Bobby Valentine wants to manage the Cubs...

[Clem Fandango]

I know we have the fire Lou and New GM, New Manager thread, but thought this would be deserving of its own.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5409326

 

CHICAGO -- Count Bobby Valentine among those who would like to manage the Chicago Cubs.

 

The ESPN analyst and former New York Mets and Texas Rangers manager says he's interested in taking over for the retiring Lou Piniella after this season.

 

Valentine, who led the Mets to the pennant in 2000, calls the Cubs job "one of the most coveted positions in all of sports" and adds "anybody who thinks of himself as a manager would love to be considered as one of the people who might take his place."

 

Valentine spoke before Sunday's game between the Cubs and Cardinals.

 

He returned to ESPN during the 2009 playoffs after his second stint as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Pacific League. He says he won't leave the network "unless something very special came up," and the Cubs job "falls in the category of very special."

 

Valentine managed the Rangers from 1985-92 and the Mets from 1996-2002.

 

Discuss.

[Bote McBoteface]

I'd still prefer Trammel.

[Keener98]

Yes please. Hes definitely doing all he can tonight to speak highly of the Cubs, the owners, and the city.

[inari]

Well, as I said in the transactions thread, he thinks the Haren trade was stupid from the Angels perspective. If that's how he evaluates talent then I'd be pretty scared.

[PackLandVA]

I'd woo Whitey Herzog. He's a "Hall of Famer" after all.

[cubsfan5150]

I hate Valentine's day.

[dew1679666265]

A tidbit from the Cubs' perspective:

 

Valentine, who never spoken with the Ricketts family, appeared to be on the verge of signing on with the Marlins in June before negotiations fell apart. He was also a candidate for the Orioles job before removing his name from consideration.

 

Sullivan writes that Cubs GM Jim Hendry is known to be high on Valentine and is likely to grant him an interview at some point.

[Sammy Sofa]

Well, as I said in the transactions thread, he thinks the Haren trade was stupid from the Angels perspective. If that's how he evaluates talent then I'd be pretty scared.

 

The Angels don't need a pitcher having a shitty year. If it's an effort to build for the future, fine, but if they want to win this year they have much more pressing needs.

[hawkeyecub]

I've always loved Bobby V's personality but have to admit that I really know very little about his handling of a pitching staff or strategic approach. I was too young to know any different when he was with the Rangers and really didn't see the Mets enough or read about them enough to know. I really, really like the guy though and want to be all aboard his bandwagon.

 

Any guy who pulls his disguise act and despises Steve Phillips is good enough for me.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I would very much like for Bobby Valentine to manage the Cubs.

[davell]

My prerequisites for our next manager are as follows.......

 

Don't bat Tyler Colvin leadoff.

 

Allow Cashner an opportunity for the rotation

 

Bat Soto somewhere in the 3-6 range consistently

 

Find a way to keep Grabow on DL until we can release him

 

Do not put Ryan Theriot in your everyday lineup if he's on the team

 

Double switch about half as often as Lou does

 

Make Z earn a spot in the rotation next year, don't give it to him because of his salary

 

Allow Marshall to have the 8th inning from the start of the year. He's pretty damn good.

 

If we go with a youth movement, be prepared for it and don't "Pie" Brett Jackson or "Shark" Jay Jackson.

 

Make everyone not named Ryan Dempster earn their spot in the rotation next spring.

 

 

If this fits Bobby V, Joe Torre, Ryno, Freddie Gonzalez, Alan Trammel, Bob Brenly, Lou Brown, Connie Mack, Phil Jackson, or the insane Cards internet guy, I don't really care who we wind up with.

[italianocubsfan7]

My prerequisites for our next manager are as follows.......

 

Don't bat Tyler Colvin leadoff.

 

Allow Cashner an opportunity for the rotation

 

Bat Soto somewhere in the 3-6 range consistently

 

Find a way to keep Grabow on DL until we can release him

 

Do not put Ryan Theriot in your everyday lineup if he's on the team

 

Double switch about half as often as Lou does

 

Make Z earn a spot in the rotation next year, don't give it to him because of his salary

 

Allow Marshall to have the 8th inning from the start of the year. He's pretty damn good.

 

If we go with a youth movement, be prepared for it and don't "Pie" Brett Jackson or "Shark" Jay Jackson.

 

Make everyone not named Ryan Dempster earn their spot in the rotation next spring.

 

 

If this fits Bobby V, Joe Torre, Ryno, Freddie Gonzalez, Alan Trammel, Bob Brenly, Lou Brown, Connie Mack, Phil Jackson, or the insane Cards internet guy, I don't really care who we wind up with.

