On Praising Or Criticizing The Cubs

It’s almost as though many here believe Hendry is actively trying to sabotage the Cubs.

He’s sometimes mistaken in honest efforts to make the team better. And despite how things look on paper/screen, we never really know until the games start in the spring.

GMAFB.

I try to be optimistic also, but Hendry has had a bad last 3 years…he’s in a slump. Of course other Cubs GM’s have had almost every move they make fail, its nothing new.

My expectations in 2011 are low, very low…so any kind of a positive season and it will be more than I expected.

…is the fact that he’s had an awful high payroll for what’s come out of it, no?

Now, a high payroll does not a guarantee of success, of course. But it sure should help.

Were you invited to the media shindig before the convention Friday? Per Sully, only one Cubs blogger was…

I’ve been reminding myself of how wonderful our scouting system has become over the past five years, rebuilding a pretty much dead farm systems into one of the best in baseball. Hendry has a lot to do with this reorganization, and he gets far too little credit for this. I think they understood exactly what they were doing with this trade, so I’ve come to peace with it.

I liked all the offseason moves and I like the way Quade has handled things. I could be wrong, but I’ll wait til at least June until I make that assessment.

I have been one to be critical of Hendry. The obvious move of Bradley and to lesser extent the signings of Dome and Grabow were in my opinion his low points. But his overall track record is fair to good. This offseason the cry for Adrian Gonzo was loud and clear. I personally think Boston would of out bid anyone to get him. But obtaining Garza, all be it for a steep price can be a solid pitcher for numerous years for the Cubs. And prospects are that, prospects. Getting Reed and Wood back were very important. If Pena is healthy, 35, and 90 could very well happen.
 Sure this team needs a lot to fall into place. Ramy, Sori, Pena and Z need good years. Colvin and Castro need to improve, not take a step back. But who knows. New manager, the presence of Wood and Reed, Lou no longer managing half of the game, maybe things shake into place.
  After 2003 the bar for this team has been placed at one level, World Series championship. Fair or not, that is the way it is now at Clark and Addison. Maybe that has taken some of the fun out of it as fans. Hell, a lot of us are not satisfied with a division crown anymore, and I understand that. Have to keep in mind all Cub fans want the same result. So I am with you Al, I raise my Half full glass for a playoff team team this year.

I started coming here about 2 years ago, because some of the bashing and attacks of each other on other sites, especially the Cubs.com site, are out of hand. I dont post a ton on here, but like you, I am a fan that always looks positively, and even when we are out of it, I love the game and am following it to the very end.

and I understand how that perception can be made. I’ve been unhappy with “everything the Cubs have done” for the past few months. Has all of it been wrong? We won’t know until we know.

I’m not the most optimistic person in the world anyway, and seeing what this organization has chosen to focus on in the past two years hasn’t given me much reason to be optimistic about the next couple seasons. Now having said that, I do hope we win the WS every year, I am a Cub Fan, but for better or worse, I’m no longer able to simply look at every move this franchise makes in a vacuum. The new ownership hasn’t had a fair chance to fully change the overall approach to running this baseball team just yet, but time is running out and they seem to be taking the same general approach as when TribCo. owned the team. As bad as Lou was at the end of his tenure here, his initial remarks echo in my brain as a juxtaposition to what I see from this team now…“We’re going to win here, and that’s the end of the story.” I so much want to win.

It’s great to hear positive things about the Cubs. Our society condones put downs, bullying, insinuations, second-guessing and insults by those who hide behind a User Name. Everyone makes mistakes, but these are often caused by outside forces beyond one’s control. Soriano and Fukudome were prizes to be won and the Cubs got them. Unfortunately they haven’t lived up to their expectations.

Wouldn’t it be a novel idea to BELIEVE that the players can live up to their capabilities and even improve. Again stay positive.

Can Quade get the best out of the players and if they don’t produce, put them on the bench? i believe he can and will.

Go Cubs, Go Bears, Go to hell Packers…now that’s being positive.

Wilken had already left the Blue Jays organization when we hired him. He worked for a year for the Devil Rays, whom we hired him away from. They drafted Jeremy Hellickson in the 4th round when he was there. Ike Davis too, but they didn’t sign him. Nor did they sign Casey Coleman, who I assume they just drafted in the 49th round as a favor to his dad. They should have signed him.

