Dodgers sign Schmidt (EDIT: Or they might not have)

[RynoRules]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

[Danny82]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

[UMFan83]

Good job Jimbo!

 

I've always thought it is a little presumptious to criticze a GM if a player chooses to go elsewhere. It sounds the Cubs offered him a deal, and so did LA. The player is incomplete control in the free aganet market, one of the few times in their career.

 

If he wanted to stay out west that is more of a relfection of Schmidt's personal interest, not a negative against Hendry.

 

If Hendry didn't even pursue him, then there would be an argument. But it looks like he did, and Schmidt decided to stay on the West Coast.

 

The fact that the Cubs weren't mentioned as teams the Dodgers beat out to get Schmidt and the Cards were is the reason for my comment.

 

 

Anyways, Jimbo is likely in full freakout mode and is currently outbidding himself several times to lock up Lilly and Meche

 

The Rosenthal article claims that he beat out the Cardinals and I believe the Mariners.

[goonys evil twin]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

 

The GMs job is to acquire good players for the team. It's not scapegoating to complain when your GM doesn't acquire good players for the team.

[Danny82]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

 

The GMs job is to acquire good players for the team. It's not scapegoating to complain when your GM doesn't acquire good players for the team.

 

It *is* scapegoating when the offseason is not yet over and we don't know just how open Schmidt was to leaving the west coast.

 

Blaming the GM in a vacuum is the very definition of scapegoating.

[TheDude]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

 

The GMs job is to acquire good players for the team. It's not scapegoating to complain when your GM doesn't acquire good players for the team.

 

The argument when Hendry didn't try to acquire Giles in previous years (similar in that location played a part on destination) was centered on the fact he didn't try, more so than he didn't acquire him. Many people would not have been so hard on Hendry had he showed interest in that type of player.

 

Now that Hendry tries, showing interest in the type of player needed, the argument shifts to bring equal blame to him.

 

It appears that Schmidt turned down length in years for more upfront money and desired location, which isn't too smart if money is the bottom line, because it's not likely 3 years fromnow he'll get and offer for 13+. I guess in his case, like Giles, money wasn't the bottom line.

[goonys evil twin]

Now that Hendry tries, showing interest in the type of player needed, the argument shifts to bring equal blame to him.

 

TheDude to Hendry's defense, that's something Jim can count on when he's left with a $120 million pile of mediocrity next year. The argument has always been that Jim is bad at his job. He shows that in many ways.

[Shilzzz]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

 

The GMs job is to acquire good players for the team. It's not scapegoating to complain when your GM doesn't acquire good players for the team.

 

It *is* scapegoating when the offseason is not yet over and we don't know just how open Schmidt was to leaving the west coast.

 

Blaming the GM in a vacuum is the very definition of scapegoating.

 

if you want most people to pat his ass for the job he's done so far you will wind up sorely disappointed here.

[Butterscup1679666578]

I hate baseball.

[TheDude]

Now that Hendry tries, showing interest in the type of player needed, the argument shifts to bring equal blame to him.

 

TheDude to Hendry's defense, that's something Jim can count on when he's left with a $120 million pile of mediocrity next year. The argument has always been that Jim is bad at his job. He shows that in many ways.

 

The argument only conveniently becomes that blanket generic statement when the individual details don't point to that for every transaction.

[goonys evil twin]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

 

The GMs job is to acquire good players for the team. It's not scapegoating to complain when your GM doesn't acquire good players for the team.

 

It *is* scapegoating when the offseason is not yet over and we don't know just how open Schmidt was to leaving the west coast.

 

Blaming the GM in a vacuum is the very definition of scapegoating.

 

That's not even close to the definition.

 

You could say it's premature to give up all hope for this offseason, but it's hardly premature to complain about the job Hendry has done as Cubs GM, he's been around for several years.

 

I find it quite pathetic how much slack certain Cubs fans are willing to give a GM who created the mess that is this team, and who needs an unprecedented level of financial freedom just to have a chance to bring the team to mediocrity. And I cannot, for the life of me, comprehend why some of these fans blast other fans for expressing their dislike of the direction this team is heading.

[Soriano12]

Not even I will blame Hendry on this one. A fair offered was made. The hippy wanted to stay on the west coast where the pressure is less intense.

[C.C.]

And you never will. No one will, probably not even Bruce. And this goes to my initia point: blaming Hendry is ridiculous. You can blame him for several things, but this is not one of them.

Some people need a scapegoat for every situation.

 

The GMs job is to acquire good players for the team. It's not scapegoating to complain when your GM doesn't acquire good players for the team.

 

It *is* scapegoating when the offseason is not yet over and we don't know just how open Schmidt was to leaving the west coast.

 

Blaming the GM in a vacuum is the very definition of scapegoating.

 

That's not even close to the definition.

 

You could say it's premature to give up all hope for this offseason, but it's hardly premature to complain about the job Hendry has done as Cubs GM, he's been around for several years.

 

I find it quite pathetic how much slack certain Cubs fans are willing to give a GM who created the mess that is this team, and who needs an unprecedented level of financial freedom just to have a chance to bring the team to mediocrity. And I cannot, for the life of me, comprehend why some of these fans blast other fans for expressing their dislike of the direction this team is heading.

