Ricketts and 2010
by Sports_Fan on Sep 18, 2009 10:31 AM CDT
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PrintThis is my first post so please be kind.
When you think about it, Tom Ricketts has a much larger responsibility than just being the new owner of the Chicago Cubs. The future mentality of the Cubs rest in his hands. His initial actions will tell the story for the next 100 years.
Does he stick with Lou, the current coaching staff and the team divas for another year or does he oust them all and bring in fresh optimism? By ousting, I mean show them the door by all or any means possible. Just get rid of the cancer. Maybe, he will opt to sit back and absorb everything for the next year making no hasty or emotional decisions.
If he fires the coaching staff, but keeps the divas, who does be bring in to replace Lou? Would it be BB or Ryno? Are they both "too tough" for today's highly paid players? That seems to be BB downfall. I see Ryno as the same type of manager. A new sheriff is in town. Would the players respect Ryno more because he is an ex-Cub and Hall of Famer? When Lou was hired to manage the team, I believed we were getting the "in you face" Lou. Lou has cowered in fear this season. Why? Has he just mellowed? Was it a losing battle with the large egos? My hope this that Ryno will grow to be the new Tony LaRussa in a few years opting not to follow Lou.
These are things Ricketts will have to weigh in his decision making.
Personally, I'm hoping for a fresh mentality in 2010. I believe the coaching staff is our biggest problem and they need to be shown the door. I prefer "small ball" and I believe Ryno would bring that to the team.
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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Nicely done.
In addition to you comments, I would like to see the bench improved. Mark Kotsay, for example.
Don't let anyone steal your Joy
Kotsay's better than Aaron Miles.
But that’s about it. We have to stop looking to everyone else’s discards for bench help.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Agreed.
We have some very solid bench players in our system right now, if you ask me.
I’m thinking of Fox, Fuld, Hill, and Blanco. I’d like to see us resign Baker.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Depending on what they decide on 2B/SS...
… Baker could have some trade value, too.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Baker is not an FA
I don’t see them letting him go.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Sep 19, 2009 12:09 AM CDT up reply actions
Do you think it would make any sense to look into signing Jim Thome...
…as our big lefty bat off the bench?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
No.
He can’t really play 1B any more (plus, we already have a durable one), nor can he play the outfield. He’d be limited to pinch-hitting maybe 3-4 times a week.
If you’d be willing to carry an 11-man pitching staff, you might be able to afford this as a luxury. Otherwise, no.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
And this will be the only time...
that you’ll ever hear Jim Thome described as luxurious.
by Damen Jackson on Sep 18, 2009 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions
It'd be worth asking his agent if he's interested.
Still playing and being able to stay in Chicago may have value. Obviously, the Cubs can’t pay him HOF DH money, but who knows if anyone will step up with that kind of cash for a part time player this offseason.
A little more been there/done that leadership would be nice.
if this was still new to me, i wouldn't understand
Thanks. That's kinda what I thought...
…but I had to ask. From a purely sentimental perspective, I believe he grew up a Cubs fan and it would be cool to see him wind down his career here. And he’s a veteran major leaguer who can work the count and hit for power – so he fits the Daryle Ward profile well. But, yeah, the price tag would probably be too high and he wouldn’t be much use in the field.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
There's the difference between Thome and Ward.
Ward could at least play the field, sort of, from time to time.
Thome can’t. Not at all. He hasn’t played a single game in the field since 2007, and only once that year.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Awfully expensive pinch hitter
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Ryne Sandberg
is an awful, awful alternative to Lou. Or to virtually anybody else.
The Cubs coaching staff is, by and large, fine. You could make an argument for replacing Rothschild, but that’s about it.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Sep 18, 2009 11:35 AM CDT reply actions
Sandberg awful alternative?
Really? Care to elaborate?
Perhaps Sinatro too?
I don’t know if its the 1B or 3B coach or trammel but I think there could be an increased emphasis in 2010 on base running.
