New GM/Cubs Future News Articles

[bukie]

Scoscia and LaRussa would drive me crazy with the small-ball crap.

 

Maddon is probably my #1 manager in baseball, but he's nowhere near available this offseason.

[jersey cubs fan]

The thing about Francona's time with Philly is that was a team with three players (Abreu, Rolen and Schilling) and absolutely nothing else. Rolen and Abreu both essentially started their careers under Francona, who came in after the team had back to back sub 70 win seasons. Philly was an also ran in the payroll department at the time, living out their final years in the crappy vet. That was the Ed Wade era (with Ruben Amaro Jr. as assistant GM) and a good half decade before Gillick came in and helped turn it all around.

 

Philly fans complained that Francona was too nice to players and they needed a fiery jackass like Larry Bowa to come in and yell at Rolen and Abreu to make them better.

[UMFan83]

Who do you consider to be a "premier manager?"

 

Jeez I dunno. Not him though.

 

I guess Girardi, Bochy, LaRussa, Scioscia, Maddon

 

He just doesn't seem like one of those guys that you have to go after if he's available, so if I see that Tito and Theo are having a disconnect, I don't eliminate Theo from who to go after, I eliminate Francona.

 

How the hell is Girardi premier but not Francona?

 

Dunno, never had a losing season as manager?

 

He's been a manager for 5 seasons, 4 of them with the New York [expletive] Yankees. His 1 seasons with Florida was below .500 and his 1st season with the Yankees was the only time in 15 freaking years that the Yankees didn't make the playoffs.

 

Girardi has never failed in a manager position (small sample size of course). He won MOY (rightly or wrongly) in his first year as manager and only season in Florida (didnt realize it was under .500), and won a WS in his 2nd year as a Yankees manager.

 

Francona had a disapointing 4 year run in Philly and was fired only to be picked up by the Red Sox after they hastily made Grady Little the scapegoat for their playoff choking (has nothing to do with anything I know, just wanted to add that). He's had a great run in Boston during a period where the Sox payroll has gone up nearly $80 million. He did of course lead the team to 2 WS in his 1st and 4th years as manager, but also missed the playoffs in nearly half the years he's been there (3 out of 8) despite a top 3 payroll every year and presided over two pretty alarming late season collapses in 2006 and 2011.

[jersey cubs fan]

Girardi has never failed in a manager position (small sample size of course). He won MOY (rightly or wrongly) in his first year as manager and only season in Florida (didnt realize it was under .500), and won a WS in his 2nd year as a Yankees manager.

 

He was below .500 and failed to guide the Yankees to the playoffs for the only time in a 2 decade stretch of dominance by that organization. Torre won a WS in his first season with the Yankees. I have been impressed by exactly nothing Girardi has done. He's had a half dozen hall of famers and an incredilby dominant payroll to work with. And yet he still managed the only Yankees team not to make the playoffs since Clinton's first term. I have absolulely no idea how you could possibly pretend he is a premier manager if you insisten Francona is not.

[manbearcub]

Gordon WIttenmeyer seems to think that Theo to the Cubs could happen any day now, so I guess we can cross him off the list.

[UMFan83]

That's fair. Like I said originally I haven't really thought much about who a "premier manager" really is, it was just a term I threw out there and then quickly listed 4-5 names that seemed right to me.

 

I know I used the "francona his missed the playoffs in 3 of his 8 years" line but its almost silly to hold 89 win non-playoff seasons against these guys when they play in a division with 2 other great teams. Someone is going to be the odd man out, and that year it was the Yankees, just like it was the Red Sox the last 2 years and the Rays in 2009. Torre won 87 games in 2000 and was on pace for 89 wins in 1995, both years he made the playoffs and in 2000 won the World Series, so its not like he never led the team to a sub-90 win regular season.

[Guest]

Gordon WIttenmeyer seems to think that Theo to the Cubs could happen any day now, so I guess we can cross him off the list.

 

Link or explanation as to why you're saying this?

[manbearcub]

Gordon WIttenmeyer seems to think that Theo to the Cubs could happen any day now, so I guess we can cross him off the list.

 

Link or explanation as to why you're saying this?

