Sullivan: Best and worst of Hendry

[Banedon]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060404cubs,1,1629361.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

Fairly obvious choices (though at the time, signing Remlinger and Hawkins didn't appear to be terrible moves), but this jumped out at me...

 

5 Dumping Hundley, Dec. 2002

 

After going to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Todd Hundley played in only 21 more games, hitting .182 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in '03. He retired in the off-season. Dodgers castoff Mark Grudzielanek became a vital cog in the Cubs' '03 run, hitting .314 in 121 games, while Eric Karros hit .286 in 114 games and provided some much-needed leadership.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Karros didn't come in the Hundley deal did he? I'm pretty sure Ismael Valdez came in the Hundley deal.

[srbin84]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060404cubs,1,1629361.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

Fairly obvious choices (though at the time, signing Remlinger and Hawkins didn't appear to be terrible moves), but this jumped out at me...

 

5 Dumping Hundley, Dec. 2002

 

After going to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Todd Hundley played in only 21 more games, hitting .182 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in '03. He retired in the off-season. Dodgers castoff Mark Grudzielanek became a vital cog in the Cubs' '03 run, hitting .314 in 121 games, while Eric Karros hit .286 in 114 games and provided some much-needed leadership.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Karros didn't come in the Hundley deal did he? I'm pretty sure Ismael Valdez came in the Hundley deal.

 

No, it was Karros and Grudz for Hundley.

[gus_dog]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060404cubs,1,1629361.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

Fairly obvious choices (though at the time, signing Remlinger and Hawkins didn't appear to be terrible moves), but this jumped out at me...

 

5 Dumping Hundley, Dec. 2002

 

After going to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Todd Hundley played in only 21 more games, hitting .182 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in '03. He retired in the off-season. Dodgers castoff Mark Grudzielanek became a vital cog in the Cubs' '03 run, hitting .314 in 121 games, while Eric Karros hit .286 in 114 games and provided some much-needed leadership.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Karros didn't come in the Hundley deal did he? I'm pretty sure Ismael Valdez came in the Hundley deal.

 

No, it was Karros and Grudz for Hundley.

 

That's right, and Karros did a fine job for the Cubs. IIRC, Karros is now retired from MLB.

 

Valdez was signed as a FA IIRC, and he pretty much sucked as a CUB.

[goonys evil twin]

Ismael Valdez

July 26, 2000: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jamie Arnold, Jorge Piedra, and cash.

[Banedon]

Ok...I guess I got the deals mixed up...my bad.

[sonofsamiam]

This, however, IS a mistake, and a particularly glaring one:

 

Shawn Estes was 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA in '02, but signed a one-year, $3 million deal and was inserted into the Cubs' '03 rotation. He went 8-11 with a 5.73 ERA and Glendon Rusch replaced him in the rotation down the stretch.

 

Um, no he didn't, Paul.

 

Also, I like how he takes a swipe at stat-based methodology in the first paragraph:

 

Jim Hendry is an unapologetic throwback, the kind of front-office executive who still values his scouts' opinions over a computerized printout of every statistic imaginable.

 

Guess he should be extended based on that alone.

[Jon]

I disagree with his bad move list and dumping Sosa as his 3rd best move doesn't say much for Hendry, but what do the other best moves have in common? Yeah, they all occurred before the 2004 season.

[Hacking Out Machine]

Funny how Hendry just repeated the "everyone says I need bullpen help, so I'll just overpay for the 'best non closer available'" mistake this year by throwing gobs of cash at Eyre and Howry. If these guys DONT end up like Remlinger and Hawkins, I'll be surprised. Edited April 5, 2006 by Hacking Out Machine

[Peoriaman]

Also, I like how he takes a swipe at stat-based methodology in the first paragraph:

 

 

It wasn't a swipe, just the truth. And I am glad Hendry is what he is.

 

Every writer brings up stats in every article criticizing the Cubs. A writer can't say the Hendry isn't married to these stat guys without being criticized here?

 

The stat guys may be the most insecure people in baseball.

Edited April 5, 2006 by Peoriaman

[Hacking Out Machine]

Ismael Valdez

July 26, 2000: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jamie Arnold, Jorge Piedra, and cash.

 

By the way, I know that's who they got^^^ when they traded Valdez to the Dodgers, but didn't Valdez come in a trade along with Eric Young back in '99 or thereabouts? Who did we trade in that deal to get those two?

[craig]

Ismael Valdez

July 26, 2000: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jamie Arnold, Jorge Piedra, and cash.