BASE RUNNING SKILLS
are pathetic for a MLB team . Don’t the coaches see the mistakes ?? Or do they choose to look the other way ?? At any rate things have to change on the bases in 2010 .
I am not convinced Sandberg is ready to manage the Cubs
but no idea why you would call him awful.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Sep 18, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
No reason to yet
Some wnat Ryno because he was a very popular Cub player. If he had played for someone else, few would care.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions
True.
But it’s not JUST because he was a popular Cub player. He has also paid his dues by managing in the minor leagues, and by all accounts has done a good job.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
+1
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
oh boy
i wonder how next year will turn out for ryno…
The official slogan of your 2009 Chicago Cubs:
Why?
by jesus christos on Sep 18, 2009 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions
But don't you think...
…he still needs to put in a few years as a bench coach or maybe third base coach? Managing in the minors, where development is the focus, would seem a much different, uh, ball game than managing at the major league level where it’s win or go home.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Not necessarily.
Every situation is different. I think Sandberg knows enough about managing, and enough about major league baseball, to be ready in 2010.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
100% Agree
Sandberg does not need any more “coaching” or “seasoning.” He was a HOF player, who played the game fundamentally right. He wasn’t flashy and had power and speed, so he gets bothe elements of an offense.
His 2 years working with minor leaguers will prepare him for managing a pitching staff. Plus baseball doesn’t have a clock, so he can have discussions with his staff to make pitching changes. It’s not done on the fly.
He is ready yesterday to assume the role of MLB manager.
I'm still not quite so certain.
I think there’s a big difference between being a great MLB player 10 to 15 years ago and managing a big market baseball team under tremendous championship pressure in the 21st Century. I’d also reiterate my point about the differences between managing a minor and major league team.
That doesn’t mean if the Cubs do hand the reins to Ryno in ‘10 or soon thereafter I wouldn’t be excited or supportive. But I’d approach the situation a little more cautiously if I was the one making the call.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I repsect your opinion
but disagree.
if you think the mentality in the minors is “development” then that is just wrong. When the game starts, the players play and the managers manage TO WIN. Period.
The development is before the games during meetings and pre-game working on fundamentals and discussing situtations that came up or could come up and how the team/player is to react. The there is individual coaching to refine the player and his techinques. But when the game starts-it’s not OK to fail and lose. It’s just not.
The difference between MILB and MLB is almost nothing other than not having to teach the fundamentals over and over as most MLB guys have them instilled by the time they get to the big leagues. Dealing with multi-million dollar ego’s—ok maybe something to that. But Ryno played, played at a level all his players dream of, and played the game the right way. I don’t think managing today’s players would be a problem.
My opinion from playing in the minors for 4 years with 2 different organizations.
When Jack Krol came out to the mound and chewed my ass up and down for 30 seconds about pitching like a “pussy and quit nibbling” with other nice choice words, it wasn’t ok that I was working on a new grip on my change and my new cutter that I took into the game for the first time was all over the place. It was TO WIN—competing. Period.
Fair enough.
But would you say the pressure to win at the major league level is much, much greater. Y’know, with millions of dollars in salary on the line and TV cameras rolling and scandal-hungry beat reporters champing at the bit? (It is “champing,” right?)
That’s really all I’m saying – maybe Ryno’s odds of success as a manger would be greater if he could experience all of that in a coaching role before he actually gets the keys to the car.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
of course it is
that is the level where it all matters.
I will tell you the pressure to win in the minors is intense too. Ask Rob Picciolo about that. He had to stop managing in the minors because he couldn’t handle it health-wise. He is one of the finest infield instructors you will ever see and won a championship in his only manager season. I believe there are many who have no idea about minor league ball and what takes place—not saying you dave specifically—in general.
How does he get all of that experience in a coaching role? He actually went through it as a player. I submit that he already has that experience. Sitting on the bench next to Lou or coaching 3rd base are not going to change whether or not he can manage and manage well in the big leagues—just my opinion.