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/7950802-419/cubs-will-make-run-at-theo-epstein-for-gm.html

[jersey cubs fan]

Gordon WIttenmeyer seems to think that Theo to the Cubs could happen any day now, so I guess we can cross him off the list.

 

Link or explanation as to why you're saying this?

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/7950802-573/cubs-will-make-run-at-theo-epstein-for-gm.html

 

A day later in Chicago, the question became the same one uttered by a player amid the din that night: ‘‘You think [Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein] would leave to come here?’’

 

If the answer is yes — and one report Thursday suggested he has told friends he would ‘‘embrace the challenge’’ — the next sound could be the cheering coming from the Cubs’ boardroom.

 

And the hiring process for the next Cubs general manager could gain speed quickly.

 

Not that it mattered. If there is a holy grail of GM candidates with successful track records for the Ricketts ownership, it appears to be Epstein. Ricketts’ admiration for Epstein is no secret.

 

With Epstein potentially available for an interview — not to mention his future with Boston questioned in the aftermath of the biggest September collapse in baseball history — the Cubs are expected to make a run at him.

 

Not sure he's really saying much.

[mookie]

s.p.e.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n.

[Guest]

Yea. It just looks like he's commenting on Epstein and threw in the report from yesterday from Olney, I think it was, about how he'd like to come here.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We can pursue Epstein the same way he pursued Crawford.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Who has a dump truck we can use?

[minnesotacubsfan]

We can pursue Epstein the same way he pursued Crawford.

 

refresh my memory, what was his pursuit of Crawford like?

[Fred Hornkohl]

Who has a dump truck we can use?

 

I've got a nice 53 foot dry van. :D

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We can pursue Epstein the same way he pursued Crawford.

 

refresh my memory, what was his pursuit of Crawford like?

 

Excessively enthusiastic considering the prize.

[SouthSideRyan]

Gordon WIttenmeyer seems to think that Theo to the Cubs could happen any day now, so I guess we can cross him off the list.

 

I'm not crossing anyone off the list until Will Carroll says they're coming.

[Little Slide Rooter]

We can pursue Epstein the same way he pursued Crawford.

 

refresh my memory, what was his pursuit of Crawford like?

 

The same way most big name free agents are pursued

 

Theo: So Carl, how to you feel about money.

Carl: I'm a big fan

Theo: Welcome to the Boston Red Sox.

[El Duderino]

I would think the Nationals will jump all over Francona.

[MSG T]

Who has a dump truck we can use?

 

 

Dump truck, hell, I've got three M88A2s. Those could tow Ft. Knox to where ever his house is.

[Elrhino]

The same way most big name free agents are pursued

 

Theo: So Carl, how to you feel about money.

Carl: I'm a big fan

Theo: Welcome to the Boston Red Sox.

 

Pretty much this. Maybe like.

 

Carl: Man, I love the thought of playing for the Angels. I love LA. I love the warm weather. Torri Hunter is my best buddy. It would be the perfect fit.

Theo: Here's $145 million.

Carl: Man, I love the thought of playing for the Red Sox. I love Boston. I love cold weather. I can skype Torri. It would be the perfect fit.

[MSG T]

The same way most big name free agents are pursued

 

Theo: So Carl, how to you feel about money.

Carl: I'm a big fan

Theo: Welcome to the Boston Red Sox.

 

Pretty much this. Maybe like.

 

Carl: Man, I love the thought of playing for the Angels. I love LA. I love the warm weather. Torri Hunter is my best buddy. It would be the perfect fit.

Theo: Here's $145 million.

Carl: Man, I love the thought of playing for the Red Sox. I love Boston. I love cold weather. I can skype Torri. It would be the perfect fit.

 

Hopefully his negotiations with bringing Fielder/Pujols to Chicago are just as effective.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm not sure I'm ok with paying Epstein 145M to come here.

[UMFan83]

I'm not sure I'm ok with paying Epstein 145M to come here.

 

Lets do what the White Sox did and trade for him, and give the Sox Soriano straight up.

[illiniguy]

I'm not sure I'm ok with paying Epstein 145M to come here.

It's not our money. Do it Tom.