 

By the way, I know that's who they got^^^ when they traded Valdez to the Dodgers, but didn't Valdez come in a trade along with Eric Young back in '99 or thereabouts? Who did we trade in that deal to get those two?

 

Terry adams and fringe prospect(s) who never did anything.

[jkrapfl]

Funny how Hendry just repeated the "everyone says I need bullpen help, so I'll just overpay for the 'best non closer available'" mistake this year by throwing gobs of cash at Eyre and Howry. If these guys DONT end up like Remlinger and Hawkins, I'll be surprised.

 

The problem with the Hawkins and Remlinger deals wasn't necessarily that the deals were made, but rather that they were both forced into situations that they weren't suited for - Remlinger pitching to lefties and Hawkins closing. Hopefully, management has learned from these mistakes and will use Eyre and Howry appropriately.

[goonys evil twin]

Ismael Valdez

July 26, 2000: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jamie Arnold, Jorge Piedra, and cash.

 

By the way, I know that's who they got^^^ when they traded Valdez to the Dodgers, but didn't Valdez come in a trade along with Eric Young back in '99 or thereabouts? Who did we trade in that deal to get those two?

 

Terry adams and fringe prospect(s) who never did anything.

 

December 12, 1999: Traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers with Eric Young to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later, Terry Adams, and Chad Ricketts (minors). The Chicago Cubs sent Brian Stephenson (minors) (December 16, 1999) to the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete the trade.

[RyCubsFan]

I think getting Michael Barrett from Montreal was one of his best 5.

 

I think getting Matt Murton was also one of his best 5.

 

I'd put both of those deals above getting rid of Sosa.

[RyCubsFan]

I have no problem with the Hawkins deal. It didn't work out, but there was no way to predict that. Hawkins had a great stuff, was young enough, and had been coming off excellent years.

[SquirminHerman Wedemeyer]

obviously it didn't work out in the long run, and all of this is hindsight, but i was surprised the nomar deal didn't get a mention.

 

at the time, hendry pulling off an 11th hour multi-team deal while the cubs were still very much competing with the cards... well, it worked out for boston anyway.

 

coming on the heels of getting maddux back that offseason (another conspicuous non-mention), i think hendry could've run for mayor.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

obviously it didn't work out in the long run, and all of this is hindsight, but i was surprised the nomar deal didn't get a mention.

 

at the time, hendry pulling off an 11th hour multi-team deal while the cubs were still very much competing with the cards... well, it worked out for boston anyway.

 

coming on the heels of getting maddux back that offseason (another conspicuous non-mention), i think hendry could've run for mayor.

 

Um, I believe you're referring to the Murton deal. :wink:

[CubinNY]

I think getting Michael Barrett from Montreal was one of his best 5.

 

Barrett was traded to Oakland before the Cubs. The Cubs traded Damian Miller for Barrett.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I think getting Michael Barrett from Montreal was one of his best 5.

 

Barrett was traded to Oakland before the Cubs. The Cubs traded Damian Miller for Barrett.

 

I remember it well. It was announced that they traded Miller to Oakland for a PTBNL, then I heard Oakland traded Barrett to the Cubs for a PTBNL.

[SouthSideRyan]

The Sosa trade isn't even top 10. I'd throw the Barrett trade, the trade for Miller, the Hawkins trade, the Nomar trade, the Rusch signing, and the Walker signing in there over it.

[sonofsamiam]

Also, I like how he takes a swipe at stat-based methodology in the first paragraph:

 

 

It wasn't a swipe, just the truth. And I am glad Hendry is what he is.

 

Every writer brings up stats in every article criticizing the Cubs. A writer can't say the Hendry isn't married to these stat guys without being criticized here?

 

The stat guys may be the most insecure people in baseball.

 

It's more Sullivan's tone, which implies that all stats-based methods are done by computer nerds making huge spreadsheets. It's just lazy, and Sullivan is well-known for discounting stats. (Just like most of the media -- I see very few writer talking about advanced stats at all.)

 

I don't subscribe to sabermetrics alone -- but statistics are a type of hard evidence, which should certainly be combined with scouting reports and every other bit of information a good GM should be using. I guess I just get sick of people in the media making sweeping statements about the use of stats like it's a bad thing.

 

Anyway, the main thing that bugged me was Sullivan somehow thinking Rusch was brought in to take Estes' place in '03. Shows how important research is to him as a writer -- but I guess research should just be left to those poring over "computerized printouts of every statistic imaginable".