I’ve been accused of being a cheerleader for the farm system, and I admit, I don’t think it’s my role to bash a guy playing for $2000 a month in the minors, even if he’s hitting .220. But I was critical of the Garza trade and I don’t think the organization has been willing to trust that good farm system Wilken and Fleita have been building. However, how much of that has been Hendry and how much has been Baker and Piniella, two guys not exactly known for playing kids, has yet to be known. We’ll see how things go under Hendry.

I dont think I would come to this site if the head of the site was not optomistic. You give us the possible up-side of what might not be the perfect situation for the Cubs. That said, I do thoroughly enjoy both sides of the argument and would not be pleased with just a “sunshine and roses” site. But, as for you Al, you have to be exactly as you are.

Obviously, I wind up being wrong a fair amount of the time.

I mean, I just don’t know how you can come out and argue that such and such move was good, or that so and so will help the Cubs win… when you openly admit to being wrong ‘a fair amount of the time’. If you frequently ‘defend’ moves made by the Cubs, and you’re more often wrong than right… what does that say about the moves the Cubs are making?

At no point do I think you write what the Cubs tell you or any of that other BS. From being on this site for 5+ years, it’s obvious that you are just an eternal optimist. And power to you. But as much as you might not like to admit it, the people bashing Hendry and the Cubs are mostly right. Zero playoff wins in 7 years while consistently having a top 5 payroll is nothing short of embarrassing.

You often hear athletes, GM’s, and owners say, ‘at the end of the day, baseball is a business’. I don’t think there are very many businesses out there that continue to employ a manager that always comes up short in big moments and lacks any sort of long-term vision. I’m not happy this is turning into Hendry bashing, but the simple fact is that he’s had his hand on every single move, and the majority have NOT worked. I’ll let you reach your own conclusion.

Some people enjoy being miserable. Maybe they just don’t want to change or they feel some kind of distinction or character aspect from being miserable. Or, some people love to complain. It gives them purpose in life.

At the least, this is the Internet, where people have gained empowerment to complain.

there is very little expectation of this team in 2011…very little. Now, here’s the rub…what if this team plays .500 ball and exceeds MOST everybody’s expectations? Do we erect a statue of Hendry then? I, for one, do not want this guy at the controls again when all this money comes off the books. Will he be? Probably…2nd verse, same as the 1st. Rebuild after this year? Sure…I’m all for it now. Let’s make sure it starts at the top.

Can’t believe this blog is almost 6 years old. Wander how many of us have been around since the beginning? I wish I had 10 Cents for every minute I have spent reading this blog. Almost every single day since the beginning.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, I say!

has influenced my outlook on life. I hope for the best but expect the worst. If something less than the best happens, but better than the worst, I feel all right and can handle it.

Is that sick?

Hell, I’ve been here for over five years! It’s your hard work that keeps this place up. I don’t have to agree with everything, but that’s why it’s the Internet—you can change the channel, so it goes. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You’re a great guy and I appreciate your hard work to keep this place going.

I’m aware that I’m much more negative and condescending of the Cubs and their management than I was a few years ago. I saw what we did in 2003 and 2007/2008. And now I expect that on a regular basis. I put up with the bloated contracts because the management has (at that time) earned the respect of its’ fans to sign players to long-term deals. But now it is 2011 and we’re overspending and underperforming. There’s no plan in place and nothing makes a great deal of sense. Until I start to see some common sense from the management I believe it is our duty to keep the figureheads in check with critical analysis and critiques of boneheaded moves.

Dan

Of course I view it as realism. Even the most optimistic fans have to agree that Hendry has had several very bad years in terms of making moves and team performance especially considering the team payroll. As I’ve said repeatedly, Bradley for 3 years was a mind-numbingly stupid move. I still can’t understand how anyone could do that.

I hope that Jim Hendry has learned how to be a big league GM and not just a nice guy. I hope he has but I need some real evidence before becoming optimistic about the Cubs chances for a championship. To me, a championship is what the goal needs to be not hoping if all goes right that the team might be competitive.

isn’t the GM of Cleveland anymore. He’s been replaced by Chris Antonetti, who would have been a great hire for any MLB franchise including the Cubs. Shapiro is now their President, and is a waste of talent, as he could be running a team by himself.

What do all of those GMs (except Terry Ryan) with such tenure have in common? They’ve all at least been to a World Series, if not won one. There’s no excuse for Jim Hendry to have stayed a GM of a big market team this long with so little success.