Mariotti

[Handlebar McSkullet]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti/90257,CST-SPT-jay10.article

 

I think he hits the nail on the head on this one. All this managerial searching is a massive waste of time. Girardi is a good pr move, and he has prove he is a solid manager if not the best one availible(no offense to Sweet Lou fans).

[goonys evil twin]

All this "right guy" talk is really disheartening when you think about how much more important the players are than the manager. It's disturbing to me that Hendry apparantly thinks the right manager is the difference between whether the Cubs win or lose next year, when in fact, it's the players that matter. Focus on players Jim!

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I agree with Mariotti's sentiment that if Girardi is Hendry's man he should move quickly and not deliberately.

 

I disagree that Girardi is the man for the job.

 

Bochy would be better. Brenly likely would be better. There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

[goonys evil twin]

There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

 

Any particular names?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

 

Any particular names?

 

We all know my fixation for Dierker. I'd like to see Washington get interviewed. I really don't know if he'd be better, but I think he would be a decent candidate. Mills also is a lesser known but might make a good candidate.

[goonys evil twin]

There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

 

Any particular names?

 

We all know my fixation for Dierker. I'd like to see Washington get interviewed. I really don't know if he'd be better, but I think he would be a decent candidate. Mills also is a lesser known but might make a good candidate.

 

By the way, I was kidding.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

 

Any particular names?

 

We all know my fixation for Dierker. I'd like to see Washington get interviewed. I really don't know if he'd be better, but I think he would be a decent candidate. Mills also is a lesser known but might make a good candidate.

 

By the way, I was kidding.

 

Sorry, I've been fussing at lazy 8th graders today. My sarcasm meter is malfunctioning.

[Laura]

Hendry's in 'overdrive' and hopes to get it done within the next two weeks.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I'd like to hear Razor Shines's name some more. Partially just because it's a really cool name.

[rocket]

I'd like to hear Razor Shines's name some more. Partially just because it's a really cool name.

 

Me too, because he'd be the cheapest.

[VanceJergins]

I'd like to hear Razor Shines's name some more. Partially just because it's a really cool name.

 

Razor Shines visited my little league field when I was about 10 or 11 and gave me an autographed card...which I lost....Based only on this childhood memory, he has my vote for manager.

[goonys evil twin]

Hendry's in 'overdrive' and hopes to get it done within the next two weeks.

 

''Joe and I spent the better part of the day together,'' Hendry said Monday night, before heading off to dinner in Chicago with Girardi. ''I thought it went very well, and I think Joe was pleased that he could come down to Wrigley Field and see a lot of the people he knew from his Cubs days.''

 

Time for rampant speculation/interpretation.

 

"I brought Joe in to please all the fans and media that are clamoring for him to be manager, and the only reason is because he was a former Cub who knows a lot of people in this organization. He was able to talk to those people and now I can move on. Hope he had fun talking to his former associates, because he's not coming back."

[Laura]

My take is similar -- the longer this process drags on, the less likely Girardi is to be hired.

 

I just hope that negotiations with Aramis won't take a back seat to all this.

[Bruce Miles]

All this "right guy" talk is really disheartening when you think about how much more important the players are than the manager. It's disturbing to me that Hendry apparantly thinks the right manager is the difference between whether the Cubs win or lose next year, when in fact, it's the players that matter. Focus on players Jim!

 

If you had the right players, would Dusty Baker be OK as their manager? :D

[Magnetic Curses]

All this "right guy" talk is really disheartening when you think about how much more important the players are than the manager. It's disturbing to me that Hendry apparantly thinks the right manager is the difference between whether the Cubs win or lose next year, when in fact, it's the players that matter. Focus on players Jim!

 

If you had the right players, would Dusty Baker be OK as their manager? :D

 

that team would have to be pretty dusty-proof.

[CoolHandLuke]

RAZOR!!!!!!!

 

seriously though, besides the frequent BA quotes and the amazing name, anyone know much about this guy?

 

The last time a manager was needed I wanted Wally Backman for no reason at all and this time I want Razor Shines for no reason at all.

 

I guess my only reason is that I don't think a manager has much of an affect on a team, and therefore less spent on manager=more money spent on players=more talent=more wins.

 

Of course with Hendry it seems that more money spent on players=more money spent on mediocre players.

[goonys evil twin]

All this "right guy" talk is really disheartening when you think about how much more important the players are than the manager. It's disturbing to me that Hendry apparantly thinks the right manager is the difference between whether the Cubs win or lose next year, when in fact, it's the players that matter. Focus on players Jim!

 

If you had the right players, would Dusty Baker be OK as their manager? :D

 

that team would have to be pretty dusty-proof.