Don't buy it
Being a bench coach next to a professional manager is a far different scenario than managing at AAA. He does need more time and I’d be disappointed if we handed it over to him this soon.
Milton Bradley: My New Favorite Cub
done a good job of getting thrown out
maybe he figures it worked for Earl Weaver
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 19, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions
BTW, if he was not a beloved ex Cub player
do you really think you and others would be calling for him to manage the Cubs?
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 19, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
hes not lou
The official slogan of your 2009 Chicago Cubs:
Why?
by jesus christos on Sep 19, 2009 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions
what does that mean?
really? that’s what you have to offer?
what does that mean?
LDR strikes me as one of those people that see lou and hendry as infallible
The official slogan of your 2009 Chicago Cubs:
Why?
by jesus christos on Sep 19, 2009 6:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I can't think of a single person...
on this site who fits that description.
Milton Bradley: My New Favorite Cub
He might
I just don’t think he has shown anything to indicate he is ready for the job now
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 21, 2009 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions
You never know...
…he may turn out to be pretty good, but it would be a bit of a risky move because you just don’t know how he would be in the bigs (as Al stated, like Ozzie when the Sox hired him).
More importantly, who will be the guy to make sure Sandberg has the best roster possible and not a bunch of parts that don’t jive together? Without that, I don’t think any manager will have much success.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
First to go
Rothschild would be the first to go in my book
totally agree
they need new blood there
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 19, 2009 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
That's another Hendry issue...
…as he pushed Lou to keep Rothschild onboard in 07.
I have been saying this for 3 years, and during his tenure, he has been outcoached (by light years), by the Cubs number one division opponent – the Cards.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
I don't understand the love affair with BB as a manager.
303-262 is his career managing numbers. He won a WS riding Schilling and RJ’s coattails. If anything, I think it would be at best a lateral move.
Not to mention I don’t think a lot of current players would get along with bc of his in the booth analysis (I’m thinking in particular, Soriano).
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Because he talks a good game in the booth
Thing is many people should know (maybe they don’t) that “managing” from the booth is waaaaaaaay different than managing from the dugout.
Just win the next game...!
Exactly.
You could call this “Steve Stone Syndrome”.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Plus I like BB in the booth
I’m totally used to (and totally like) the combo of Len & BB. I’d rather they just keep that combo in place for several years. At least their TV booth will be one of the best in all of MLB.
Just win the next game...!
I agree. I hope they
stay together in the booth for a long time.
Recipe for Disaster;
C'mon Cubs, hurry up and blow this so I can relax.
by Bluekoolaide on July22, 2009 3:08 PM CDT
I'm with this
Len and Bob are the first combo since Harry and Stoney that I’ve been able to stomach.
Colossally bad comparison
Stone has never managed, while Brenly has managed a championship team. There is no intelligent comparison between the two.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Brenly has managed
He managed a team to a Series title.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions
others cannot understand the love for Ryno as manager
At least Brenly has big league experience and a Series title.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Whoa, hold on.
I never said Ryno should be the next manager. I think he should get some time as a bench coach at the big league level first.
Again, to me BB’s WS title was a result of being at the right place at the right time. Look at his overall record, not that impressive.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
In Brenly's case, he won that World Series with a veteran squad.
I think we’d all describe this Cubs team as a veteran team. Granted, it’s far easier to win with a healthy Schilling and Randy Johnson in their primes, but Brenly got a lot of credit with how he managed that veteran squad.
I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg
Actually......
As I remember it BB did almost everything he could to lose that WS. He’s an “old school” manager and I don’t see any reason why people would actually want him to manage the Cubs. The fact that people seem to like him in the booth should be a big clue, that’s where he belongs.
