Jim Hendry Appreciation thread.

[C.C.]

Someone had to start it.

 

 

Got the Z deal done and the Kendall deal looks like a stroke of genius. Here's hoping there some dough left in the kitty so the man gets a lifetime deal for what he's done for this organization.

Edited August 17, 2007 by C.C.

[fiver]

well, this thread should be interesting.

[YearofDaCubs]

hell no! We would be better off without him. Let's see how you praise him in 6 years when Soriano is almost completely useless and making 1/5 of the payroll.

[ConstableRabbit]

I don't really LIKE him, but I will say that he's done a lot more than people are willing to give him credit for.

[Derwood]

he has done a good job of signing the core players to long term extensions. i still don't like his long (or short) term plan for the team

[jersey cubs fan]

383-385

[moorecg]

hell no! We would be better off without him. Let's see how you praise him in 6 years when Soriano is almost completely useless and making 1/5 of the payroll.

 

Soriano's salary won't be 1/5 the payrool in 6 years...not even close.

[CubColtPacer]

Well, now that's probably a little over the top reaction. At the same time, I think there is evidence to possibly show that Hendry has learned from some of his mistakes. After the Izturis trade (which was probably his last big misstep) Hendry has been very good as a GM this past year.

He traded Neifi and Nevin away for prospects. He had a very good 2006 offseason acquiring some of the best on the market at every position. Kendall has ended up being a big piece to the puzzle acquired during 2007. He also refused to make the Jones trade to the Marlins even when there was significant public pressure to do so, and that has turned out well.

 

There is no debating that Hendry's tenure from offseason 2004-middle of 2006 was very, very bad. Since then though, Hendry has turned it around. Will that be enough to save his job? I don't know, but I think he has gotten better as a G.M. as time has gone along.

[daske17]

hell no! We would be better off without him. Let's see how you praise him in 6 years when Soriano is almost completely useless and making 1/5 of the payroll.

 

Two posts in and already it starts. Personally, I was expecting it to be the first post.

 

Let's step it up a bit people.

[abuck1220]

good job building a $100 mil team that wins slightly more than it loses!

[E.J.]

383-385

 

with a payroll near the top every year.

[Electron Blue]

383-385

 

see me in three days.

[UMFan83]

I'll leave out my negative thoughts about JH because this is not the point of this thread.

 

Thanks Jim for resigning Z below market value despite the uncertain status of the team's payroll in the future.

[ConstableRabbit]

383-385

 

Honest questions:

 

Is the top GM rated by his team's record? How do you personally calculate GM worth?

 

Dollars per win? Maybe that works because clearly a guy like Cashman can sign whomever he wants...

 

And how do we take into account the luck factor? No one denies that Hendry put together an amazing team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much. How are injuries taken into account?

[jersey cubs fan]

No one denies that Hendry put together an amazing team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much.

 

I'll deny it. It's not like that was a pre-ordained 100 game winner. It was highly flawed, as evidenced by the continually weak offense predicated on contact and the ignorance of the value of a walk.

 

Amazing? Please. It was set up to be pretty good.

[jersey cubs fan]

383-385

 

Honest questions:

 

Is the top GM rated by his team's record? How do you personally calculate GM worth?

 

I don't think there's any one way to do it. But 5 years of near the top payroll producing a record as mediocre as 383-385 is more than enough evidence to indict, try and convict Jim Hendry for being a bad GM.

[ConstableRabbit]

No one denies that Hendry put together an amazing team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much.

 

I'll deny it. It's not like that was a pre-ordained 100 game winner. It was highly flawed, as evidenced by the continually weak offense predicated on contact and the ignorance of the value of a walk.

 

Amazing? Please. It was set up to be pretty good.

 

Ok fine. Replace it with, "No one denies that Hendry put together a very good team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much"

 

Do you mind addressing the main points of my post instead of arguing semantics with me? I was trying to bring up the issue of an underachieving team in evaluating a GM.

[jersey cubs fan]

No one denies that Hendry put together an amazing team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much.

 

I'll deny it. It's not like that was a pre-ordained 100 game winner. It was highly flawed, as evidenced by the continually weak offense predicated on contact and the ignorance of the value of a walk.

 

Amazing? Please. It was set up to be pretty good.

 

Ok fine. Replace it with, "No one denies that Hendry put together a very good team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much"

 

Do you mind addressing the main points of my post instead of arguing semantics with me? I was trying to bring up the issue of an underachieving team in evaluating a GM.

 

5 years, sub .500, top of the line payroll. I don't see any reason to pretend the Cubs have underachieved what they should have done during the Hendry era. He hired a bad manager, and stocked the team with a flawed mix of players. And his team has been mediocre.

 

I'm really not interested in all the excuses about injuries and underachieving. The GMs job is to construct a team that achieves. The owners provided him with more than enough resources to get the job done, and he failed. In any one given year, sure there could be a level of underachievement. But a GM isn't there to just create a roster for one given year. Over the course of 5 years, excuses get completely washed out.

[Soul]

The wins just aren't there. I don't see how any other evaluation can be made, outside of "he was unlucky."

 

Well, get his unlucky butt out of here then. Tell me how other GMs win far more games with far less $$$ on the table? Over & over this happens in MLB. Yet Jimbo can't get it done, continually.

 

Appreciation thread? I'll appreciate Hendry's efforts, but that's it. I realize he does try. But as for concrete results? He hasn't delivered.

[C.C.]

good job building a $100 mil team that wins slightly more than it loses!

 

What do you think about Kenny Williams spending 108 million?

[UK1679666180]

good job building a $100 mil team that wins slightly more than it loses!

 

What do you think about Kenny Williams spending 108 million?

 

Williams has a much better track record than Hendry, but he did not put together a good club for this year.

[Exile on Waveland]

383-385

 

Honest questions:

 

Is the top GM rated by his team's record? How do you personally calculate GM worth?

 

Dollars per win? Maybe that works because clearly a guy like Cashman can sign whomever he wants...

 

And how do we take into account the luck factor? No one denies that Hendry put together an amazing team for the 2004 season, but we didn't do much. How are injuries taken into account?

 

Wins are clearly the most important factor. Hendry hasn't won enough. If he was leading the Kansas City Royals or Tampa Bay Devil Rays and was 383-385, then he'd have done a decent job. However, he wouldn't be 383-385 because he wouldn't have the huge payroll to mask his mistakes. With the resources the Cubs have, 383-385 is totally unacceptable.

[nilodnayr]

hell no! We would be better off without him. Let's see how you praise him in 6 years when Soriano is almost completely useless and making 1/5 of the payroll.

 

Two posts in and already it starts. Personally, I was expecting it to be the first post.

 

Let's step it up a bit people.

Step it up? While its a hyperbole (he wont be COMPLTELY useless, and will be more like 1/7th of the payroll), the long term considerations of Sorianos contract is absolutely a reasonable concern.

[sethuel1]

nope

[Cynosure]

Looks like I should keep my eyes open more, when was the Z deal done?