 

Yeah, if you forced players on him who take walks and have high OBP and had no Neifi's and had a high quality, healthy pitching staff. It would be more or less Dusty-proof. But since Hendry lets his managers influence roster decisions, there's no way to truly Dusty proof a team. You'd have to have about a $150 million payroll, with almost all proven veterans. Any kids you'd have would have to be can't miss types without a veteran fallback option.

[Backtobanks]

I agree with Mariotti's sentiment that if Girardi is Hendry's man he should move quickly and not deliberately.

 

I disagree that Girardi is the man for the job.

 

Bochy would be better. Brenly likely would be better. There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

 

I'm not to sure what you're going to find out in an interview anyhow, but Piniella, Brenly, Girardi, Listach, and Quade have been available for a week. Bochy is the only one he needed to wait for. I'm wondering if Rothschild as pitching coach is one of the interview questions.

[goonys evil twin]

I'm wondering if Rothschild as pitching coach is one of the interview questions.

 

I'd like to be a fly on the wall.

 

Jim Hendry: What do you think about having Larry Rothschild as your pitching coach?

 

Candidate: Hasn't the disastrous decline of your pitching staff been a big reason why you suck so much right now?

 

Jim Hendry (this is the response that matters): Well, Dusty overrode a lot of what Larry wanted to do.

 

or,

 

Jim Hendry: But Larry is a respected pitching coach across the league and by the players.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I agree with Mariotti's sentiment that if Girardi is Hendry's man he should move quickly and not deliberately.

 

I disagree that Girardi is the man for the job.

 

Bochy would be better. Brenly likely would be better. There are a number of un-interviewed individuals that would be better as well.

 

I'm not to sure what you're going to find out in an interview anyhow, but Piniella, Brenly, Girardi, Listach, and Quade have been available for a week. Bochy is the only one he needed to wait for. I'm wondering if Rothschild as pitching coach is one of the interview questions.

 

I think you could learn a lot about philosophy and how he thinks in regards to situations. Of course the answers I'd want to hear and the one's Hendry would like to hear are probably diametrically opposed to each other.

[RichHillIsABeast]

My take is similar -- the longer this process drags on, the less likely Girardi is to be hired.

 

I just hope that negotiations with Aramis won't take a back seat to all this.

 

The legwork for Ramirez's contract (establishing the max $ he's worth to this team) was probably done during the season since we had advance notice of his opting out. All the Cubs have to do is exchange figures with ARam's agent. That doesn't take a lot of time.

 

If ARam hits the open market, it'll be b/c the Cubs just wouldn't pony up the dough, not b/c Hendry and Co. were spending too much time wining and dining potential managers.

[Handlebar McSkullet]

I'm wondering if Rothschild as pitching coach is one of the interview questions.

 

I'd like to be a fly on the wall.

 

Jim Hendry: What do you think about having Larry Rothschild as your pitching coach?

 

Candidate: Hasn't the disastrous decline of your pitching staff been a big reason why you suck so much right now?

 

Jim Hendry (this is the response that matters): Well, Dusty overrode a lot of what Larry wanted to do.

 

or,

 

Jim Hendry: But Larry is a respected pitching coach across the league and by the players.

 

OR,

 

Jim Hendry: Um......Thanks for comming in today, and spending time with us. As you know we are interviewing quite a few people for the position so I will try to let you know by the end of the month. In the mean time, good luck in your job search.

[Laura]

My take is similar -- the longer this process drags on, the less likely Girardi is to be hired.

 

I just hope that negotiations with Aramis won't take a back seat to all this.

 

The legwork for Ramirez's contract (establishing the max $ he's worth to this team) was probably done during the season since we had advance notice of his opting out. All the Cubs have to do is exchange figures with ARam's agent. That doesn't take a lot of time.

 

If ARam hits the open market, it'll be b/c the Cubs just wouldn't pony up the dough, not b/c Hendry and Co. were spending too much time wining and dining potential managers.

 

One would hope so.

 

Then again, one might think that a lot of the evaulation work for potential managers could have been done during the season as well. But maybe only other teams who were contending had time for that while the season wound down.

[wastra]

I jsut want a relatively hands-off manager. 75% of a manager's job should be done when the tea is NOT on the field. 95% of the manager's job when the team IS on the field should involve pitching changes.

 

 

IMHO, the more managers meddle by calling hit-and-runs, steals, bunts, etc, the more they hurt a solid team.

 

A good manager prepares his players well through scouting and teaching, handles the media well, and writes a pretty standard, logical lineup. He shopuld understand the "logic" of baseball as opposed "hunches" and tradition. A bad manager thinks he can significantly and positively affect the outcome of a game through his in-game hunches and calls (excluding pitching changes, which should be pretty-much by-the-book, imo).

[Pinktermite]

I agree with Goony, the manager matters so little, when you have too many players that suck.

 

Or am I misinterpreting what was said?