Go back and watch the ‘02 World Series and see how many times Brenly ran Kim out to the mound and Kim kept getting shelled. Didn’t matter to Bob, he thought Kim worked best with more work, no matter what the facts were telling him. Frankly it took a lucky hit off of Mariano Rivera and some damn fine pitching from Johnson and Schilling for the D’backs to win that series. It certainly wasn’t anything the manager did that won it for them.
Please do not start any kind of BB for manager campaign that the team may see and think that that’s what the fans want. Let BB get his managing job somewhere else, hopefully somewhere else in the NL Central, if you know what I mean.
I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. - Robert McCloskey
Comments like this KILL me
Go back and watch the ‘02 World Series and see how many times Brenly ran Kim out to the mound and Kim kept getting shelled.
How many times? Like what, a million?
Actually twice. (Games four and five).
Actually, he was the teams closer who had been almost perfect in the NLDS and the NLCS.
Yes, one can question giving Kim the ball in game five but you can also say that if Brenly doesn’t he’s showing everyone that he’s lost confidence in Kim after one bad outing.
How many times? How about twice (too funny)!
Huh?
As I remember it BB did almost everything he could to lose that WS.
So, where are all the other things he did to almost lose the series? Trotting out your closer after one bad outing is not making a bad decision. Many, many managers have been guilty of that. Just see Lou this year!
"Repetition is only good when you've been winning." - Valet
I went back and watched the '02 World Series
and I didn’t see Brenly anywhere.
"Was you ever punched in the face five hundred times a night? It stings after a while." ~Rocky Balboa
managing a veteran sqaud can be very troublesome
and he handled oversized egos like Schilling and Johnson very effectively.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 19, 2009 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Eh?
His initial actions will tell the story for the next 100 years.
A bit of an overstatement I think…
"Pain don't hurt you none" - Sparky Anderson (1987)
Obviously Sparky was never a Cubs fan...
Not an overstatement
Take this year for example…..Milton Bradley got off to a rough start. The fans turned on him and the majority want him run out of town. Despite the fact that he has worked hard and turned in a good season, the fans still want him gone. No forgiveness there.
Tom Ricketts is coming into a new situation. He needs to make a lot of noise. I want to see that he is willing to do whatever it takes to make the Cubs winners. If he comes in a does nothing, the mentality of the team does not change. I’m not asking for Steinbrenner, I just want a reasonable chance to win year after year.
If TR doesn’t win a WS within the first 5, maybe 10 years, it won’t happen. This team needs an attitude adjustment in a major way. I hope TR will make that happen.
I'm confused.
So you want Ricketts to do something right away, but you’re giving him a five- to ten-year window to win a championship. Seems like a contradiction. Also, one issue you don’t seem to be addressing is the fact that many of the players you presumably refer to as cancers in your Fanpost above are signed to long-term contracts that include NTCs. So what, specifically, can or should Ricketts do?
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Let me explain
By doing something now, I’m referring to putting a competitive, playoff worthy, team on the field. As we all know, winning 100+ games does not mean you will win the World Series. I want TR to set a precedence that this team will be competitive under his ownership. No more having the attitude of “whether we win or lose the fans still fill the stands, so why spend the money”. You can’t expect TR to come in next year and win a championship, but he can change the mentality of the team from “Lovable Losers”. That is what I mean by doing something now. If you put a solid team on the fiedl years after year, you increase your chances of winning a WS ring. So, yes if he can’t win a WS within the 1st 5 to 10 years, nothing has changed. The Cubs will continue to be the “Lovable Losers” for the next century.
As far as the “Cancers”, TR can write a check to MB for $20 million and tell him to get out. Really shake things up. Big Z has been a hothead for years. It’s been escalated this season because the Cubs were predicted to win the division easily and it didn’t happen. He is frustrated. The fans are frustrated. Big Z would be much better with a different pitching coach.
No offense, but you don't seem to be keeping up with the times.
