Ricketts Family Annoyance Thread

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Perusing through the comments;

Best GM Since Bill Veeck Sr.?

   Jim Hendry has been the most successful Cubs general manager in 70 years — because since the 1930s, no other Cubs GM had brought the team to as many postseason appearances as he has (three).

Nice criteria. An 88-win division, and 2 division titles when Tribune and McDonough allowed him to spend freely. In 6 short years (or about 1/2 the time that Hendry has spent with the organization) , Dallas Green constructed 2 legitimate division winners—the first one through trades (Sutcliffe, Sandberg, Dernier, Matthews, Eckersley et.al;..really the whole damn team) and the second one through the farm (Maddux, Grace, Girardi, Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith, Damon Berryhil, not to mention trading a future 500 HR hitting, and 250 winning pitcher in Rafael Palmeiro and Jamie Moyer—also homegriown— to augment these youngsters). Green's player development puts Hendry's to shame, and to ignore Green's regime while tripping over yourself to praise Hendry's is shameful

Apologies in advance for being so combative, but that nonsense is so dumb (and so transparently equivocal, par for the course, I guess) that it glows in the dark. Jim Hendry is a bumbling buffoon who has stumbled into whatever success he's accidentally enjoyed and has produced so few homegrown players—even though he's been in player development for a major market franchise for over a decade— that you ought to be embarassed by any praise you throw his way. He's hardly been better than Ed Lynch, and the insult to Dallas Green is so steeped in wilfull and deceitful ignorance as to provide a disservice to your readers, even though you're just a blogger. My brain hurts.

Thanks for the plug.  Also, I blame BH for compelling me to visit that wasteland for the first time in months and being further compelled to leave that comment.

However, it is true that no Cubs GM produced as many postseason appearances as Hendry since the 1930s. Green wasn't GM in 1989, although you are also correct that the players his system produced helped win that title.

It is true.

In fact, I think Al actually sells Jim short by not highlighting the fact that Hendry has led the Cubs to more NLDS appearances than all other Cubs general managers combined since 1876.

#FACT

[Brownie]

Hendry's clubs have won more than 20 percent of the Cubs' all-time playoff games.

He's 6-12 in the playoffs, a winning percentage of .333, the fourth best playoff winning percentage as baseball executive in charge of the Cubs

The Cubs are 28-55 (.337) all time, or 22-33 (.400) pre-Hendry.

Kick Lynch's 0-3 out in 1998 as Hendry was in the brain trust, and the Cubs were 22-30 in the postseason without Hendry.

Bill Veeck Sr. was involved with the Cubs from 1918-1933, getting shitcanned by PK Wrigley. (Nice choice, Phil.)

Anyway, the Cubs were 3-12 in the postseason those years (.200, tied for fifth best). Boots Weber took over as GM and lasted through 1940, bringing the Cubs to two World Series and a postseason record of 2-8 (.200, tied for fifth).  James Gallagher was the Cubs GM of the 1940s, and the Cubs went 3-4 in the postseason under him (.429, second best)

EDIT to reflect James Gallagher 1940-1949 reign

Then you have Dallas Green, whose Cubs were 2-3 (.400, third best) in the postseason, Jim Frey (1-4, .200 tied for fifth best) and Eddie Lynch (0-3, .000, eighth best).

Charles Webb Murphy was the owner of the Cubs from the early aughts to 1913. He was an asshole, an asshole whose results I wouldn't mind seeing today. The Cubs were a mere 11-9 (.550, tops among Cubs executives in charge of baseball ops) in postseason play.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Maybe we can agree that Jim Hendry is the best GM who Al has ever met since he started "writing" and started sucking up to for access.

[Quality Start Machine]

Maybe we can agree that Jim Hendry is the best GM who Al has ever met since he started "writing" and started sucking up to for access.

And Dave Kaplan is the best broadcaster.

[Saul Goodman]

I think Al has stumbled onto the reason why Pena wasn't traded.

Recently, Carlos Peña, who played in the World Series for the 2008 AL champion Rays, said that the Cubs need a culture change:

"What is Latin American culture?" Peña said. "What is the European culture? Basically, it's a way of being.

"When I say culture of the team, (it's) the way we interact with each other, the way we react to things, the way we view ourselves, the way we view our season. (So) what's our identity?

"It's just viewing ourselves in a different light, wearing the uniform with pride, just all those personal things that (should be) ingrained in us."