 

I think most fans do blame Hendry for this team, but to put the blame on Hendry for not getting Schimdt signed (for instance) is lame.

[soapy]

I find it quite pathetic how much slack certain Cubs fans are willing to give a GM who created the mess that is this team, and who needs an unprecedented level of financial freedom just to have a chance to bring the team to mediocrity. And I cannot, for the life of me, comprehend why some of these fans blast other fans for expressing their dislike of the direction this team is heading.

 

I hate to do this (considering one of the more recent "Rants") but:

 

QFT

[soapy]

Not even I will blame Hendry on this one. A fair offered was made. The hippy wanted to stay on the west coast where the pressure is less intense.

It was? When?

[C.C.]

Not even I will blame Hendry on this one. A fair offered was made. The hippy wanted to stay on the west coast where the pressure is less intense.

It was? When?

 

So you know for sure we never offered a fair offer? Point being is we'll never know so why cry about it?

[NorthsideAvenger]

About the article that says the Dodgers beat out the Cards and Seattle, and made no mention of the Cubs:

 

I think the reason for this is that Hendry prolly knew sometime yesterday where Schmidt was heading, and seeing as he couldn't convince Schmidt to come to Chicago, he prolly pulled his offer. That's the only thing I can think of. Bit one thing for sure is this....Schmidt prolly had the Dodgers (there offense is going to be really bad next yr, btw) as his preferred choice, and even with the "World Champs (and I am using that term loosely) making a last minute bid, couldn't change his mind. The fact is, the Cubs and perhaps the Cards were used, it happens.

[TruffleShuffle]

well that's it, season's over.

[soapy]

Not even I will blame Hendry on this one. A fair offered was made. The hippy wanted to stay on the west coast where the pressure is less intense.

It was? When?

 

So you know for sure we never offered a fair offer? Point being is we'll never know so why cry about it?

 

I didn't say that, at all. DCF said a fair offer was made. I haven't seen any credible report that the Cubs made an offer. I'm not assuming they didn't, but I'm not assuming they did either.

 

Also, who's crying about it? I asked a question.

[Soul]

well that's it, season's over.

 

I heard Schmidt drinks anyway.

[BigbadB]

Hendry is not a good GM. And I think he just blew his chance to salvage his position for future seasons, which may be a blessing for all of us.

 

We need competence in the front office. And this isn't necessarily because we didn't sign Schmidt. It's the big picture.

 

He's willing to ridiculously overpay for mediocre talent like Lilly and Meche, but where are the reports that he was willing to ridiculously overpay for Schmidt? They aren't there, because he wasn't willing to do it. Schmidt wasn't even all that interested in years.

 

2/36m might have gotten the job done, and would still be worth way more than Lilly at 11m and/or Meche at 10m.

 

That he values guys like Izturis is why this team is destined to fail under his leadership.

 

Worse yet is that they attempt to get the fan base excited by saying they will do what is necessary to go to the World Series next year and then sit on their ass and lure mediocrities with wheelbarrows full of cash, rather than difference makers.

 

This team will probably be better than 2006, but it will be a much more expensive team and certainly not a team that has the capabilities to go out and win it all. DeRosa, Blanco, Izturis, Lilly, Meche will make sure of it.

 

4/60 is a nice offer if they did indeed make it. But, when other teams started coming up with comparable deals, Hendry needed to show he was serious. Instead, he folded like an accordian.

 

Doesn't really matter whether there was an attempt so much as how serious you were in your attempt. If he's got over 21m available for Lilly and Meche and wasn't willing to show Schmidt he was serious, then that's on Hendry.

 

All we've heard for the last several days is Lilly and Meche, Lilly and Meche. Seems like Hendry is set on those guys rather than a real difference maker. That's what drove me nuts last year with Giles. It's not not getting them that pisses me off. It's the lack of sincerity and the lack of any real proof that he wanted either of these guys anymore than Lilly or Meche.

 

The same can be said for Lugo and Drew. We have this humungous, gaping hole at SS and Hendry wants the best SS on the market to play CF. His priorities are completely whack.

 

Fire Hendry!

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Not even I will blame Hendry on this one. A fair offered was made. The hippy wanted to stay on the west coast where the pressure is less intense.

 

Hippy?

[TruffleShuffle]

2/36m might have gotten the job done, and would still be worth way more than Lilly at 11m and/or Meche at 10m.

 

I highly doubt this. If he valued staying on the West Coast, I don't see him leaving for just two years and then likely going back. He got a really good deal from the Dodgers. Regardless of what the Cubs threw at him, $16M per year and living where you want to live is hard to buy a guy out of.

[Productive Outs]

Not even I will blame Hendry on this one. A fair offered was made. The hippy wanted to stay on the west coast where the pressure is less intense.

 

Hippy?

 

haha, that comment beats all of the gutless, choking dog comments that were made about farnsworth.

[CubinNY]

Hendry is not a good GM.

Fire Hendry!

 

I can go with that. IMO, he's a good scout who's in way over his head.