The Cubs current nonownership and Jim Hendry did put a competitive, playoff worthy team on the field this season. By at least one very respectable projection system (Baseball Prospectus), they were reasonably expected to win 90+ games. Just about every pundit picked them to win this division. The competitive team was there – it just didn’t play up to expectations (for a variety of reasons that have been beaten to death here and elsewhere to a fine dust).
What’s more, if I’m not mistaken, the Chicago Cubs are either third or fourth in major league baseball in terms of payroll. Spending money is no longer an issue. (See those long-term contracts I referred to above.) And, honestly, neither is the “Lovable Losers” thing. The ’03 playoff run and the winning seasons thereafter have put an end to that. At least I hope so.
All that said, I do agree with you. The Cubs definitely need to focus on fielding a competitive team year in and year out – even if that team happens to not make the playoffs. That’s why I’m still very much hoping and praying this team will finish the year above .500.
Now as far as your specific suggestions. A new pitching coach for Big Z? Sure, why not. I’m open to that. Not sure how much good it would do – Carlos is a big, strong, stubborn guy and I’m not sure anyone is capable of stepping into that role and getting through to Z, but it’s worth a shot.
Paying off Milton with a $20 million check? That idea is neither realistic nor financially sound. I mean, I know Ricketts is a rich man, but I’m not sure even he’s that liquid.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
Daver
Having a competitive team on paper is not the same as having a competitive team on the field. If it only mattered on paper, the Cubs would have won the WS last year and would be sitting pretty on top of the division right now.
Yes, it’s beyond crazy, to us, to think that TR would sign a $20 million check to MB, but if he did, wouldn’t you stop and say, “Damn, this guy means business.”
You may be right about nobody being able to get through to Big Z, but let us at least try.
Right, but all you can do going into any season...
…is have a competitive team on paper. As bad as this team has been, it could still wind up with a win total in the mid-80s – not good enough, but not bad. And if Ricketts did write Milton a $20 million check, I’d say that’s bad business – as he’d be paying for two years of nothing when Milton might actually give the Cubs a decent (or even good) amount of production next year and the year after (assuming he isn’t traded).
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
the Cubs
went in 1st place in July after the All Star break. How is that not a competitive team on the field.
Handing a $20MM check to Bradley would not make me say, “this guy means business.” I would say he’s a fool.
If he were to fire Hendry, Bush, Piniella, Wilken, and Fleita, then I would say he means business as he is revamping the entire orgranization.
$20 million to Bradley to go home would be silly.
He IS tradeable. He WILL be traded, and the other team will pick up most of the contract.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
But.......
if he isn’t traded, do the Cubs just put up with his diarrhea of mouth? I’m just suggesting the last possible means. I’m not saying this is the best thing to do.
Yes, they do. And so do we.
Given recent events, however, I’m inclined to agree with Al – Bradley will probably be moved.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
I'll try to be kind....
However:
1) The only person responsible for my mental health is me. The Ricketts have a responsibility to make money, and they do that by putting a competitive team on the field most years. That’s about it. These are baseball games. Take a hint from the players, who shake most losses of within a few hours, and bad seasons within a month.
2) Piniella may have done some odd things this year, but I never got the impression that cowering in fear was one of them.
3) What evidence do you have of a “cancer”? At best you’ve a team that doesn’t really gel on the field, and that’s a front office issue more than anything else.
4) The Cubs are likely to finish above .500 for the third year in a row, the first time since the 1970 – 1972 campaigns. This is hardly “blow it all up” territory.
5) Just because Ryno can get 20 year-old kids to respond to him does not mean that he can get 30 year-old multi-millionaires to respond any better to him than Lou has and maybe worse. I love the man, but think carefully about the situation.
Do better.
addition to #5
Ryno will get players to repsond at any age because he is humble, played the right way, and also wears a HOF ring. Players of any age will repsect the man and repsond.
Any better than Lou? Maybe not. If Ryno has the same roster Lou has, the results will be the same.
Funny how Dusty was all the rage the 1st 2 years and how everything soured and now the same things ha happened with Lou.
