Jim Hendry Appreciation Thread

[humptyboy]

I think JH is a decent judge of talent, however like any leader good or bad, he is very much a product of those whom he surrounds himself with. He seems to automaticly give the manger a very large say into how the team is constructed.

 

In a sense he himself is a jellydoughnut. While dusty was in town and the more time he spent there the more "dusty type" players filled the roster and he was more of a prune filled doughnut. In the short time Piniella has been there, the types of players seem to serve more of a purpose either long or short term, thereby giving him more of a fruit or even a possible cream filling.

 

There seems to be a slight shift in the front office on the whole as to which types of player to target in FA, trades, and drafts. So if Hendry is capable of evolving himself depends largely on whether he can select a manger that is resouceful and has an accurate grasp as to what they need on the field, and somebody like Tim Wilken (I believe he over sees the farm system) finding young talent like he did in Toronto and Tampa.

Though I dont think anybody has been all that turned on by recent drafts, these player could be Hendry and the Cubs saving grace as they try to navigate thru the backloaded contracts

 

Overall I think JH is a work in progress. He seems to be learning but with 5+ years on the job I would expect a gm to have a consistent plan and enough sack to stand up when he should knows something is a bad idea. He alone is judge by his actions and at this point I'd say about a C+ maybe a B- range which is much kinder than I treat somebody like Cashman.

[third eye]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Neither time with a team that won 90 games

 

So?

 

 

Because that is the traditional standard of a good team. It doesnt mean anything but I would venture to say that every team that has ever made the post season with less than 90 wins probably have a very low percentage of returning the next season.

 

 

That's an interesting question. Let's look at the WC era (I have no idea what the results will be until I type them out):

1995: only played 144 games

1996: Baltimore and St. Louis made it. Baltimore went back the next year while St. Louis did not.

1997: Cleveland and Houston made it, reached the next year

1998: Cleveland and Texas made it, reached the next year

1999: nobody made it

2000: Yankees made it, reached the next year

2001: Cleveland, Atlanta, and Arizona made the postseason with less than 90 wins. Atlanta and Arizona returned the next year, Cleveland did not.

2002: no team reached the postseason with less than 90 wins

2003: Cubs reached the postseason, didn't return

2004: nobody reached

2005: Houston and San Diego reached. San Diego returned, Houston did not

2006: St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Diego reached, none returned in 2007.

 

So 9 out of the 16 went back to the playoffs the next year. Of the 7 who did not, 3 of them were very close to making the playoffs (Cubs in 04, Houston in 06, San Diego in 07). Only 3 of the 15 had a losing record the next year (Cardinals in 97, Indians in 02, Cardinals in 07)

 

Still not a lot of evidence, but it seems to show that if you make the playoffs with less than 90 wins you'll tend to have a pretty good shot of making it again.

 

 

Pretty sure the 2001 Diamondbacks had 92 wins, but it is an interesting point anyway.

[Omar]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Why would you judge him against the inept history of this franchise rather than against his actual, you know, competition?

 

I'm not trying to judge him. I'm just pointing out something that will be focused on when time comes to release him or re-sign him. I keep saying don't use logic and reasoning with the Cubs baseball or their front office. I believe Hendry will be brought back.

[Guest]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Why would you judge him against the inept history of this franchise rather than against his actual, you know, competition?

 

I'm not trying to judge him. I'm just pointing out something that will be focused on when time comes to release him or re-sign him. I keep saying don't use logic and reasoning with the Cubs baseball or their front office. I believe Hendry will be brought back.

 

Brought back when? After this season or after next season when his contract runs out?

[Omar]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Why would you judge him against the inept history of this franchise rather than against his actual, you know, competition?

 

I'm not trying to judge him. I'm just pointing out something that will be focused on when time comes to release him or re-sign him. I keep saying don't use logic and reasoning with the Cubs baseball or their front office. I believe Hendry will be brought back.

 

Brought back when? After this season or after next season when his contract runs out?

 

Contract runs out.

[Guest]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Why would you judge him against the inept history of this franchise rather than against his actual, you know, competition?

 

I'm not trying to judge him. I'm just pointing out something that will be focused on when time comes to release him or re-sign him. I keep saying don't use logic and reasoning with the Cubs baseball or their front office. I believe Hendry will be brought back.