 

Wow, impressive list. I like this a lot, can't say I disagree with any of these points. I'm convinced Colvin has the longest swing in the nation now and Grabow is just useless. I think Bobby V could fulfill these points well. But like you said, I would hope the other candidates could too if they are truly "legitimate" candidates.

[C.C.]

Knowing how much Lou got, of course he's interested in managing the Cubs.

[Butterscup1679666578]

God I hope this happens, but I'm at the acceptance stage now because I'm so certain it's going to be Ryno.

[C.C.]

If they are trying to rein in salary, I doubt they go for a high profile manager like Torre or V. I'm convinced it's going to be Ryno. Edited July 26, 2010 by C.C.

[Banedon]

I'm in denial about Ryno. I just don't see a big market team going with a first time big league manager. With the exception of Bruce Kimm being interim, Hendry tends to go for experience.

[Fred Hornkohl]

I'm in denial about Ryno. I just don't see a big market team going with a first time big league manager. With the exception of Bruce Kimm being interim, Hendry tends to go for experience.

 

Yeah, I didn't see a big market team like the BEARS going with a first time head coach in Mike Ditka. What were they thinking ???

[Soul]

I don't know. I think there's a difference between a guy like Valentine saying he'd love the job from a distance, and a guy like Valentine actually jumping at the job once he knows more of the details of the contracts & constraints of the team he'd be joining.

 

Especially if Ricketts really is going to try to rein this thing in a bit.

[Banedon]

I'm in denial about Ryno. I just don't see a big market team going with a first time big league manager. With the exception of Bruce Kimm being interim, Hendry tends to go for experience.

 

Yeah, I didn't see a big market team like the BEARS going with a first time head coach in Mike Ditka. What were they thinking ???

 

Ditka was an assistant coach for 10 years before getting hired as a Bears coach.

 

Sandberg has spent exactly zero years doing any kind of major league coaching. I honestly don't know the answer to this, but who was the last major league manager that was hired without ever having been an assistant coach of some kind in the majors?

[Old Style]

There is no minor league football, though.

[Banedon]

There is no minor league football, though.

 

The whole football/baseball analogy was not mine. It's really a bad comparison for that, and other reasons.

 

The point is that minor league managers that have never coached in the majors rarely go straight from a minor league manager straight to a major league manager.

 

Now that I've said that, I'm sure someone will come up with some comprehensive list of how I'm wrong.

[C.C.]

I'm in denial about Ryno. I just don't see a big market team going with a first time big league manager. With the exception of Bruce Kimm being interim, Hendry tends to go for experience.

 

Yeah, I didn't see a big market team like the BEARS going with a first time head coach in Mike Ditka. What were they thinking ???

 

Ditka was an assistant coach for 10 years before getting hired as a Bears coach.

 

Sandberg has spent exactly zero years doing any kind of major league coaching. I honestly don't know the answer to this, but who was the last major league manager that was hired without ever having been an assistant coach of some kind in the majors?

 

I don't know. Would a 2-3 year stint coaching on a major league really make a difference?

[dew1679666265]

I don't know. Would a 2-3 year stint coaching on a major league really make a difference?

 

I tend to think the only difference would be perception. It's going to look bad if a big market team like the Cubs promote some unknown minor league manager (no matter how good he is) to be the new ML manager. If that same coach spends a couple or three seasons on the ML bench, perception among the casual fans and media will be much better (he's seen the ML game, he's learned under such and such veteran manager, etc, would be the explanations).

 

However, that perception issue likely won't be there for Ryno – simply because he's Ryne Sandberg. People know the name, they're familiar with him and they'll assume he knows the game and will be able to manage at the ML level.

 

As far as an actual, real benefit – I don't think there is a big one. He might get to know the personnel better (which is why promoting from the minors is a good idea, I think) by coaching first, but I can't imagine his overall philosophy would change from it.

[rawaction]

 

Make everyone not named Ryan Dempster earn their spot in the rotation next spring.

 

 

Wells and Gorzellany have been pretty good this year. They've earned nearly as much right to a rotation spot as Dempster.

[davell]

 

Make everyone not named Ryan Dempster earn their spot in the rotation next spring.

 

 

Wells and Gorzellany have been pretty good this year. They've earned nearly as much right to a rotation spot as Dempster.

 

 

Yeah, when I wrote that, I kind of figured they would both wind up in there anyway, but I for some reason I can see one, if not both of them dealt over the offseason.........At any rate, I'd definitely expect them to make the rotation, if they ARE here.