When you see a pattern...
…of what you mentioned in your last sentence, you should at least give some attention to what else is going on in the organization that may cause some of that.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Not so sure on your take for #5
Piniella had a very nice career as a player, and a good one as a manager. If players won’t respond to him, why would they to Sandberg?
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 18, 2009 2:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Here is the problem with that...
…you get back to going back and forth between what manager personality fits best with a certain team, and no matter how hard you try, no personality will match up with every player on the team.
In the good ole days, the players had to adjust to the manager, but now, it is a bit different.
The funny thing is, Lou has actually mellowed quite a bit in the last 5-10 years, so he has made an effort to fit better with today’s players.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
And maybe that wasn't the right thing to do with this bunch.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Could be...
…but I think it’s also likely there were forces in effect, that no manager could have reversed.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Because Ryno is a beloved Cub alum
everything will be roses with him.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions
That's what worries me
Some people seem to think that. Sandberg is my favorite player. I’d love for him to be a successful manager with the Cubs. But I don’t think success is a foregone conclusion.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 19, 2009 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions
The next managers...
…success/failure will have more to do with the players they have than it will with their particular strengths/weaknesses.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
That's true of all managers
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 20, 2009 3:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Exactly my point!!!
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
exactly
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 21, 2009 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I think a natural progression, especially if Piniella stays
would be for Sandberg to be next years third base coach. That could set up a decision between Sandberg and Trammell for 2011. I agree that throwing Sandberg into the fire straight from Double-A would be too much, too fast.
"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin
Regarding Sandberg...
… his current experience (three years of minor league managing) is roughly equivalent to Ozzie Guillen’s when he got the White Sox job (three years as a major league coach).
It may be the right time to make a bold move like giving Sandberg the job.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
You wanna hand Ryno this mess?
I’m not too sure I would. I’d rather see a smoother transition of Lou actually retiring after a completed contract, and going to a new manager. And that doesn’t necessarily mean Ryno, as much as I loved him as a player.
Sure the team will finish above .500 but IMO it’s 10-15 games below where they should be finishing.
All the fire in the manager won’t make Bradley any less of a head case, Z any less of a psycho or Fonzie any less selfish.
Just win the next game...!
That's my concern...
…if everything isn’t in order above Sandberg, he will be set up to fail (as would any other manager).
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
#4
Being above .500 doesn’t equate to World Series wins.
29 teams will not win the World Series this year
By your logic, they should all blow up their organizations.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 19, 2009 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Does he stick with Lou, the current coaching staff and the team divas for another year or does he oust them all and bring in fresh optimism? By ousting, I mean show them the door by all or any means possible. Just get rid of the cancer.
aaaand THAT’s where I stopped reading.
"I’m not going to allow Al Yellon to flush this thing down the crapper without a fight." (BLOU)
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
Well, he did say "by all or any means possible."
Maybe we could get Soriano to opt out of his contract if we, say, threaten to pound pour sand in the gas tank of his Hummer. Or maybe Big Z would waive his NTC if we kidnapped his dog. Not sure about Milton Bradley – he probably wouldn’t respond well to threats. Aaron Miles could be the toughest one of all, though. IIRC, he’s already fought off one armed kidnapper. We may have to use hypnosis on him.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
No, the kidnapper had both arms.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 18, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions
If Ricketts looks as if anything he does is
well thought out with both short term and long term goals being considered and nothing appears to be a knee-jerk reaction, he will be well received and optimism will return.
There’s just so many things to be considered that no matter what ideas are conjured up here, there’s just too much info we don’t know.
Just win the next game...!
You missed a very...
…important piece of the organization going forward:
-who will hire the next manager if Lou is gone?
-who will make final decisions on trades or FA signings
-who will make final roster decisions?
-who will oversee the scouting and farm system?
In my mind, this is more important than the manager, because this will undoubtedly impact the club both short term and long term.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Alan Trammel...