 

Brought back when? After this season or after next season when his contract runs out?

 

Contract runs out.

 

We'll see, it'll be a new ownership and regime by then and we obviously don't know anything about them and how they operate.

[CubColtPacer]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Neither time with a team that won 90 games

 

So?

 

 

Because that is the traditional standard of a good team. It doesnt mean anything but I would venture to say that every team that has ever made the post season with less than 90 wins probably have a very low percentage of returning the next season.

 

 

That's an interesting question. Let's look at the WC era (I have no idea what the results will be until I type them out):

1995: only played 144 games

1996: Baltimore and St. Louis made it. Baltimore went back the next year while St. Louis did not.

1997: Cleveland and Houston made it, reached the next year

1998: Cleveland and Texas made it, reached the next year

1999: nobody made it

2000: Yankees made it, reached the next year

2001: Cleveland, Atlanta, and Arizona made the postseason with less than 90 wins. Atlanta and Arizona returned the next year, Cleveland did not.

2002: no team reached the postseason with less than 90 wins

2003: Cubs reached the postseason, didn't return

2004: nobody reached

2005: Houston and San Diego reached. San Diego returned, Houston did not

2006: St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Diego reached, none returned in 2007.

 

So 9 out of the 16 went back to the playoffs the next year. Of the 7 who did not, 3 of them were very close to making the playoffs (Cubs in 04, Houston in 06, San Diego in 07). Only 3 of the 15 had a losing record the next year (Cardinals in 97, Indians in 02, Cardinals in 07)

 

Still not a lot of evidence, but it seems to show that if you make the playoffs with less than 90 wins you'll tend to have a pretty good shot of making it again.

 

 

Pretty sure the 2001 Diamondbacks had 92 wins, but it is an interesting point anyway.

 

You are correct, and I looked back and the Indians also had over 90 wins that year. I know what I did. I was looking at the standings on October 2nd/October 3rd for all the years because I know the season doesn't end after that. In 2001, the season was pushed back a few days because of 9/11, so I didn't look at the final season standings.

 

So that makes 8 out of 14 that made the playoffs the next year. Thanks for the correction.

[hardcorecubfan]

Every GM has his good and bad moves...but in the end it's Hendry's good moves that make the difference. There aren't many GMs who literally stole two perennial all-star players in D-Lee and Ram for scrap players. These guys are the foundation of our team, and we wouldn't be sniffing the playoffs without them. So, I can take a Steve Traschel trade every now and again if I get to enjoy moves like DeRosa, Lilly, and oh yeah, our lead-off, HR-hitting stud.

 

those two moves you mentioned were and are the best moves by a Cubs GM in years

[The Voice of Reason]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Why would you judge him against the inept history of this franchise rather than against his actual, you know, competition?

 

Hendry's record isn't even close to Jocketty's.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/32456B7DBB9EEC44862573690069E6D7?OpenDocument

 

Hired by Cardinals president Mark Lamping in 1994, Jocketty played a leading role in turning the franchise into one of the most successful in Major League Baseball. During his 13-year reign, the Cardinals won six NL Central division championships, one wild card playoff berth, two National League pennants and the 2006 World Series championships. The team’s streak of seven consecutive winning seasons came to an end this season.

[David]

This is Hendry's second playoff run as the Cubs GM. You cant say that about many front office people who have worked with the Cubs. That'll be strongly looked at when his contract runs out.

 

Why would you judge him against the inept history of this franchise rather than against his actual, you know, competition?

 

Ok, what other GM's with the similar Lengths of service have had similar success?

 

I wouldn't call winning two divisions by default in five years, with mediocre teams, mind you, and hiring a manager (a manager known for abusing pitchers, no less) who squandered your talented young pitching a successful tenure.

[Careless]

Congratulations, hendry, your team almost made a playoff game close.

[CUBZ99]

That was pitiful. The worse thing about this post season is that we are stuck watching this same pathetic team for the next 3-4 years at a minimum. Hendry spent a bundle of money on a mediocre team.

 

We better hope that some of the minor leaguers really start to produce.

[DivineBovine]

You suck Hendry. Fill our team with a bunch of free swinging mentally weak underachievers.

[dalgreen]

You suck Hendry. Fill our team with a bunch of free swinging mentally weak underachievers.

