (his track record proves it), Hendry wanted a veteran manager who has won in the past, and Hendry's job being on the line if this hire doesn't work out...all signs pointed towards Piniella. If not Piniella then Bochy and then Brenly.

There was really very little reason to believe Girardi would be hired by the Cubs.

by Maddog on Nov 4, 2006 10:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Unless

they walk a mile in our shoes, non Cub fans can only imagine what it's like to be one. And to claim Girardi doesn't get it seems an obvious distortion of the truth.

And while the fact that Hendry didn't hire Girardi proves he preferred Piniella at this time, Hendry's motives can only be guessed about.

Finally, by your standards, you believe that Baker's track record proves he is a better manager than Girardi.

Hey, believe whatever you want. Suppose what you want. Just don't assert as fact what is only your opinion.

Players win awards but teams win championships.

by tharr on Nov 4, 2006 9:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That's crazy.

You act as though it's something special to be a Cubs fan. That you can't know what it's like unless you're a Cubs fan. That's nonsense, tharr, and you know it.

Sadly, Baker is a better manager than Girardi. Until Girardi does anything at all of any value whatsoever that will remain true.

I'm not asserting anything as fact. I've just connected the dots, which enabled me to say from the beginning of July on that Lou Piniella would be the manager while many others were looking for any crumb they could find that it would be Joe Girardi. The evidence was in front of you. You ignored it. And, yeah, I'm asserting that as a fact because it is.

by Maddog on Nov 4, 2006 10:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How's the air up there?

If you think that being a Cub fan isn't anything special, that's your opinion. But to presume that I and most Cub fans think the same way as you is nothing short of arrogant. Same thing in asserting Baker's that Dusty is a better manager than Girardi. Is that the same guy who bungled his way through 4 years in Chicago?

OK, Piniella is our new manager and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But if you think that trying to connect the dots proves anything other than Lou is here is a false positive.

Players win awards but teams win championships.

by tharr on Nov 7, 2006 10:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I interpreted the "get it" comment

as a criticsim of Baker and his crap of "Why don't you appreciate me and my past record." Which is another way of saying "wait 'till next year", be more patient in the midst of losing...

Baker did not understand the level of media scrutiny and fan interest in the Cubs position, he was totally unprepared for this...and often would refer to his B.S. heroics in S.F. as a way of "dealing" with this scrutiny and pressure.

One of the things that the Cubs wanted in this hire was someone who wasn't going to be overwhelmed by the media pressure and scrutiny, some one who understands that the fans are pissed and tired of losing and that winning now is the most important thing, not winning in the past with the former team...(That doesn't mean our GM will make brilliant moves to achieve that goal, lol)

Pinella has worked the most pressure packed job in the sport and he knows that Cubs fans want the team to win now, he's not going to underestimate this aspect of the job.

by DudeVf1 on Nov 4, 2006 6:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

apparently

the Giants, Padres, Rangers also felt the same way about him- no interest.

by cubswin on Nov 3, 2006 4:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Al ... Also Never had a chance

but the chances of Girardi and Al becoming the manager for the 2007 Chicago Cubs were approxmately equal... 1 in never.

As for the Giants Padres Rangers etc

Girardi turned the Giants down flatly similarly to the Nats. He is going into commentating for a year and will return next year after the Cubs tank.. Hendry and Piniella are fired together the Cubs bring in a new front office and a new manager. and a new regime is started. In 2008 buoyed by the win now changes made this year and a good crop of younger players the Cubs pull a Detroit Tigersesque turn around only to lose to the upstart Toronto Blue Jays who snuck in as the AL East Champ

by cubsfan2883 on Nov 3, 2006 5:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

sheer fantasy

he really has no more of a future as manager here than he does on being the next Yankee manager. I don't know where your info about the Giants is from, but it is dead wrong. The Giants are the ones with NO interest along with the others.

by cubswin on Nov 3, 2006 8:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Joe Girardi

Jim Hendry doesn't like Joe Girardi. Never has. Girardi was granted an interview because the world just assumed he was obvious choice as next Cub manager. The media created a feeding frenzy that was a fraud. Hendry played along, but never had any intention of giving Girardi the job.

I'll say this. I really like the choice of Sweet Lou the more I think about it. Girardi needs to come down from his high horse before he manages in this league again.

by BlueMike on Nov 3, 2006 9:19 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Another proclamation

from Mike. You Berated a guy on another diary about knowing what McDonough was thinking. So tell me how do you know Hendry does not like Girardi? Where is your proof? Just keep spouting enough crap and you'll eventually be right.

MUSKAT!

by smwojoz on Nov 3, 2006 10:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Proof?

Hmmm. Let me see. Lou Piniella was hired as Cub manager. Bruce Bochy was strongly coveted and the stated next choice if terms couldn't be agreed with Sweet Lou.

Thanks for playing our game. Vanna will give you a lovely door prize upon your exit from the stage.

by BlueMike on Nov 3, 2006 10:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Tsk, tsk Mikey boy

no new material? You disappoint me.

MUSKAT!

by smwojoz on Nov 3, 2006 10:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sorry

the only thing I can think of when I see Mike's posts is that song, "Special Olympics" by Stephen Lynch.

That having been said, do you believe everything you're told?

I do believe if you answer yes that it is a blatant contradiction to what you're day in day out drivel has been lately.

Just like Bob Barker, you're out, next!

TRAMMELL!

by Faith plus 1 on Nov 4, 2006 12:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I personally don't think

Hendry dislikes Girardi as a person, but doesn't neccessarily think he's a real good manager. I'm sure he was a little weary of Girardi after the Florida incident.

by Macy on Nov 4, 2006 1:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

joe

if giradi wants to manage the worst thing you can do is take a year off.he should have taken any job just to build his resume.bad move joe

by NOMAR on Nov 4, 2006 6:06 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Normally I would agree

with your view on taking the job, but Girardi had a great year with the Marlins and may prefer managing only in a few positions. His team performed far better than expected and that will get more interviews, the TV gig will give him a chance to show the league that he's not crazy.

by DudeVf1 on Nov 4, 2006 6:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs