Jim Hendry Isn't Going Anywhere....PERIOD!!
In the Cubs never-ending quest to win the World Series, this past season was a sucker punch to all Cubs fans. To see a team fall from a 97 win team to a just over .500 ball club had to be not only disappointing but extremely unsatisfactory.
I have to admit that watching my Cubs fan friends this past season hurt me, cause I've never been in that situation. As a White Sox fan, I feel I'm more realistic about my teams' chances than my friends who have always believed that "This Is The Year."
It's sad, pathetic, and sometimes downright disgusting.
However, I believe that
General Manager Jim Hendry summed up this past season best today in an
article by Paul Sullivan calling this past season a
"hiccup." A bump in the road, a simple red light. This season which the Cubs dropped 15 games in the win total from last year (
2nd worst swing in win total in MLB) was just a minor glitch in the application that is the Chicago Cubs.
With this past season however not working out exactly like all Cubs fans and media thought it would, someone's gotta be fired. How come everything in sports in based on a "What have you done for me lately" ideal? If any business were as trigger-happy as sports fans are, no business would ever have any success. The minute something goes wrong, the attitude that someone has to be fired is outright insane.
Now I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Cubs fan and some of you reading may say I'm a little bias against the organization. Step back for a second and look at the tenure of the Jim Hendry era of the Chicago Cubs.
Jim Hendry was hired as the General Manager of the Chicago Cubs in July of 2002. Hendry hired Dusty Baker who led the Cubs to an NLCS birth and was five outs away from a World Series birth. Hendry hired Lou Piniella who led the Cubs to back to back playoff appearances for the first time in the last century. The Cubs have made the postseason 3 of the last 7 years which is more appearances in the playoffs under any other GM in the history of the Chicago Cubs.
The man has won and won on a semi-consistent basis.
Hendry has also brought in the top managerial candidates and top free agents to the club as well. Something I wish the White Sox would do once in a while. He's been able to bring in the big fish and make trades that have brought in franchise type players. He traded for Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez would could be considered the top corner infielders in the National League. He's also brought in the "big fish" signing Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome. Under his reign as well, the Cubs have developed some pretty good ballplayers as well in Carlos Zambrano, Randy Wells, Geovanny Soto, and Ryan Theriot.
Do the New York Yankees fire Brian Cashman for being aggressive? NO! Why should the Cubs fire Jim Hendry for the same thing?
The overall picture is good, but yet everyone's out for the "What have you done for me lately" approach. Look at the big picture Cubs fans. Open your eyes and see what you have had the last couple of years rather than focusing on what happened in 2008. Keep in mind too, the Chicago Cubs led the league in players placed on the disabled list this past season.
Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster, Harden, A. Ramirez, Soriano, Soto, Bradley (suspended), Miles, R. Johnson were all on the disabled list at some point this season. I think we can all agree it's tough to win baseball games and win pennants when four of your five starting pitchers hit the DL at some point in the season. I think we can all also agree that when you're relying on Bobby Scales, Andres Blanco, and Koy Hill to perform in crunch time for your team...you're not going to win many ballgames.
So this winter I suggest this to Cubs fans.
1. Celebrate your new ownership group.
2. Forget about last year because it was just one of those years. It's ok. It happens.
3. Lay off the Jim Hendry needs to go banter.
4. Cubs Convention right around the corner!
5. Look at the positives of what's to come rather than get lost in the black hole of the "what have you done for me lately" crowd.
-RoCk
Rock Mamola is the Associate Producer of The Mully And Hanley Morning Show and co-host of The Joe O And Rock Show on WSCR 670AM The Score
7 Comments
SkaterRich said:
Right on Rock. As a White Sox fan I know when things look good and things look bad regarding my team. I accept it because it's part of being a fan of the Sox. As a Chicagoan it sickens me how pathetic the Cubs represent this fine city. They are "The" team in Chicago yet they never get it done. In some way it makes the whole city look like "Lovable Losers" and thats annoying. I know it's been over 100 years for Cubs fans but every other day it's some new and improved way to better the team by firing somebody. I truely believe in the curse and maybe they should accept it as well. he he
Rock Mamola said:
SkaterRich,
Thanks for checking out the blog as always.
I don't mind the Cubs being the team of the city. Really if you think about it, da Bears are that team.
I think most Cubs fans look too much at the previous year and not the big picture. Maybe fans in general do that, but organizations sure don't.
There is no curse, just bad baseball.
-RoCK
tom said:
I know the sox won it all in 2005 and the cubs haven't won in 101 yrs but before 2005 it was 88yrs since the sox last won,not exactly a great resume either white sox fans.Neither team is doing the city proud
IrishYeti said:
Rock,
I don't advocate getting rid of Hendry based off of last year's performance. It was pretty bad, but if I were to get in the "FIRE JIM HENDREEE!!!" corner, it would not be because of that. I'm on the fence about him, but if I were to say he needed to go it would be because of the not-so-great farm system and the shitty contracts that have been signed under his watch (Soriano: 8 yrs, Fukudome: 4 yrs, Marquis: 3 yrs). Those are the types of things that have hampered this team from getting better during the trade deadline.
Rock Mamola said:
IrishYeti,
Thanks for checking out the blog.
I agree the contracts may be a little insane, but that's what it took to reel in the big fish at the time. A GM that did anything possible to bring in the best FA to his team. I can't be upset with that. I know it hasn't worked out for Soriano, Fukudome for the most part, but Hendry is an aggressive GM who takes risks. The Cubs could always be a team like KC and never bring in anyone but trade all their guys away.
That's why Hendry is staying, because he's successful and aggressive.
-RoCK
mikey06 said:
The reason they do not fire Brian Cashman is that he has rings on his fingers and has put rings on a lot of peoples fingers. Where is Jim's rings and who has he helped get rings? (Only people he has helped get rings were players he traded away). Jim does not deserve anything without a ring. Not saying he deserves to be fired but he should not be guaranteed to come back.
Rock Mamola said:
Mikey06,
Thanks for checking out the blog.
Brian Cashman has more pressure on him to win it all than any GM in baseball. The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2000. Why did they keep him, a string of success with the organization.
Hendry has had the same thing. Maybe not World Series title after title, but 3 playoff appearances in his reign is more than any GM in their history. A string of winning. I agree the ring is the goal, but firing a guy who has had better success than any GM in their history is not a good idea.
-RoCK
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