I’ve lost track on the amount of times I’ve brought up his name…he’s right there…let Ryno get some more experience…to place him at the head of the firestorm is to probably ruin his future.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Sep 18, 2009 1:32 PM CDT reply actions
My fear with Trammel
Is that it wouldn’t be a fresh experience in the dugout. He has been with Lou. If we’re getting new management I want someone who hasn’t been instrumental with the team for the last 3 years.
Agree...
…part of getting a new manager is a fresh approach (that does wear off with everybody), and you would lose that in this scenerio.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
Yeah, just ask the Rockies . . . .
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 18, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Yea you totally missed my point but whatever
If you’re changing management why go to a guy who will manage similarly to Lou. You might as well keep Lou (my preference). But if you’re going to start from scratch, then don’t put Trammell in charge.
This'll be interesting.
Girardi = Sandberg, coaching wise?
That would be real nice if/when Sandberg becomes Cubs manager.
"It's hard to win 97 games, it's hard to win the division. Our attitude is if you get in every year, you get in most of the time, sooner or later you are going to knock that door down." -- Jim Hendry
Trammell would be a better choice than Sandberg right now
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Sep 18, 2009 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions
As some have stated,
Wouldn’t it make sense to get Sandberg on the big league coaching staff next season in some fashion? I don’t really know what would be an ideal situation for him at this point.
Is being a base coach or hitting coach a plausible idea?
"It's hard to win 97 games, it's hard to win the division. Our attitude is if you get in every year, you get in most of the time, sooner or later you are going to knock that door down." -- Jim Hendry
Yes, I think it is...
… if he’s not named manager.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
What cancer?
There has been much written, here and elsewhere, about cancers, divas, prima donnas, etc.
I frankly don’t see that. Sure, Soriano hops, occasionally watches his HRs, and does a silly hand waving thing, but this is a player who goes and and plays everyday, and by all accounts is a good teammate. Aramis, DLee, Theriot, Fotenot, Kosuke, Johnson, Soto, Hill, Lilly, Dempster, Wells, Marmol, Harden, … I don’t know how anyone could possibly say any of these guys do anything but play the game the right way.
Sure Bradley is a bit of a head case, but again, he might be a headache, but to connect his odd antics to any sort of clubhouse cancer seems overstated.
Zambrano would be the same story. Sure he can be maddeningly inconsistent and unfocused, but again, he is no different now than he has been.
So, I wish that this idea of a horribly disfunctional team – which explains why there will be no Oct. baseball in Chicago – would just die.
Eamus Ursuli!
We cannot answer that "clubhouse cancer" question.
Because no matter how much any of us THINKS we know, we cannot know what goes on behind closed doors in the Cubs clubhouse.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
im sure prince fielder can if he drinks some red bull
The official slogan of your 2009 Chicago Cubs:
Why?
by jesus christos on Sep 18, 2009 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
LIND LIND WE WANT LIND!!!!!!!
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
I was in there today; I didn't see any problems.
Of course, that was part of a tour at Wrigley Field, not in St. Louis where the team is.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 19, 2009 5:37 PM CDT up reply actions
It was pretty cool.
The visitor’s clubhouse really is small. The home one isn’t exactly luxurious, but it’s bigger than the visitors’.
Fantastic view from the press box, and walking up the dugout steps to the field was very cool, especially following my dad. We got some pics on the field and in the dugout.
The only downside is that they don’t let you in the scoreboard :)
It’s worth $25 for a 90-minute tour.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Sep 20, 2009 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions
I would highly recommend the Wrigley Field tour if you haven't been on one.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
And Hendry remains?.......
The money spent vs. results facts are pretty hard to ignore…..
MATT YOU SAID ALOT....
Look at the results as we head into the end of 2009 . A sad state of affairs for this ball club .
That's simple...
…because the money will eventually run out, and if you have made bad choices along the way, you have little flexibility to fix what needs fixing.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
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