 

I have a strong feeling that Hendry will do his best this off-season to sign either T. Hunter or A. Jones to a 15 year/$1 billion contract.

[CUBZ99]

You suck Hendry. Fill our team with a bunch of free swinging mentally weak underachievers.

 

I have a strong feeling that Hendry will do his best this off-season to sign either T. Hunter or A. Jones to a 15 year/$1 billion contract.

 

Wouldn't put it past him. The sooner he is gone the better.

[Wilson A2000]

A good new owner will relieve Hendry of his duties

[Little Slide Rooter]

A good new owner will relieve Hendry of his duties

 

Why? did Soriano and Ramirez tell him when they signed their massive contracts that they only planned on trying through September, and then theyd half ass their way through the next 3 games?

 

He put together a playoff team. Nothing he did caused this collapse.

[Prior4CyYoung]

A good new owner will relieve Hendry of his duties

 

Why? did Soriano and Ramirez tell him when they signed their massive contracts that they only planned on trying through September, and then theyd half ass their way through the next 3 games?

 

He put together a playoff team. Nothing he did caused this collapse.

 

There is a huge difference between putting together a playoff team and putting together a world champion team Hendry has mastered the first part anyways.

[treebird]

A good new owner will relieve Hendry of his duties

 

Why? did Soriano and Ramirez tell him when they signed their massive contracts that they only planned on trying through September, and then theyd half ass their way through the next 3 games?

 

He put together a playoff team. Nothing he did caused this collapse.

 

85 wins in a terrible division. it's not a collapse, it's a natural conclusion.

[Tomarken]

I like Hendry's drive to get players to improve the team and make trades, but I just don't think he understands the type of player that is needed to win the big games. He has little idea which statistics are important and which aren't. That said, I think he's in top half compared to all the other GM's in the league. I don't know, I obviously am not in the same boat as many others here, this 2007 team wasn't good enough, but I think rookie contributions can outweigh veteran depreciation in 2008. I think this is a team can get here again.

[wastra]

What are the chances that Augie Ojeda is back on our team?

 

 

Seriously...Hendry put together a team that SHOULD have been at BEST 2nd, likely 3rd if not for playing in the worst division in baseball. He doesn't get credit for that. He's a terrible GM.

[Tomarken]

What are the chances that Augie Ojeda is back on our team?

 

 

Seriously...Hendry put together a team that SHOULD have been at BEST 2nd, likely 3rd if not for playing in the worst division in baseball. He doesn't get credit for that. He's a terrible GM.

 

Yep, Hendry is bad for not understanding stats IMO. We have had two postseason teams in five years, but not because of his cunning ability to recognize talent.

[NCCubFan]

A good new owner will relieve Hendry of his duties

 

Why? did Soriano and Ramirez tell him when they signed their massive contracts that they only planned on trying through September, and then theyd half ass their way through the next 3 games?

 

He put together a playoff team. Nothing he did caused this collapse.

He's a failure. Even with the playoff appearance the Cubs haven't even gotten back to the level they were in 2003, let alone making progress beyond that. All this year accomplished was making up SOME of the ground they lost since 2003. Four years with no progress is inexcusable.

[dalgreen]

What are the chances that Augie Ojeda is back on our team?

 

 

Seriously...Hendry put together a team that SHOULD have been at BEST 2nd, likely 3rd if not for playing in the worst division in baseball. He doesn't get credit for that. He's a terrible GM.

 

Yep, Hendry is bad for not understanding stats IMO. We have had two postseason teams in five years, but not because of his cunning ability to recognize talent.

 

In 2003 we didn't win the division Houston lost it. I don't give Hendry any credit for that. I also don't give him much props considering the payroll he has only been able to have three above.500 teams in the past five seasons,with none getting 90 wins.

[Mizzou]

A good new owner will relieve Hendry of his duties

 

Why? did Soriano and Ramirez tell him when they signed their massive contracts that they only planned on trying through September, and then theyd half ass their way through the next 3 games?

 

He put together a playoff team. Nothing he did caused this collapse.

He's a failure. Even with the playoff appearance the Cubs haven't even gotten back to the level they were in 2003, let alone making progress beyond that. All this year accomplished was making up SOME of the ground they lost since 2003. Four years with no progress is inexcusable.

Do you realize that the Cubs offense and pitching were both better this year than in 2003?

Edited October 7, 2007 by Mizzou