And what was Mike Quade's response to that? A nervous and silly joke:

Quade, when asked about Carlos Peña's comment that the Cubs need a "cultural change" in the clubhouse: "The culture? Does that mean adding an Australian, or does that mean getting a Chinese player? I don't know."

Pena is your 2012 player/manager.  It's gonna hai.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

I think Al has stumbled onto the reason why Pena wasn't traded.

Recently, Carlos Peña, who played in the World Series for the 2008 AL champion Rays, said that the Cubs need a culture change:

"What is Latin American culture?" Peña said. "What is the European culture? Basically, it's a way of being.

"When I say culture of the team, (it's) the way we interact with each other, the way we react to things, the way we view ourselves, the way we view our season. (So) what's our identity?

"It's just viewing ourselves in a different light, wearing the uniform with pride, just all those personal things that (should be) ingrained in us."

And what was Mike Quade's response to that? A nervous and silly joke:

Quade, when asked about Carlos Peña's comment that the Cubs need a "cultural change" in the clubhouse: "The culture? Does that mean adding an Australian, or does that mean getting a Chinese player? I don't know."

If that's what it takes to show respect for Asian culture.

[BH]

Signs that point to Hendry staying.

Another case for Fleita (because he found starlin castro), Wilkens, both of which may leave if Hendry leaves.
Also, the new GM might hire scouts that don't like who we just drafted. Makes sense.
Go get 'em Jimbo.

[Slaky]

Signs that point to Hendry staying.

Another case for Fleita (because he found starlin castro), Wilkens, both of which may leave if Hendry leaves.
Also, the new GM might hire scouts that don't like who we just drafted. Makes sense.
Go get 'em Jimbo.

I believe finding one player with good potential (that has not been reached and may never be reached, for all we know) is a great reason for a lifetime extension. Make it hai.

Nevermind - the Orange One says Hendry is FIRED.


FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRED

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Signs that point to Hendry staying.

Another case for Fleita (because he found starlin castro), Wilkens, both of which may leave if Hendry leaves.
Also, the new GM might hire scouts that don't like who we just drafted. Makes sense.
Go get 'em Jimbo.

I believe finding one player with good potential (that has not been reached and may never be reached, for all we know) is a great reason for a lifetime extension. Make it hai.

Nevermind - the Orange One says Hendry is FIRED.


FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRED

Source.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Signs that point to Hendry staying.

Another case for Fleita (because he found starlin castro), Wilkens, both of which may leave if Hendry leaves.
Also, the new GM might hire scouts that don't like who we just drafted. Makes sense.
Go get 'em Jimbo.

I believe finding one player with good potential (that has not been reached and may never be reached, for all we know) is a great reason for a lifetime extension. Make it hai.

Nevermind - the Orange One says Hendry is FIRED.


FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRED

Source.

Looks like I'll have to cast my "stalking net" and corner Kaplan today before I get too excited.

[BH]

Signs that point to Hendry staying.

Another case for Fleita (because he found starlin castro), Wilkens, both of which may leave if Hendry leaves.
Also, the new GM might hire scouts that don't like who we just drafted. Makes sense.
Go get 'em Jimbo.

I believe finding one player with good potential (that has not been reached and may never be reached, for all we know) is a great reason for a lifetime extension. Make it hai.

Nevermind - the Orange One says Hendry is FIRED.


FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRED

Source.

Looks like I'll have to cast my "stalking net" and corner Kaplan today before I get too excited.

I'm going to wait until someone other than Yeti, Colin Cowherd and Kaplan say he's out.

Levine reporting it on ESPN.
http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/6876743/chicago-cubs-fire-general-manager-jim-hendry

[fiveouts]

Can't help it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnkefjCES-4

[J. Walter Weatherman]

So, according to Yeti's transcript of the presser, Hendry was told he was being fired before the trade deadline?

Fuck this team.

[flannj]

So, according to Yeti's transcript of the presser, Hendry was told he was being fired before the trade deadline?

Fuck this team.

Wait, what?

Why in the hell would they do that?

[fiveouts]

So, according to Yeti's transcript of the presser, Hendry was told he was being fired before the trade deadline?

Fuck this team.

My guess is that they wanted someone to negotiate the contracts on the draft picks, which apparently was what Hendry did personally over the last few days. In terms of the trade deadline, they didn't really have shit to trade anyway. They could still do waiver deals for Soriano, et. al.