New GM/Cubs Future News Articles

[Banedon]

Given how often Ricketts has talked about the unnecessary system of having a baseball guy to oversee his baseball guy, does anybody really think Ricketts would hire Epstein as president and another guy as GM? It goes against what he has said he wants to do. While he played his cards close to his vest with firing Hendry, it's not like that move directly contradicted what he repeatedly said he wanted to do.

 

Ricketts said he had "100 percent confidence in Jim" on June 15 before firing him (secretly no less!) on July 22. Whether we like it or not, I don't think Ricketts always means what he says publicly. He feeds pablum to reporters in order to avoid public feuds while conducting his business behind closed doors.

 

Those situations aren't comparable at all.

 

Yeah, what would be the motivation for Ricketts to lie in this case?

[mookie]

I woke up groggy from NyQuil and thought that they denied permission. Now that I have had a few sips of coffee, it appears this is not so. I was trying so hard not to get pulled into this, but damn it the speculation goes on.

 

Please end soon.

 

Thank you.

 

- FNDomination

[jersey cubs fan]

Given how often Ricketts has talked about the unnecessary system of having a baseball guy to oversee his baseball guy, does anybody really think Ricketts would hire Epstein as president and another guy as GM? It goes against what he has said he wants to do. While he played his cards close to his vest with firing Hendry, it's not like that move directly contradicted what he repeatedly said he wanted to do.

 

Ricketts said he had "100 percent confidence in Jim" on June 15 before firing him (secretly no less!) on July 22. Whether we like it or not, I don't think Ricketts always means what he says publicly. He feeds pablum to reporters in order to avoid public feuds while conducting his business behind closed doors.

 

You have to say you have confidence in the GM if you are keeping him around for the specific purpose of tricking your draft picks into signing with the guy that drafted them. Saying you have confidence in the guy is not a direct statement about his future employment.

[MWV]

Given how often Ricketts has talked about the unnecessary system of having a baseball guy to oversee his baseball guy, does anybody really think Ricketts would hire Epstein as president and another guy as GM? It goes against what he has said he wants to do. While he played his cards close to his vest with firing Hendry, it's not like that move directly contradicted what he repeatedly said he wanted to do.

 

Ricketts said he had "100 percent confidence in Jim" on June 15 before firing him (secretly no less!) on July 22. Whether we like it or not, I don't think Ricketts always means what he says publicly. He feeds pablum to reporters in order to avoid public feuds while conducting his business behind closed doors.

 

Those situations aren't comparable at all.

 

Yeah, what would be the motivation for Ricketts to lie in this case?

To be clear, my point is simply that I don't think you can put a lot of stake in what he says to reporters. His full quote regarding replacing Kenney with a "baseball man":

I've never bought into the (idea) that I should have a baseball guy to watch my baseball guy and his baseball guys. Then what do you get, a baseball guy to watch the baseball guy who's watching your baseball guys? I trust Jim to do the best he can to get the best team on the field. I trust Mike to manage those guys effectively and give us the amount of wins that he can. And so, I really haven't thought about an extra baseball guy, and I'm not regretting having an extra baseball guy at all.

It's obvious in retrospect that he didn't "trust Jim". I think its equally plausible that the rest of the stuff he said could be a smoke screen; Ricketts seems to like to avoid public confrontations. I think he will stock his front office with the people he thinks are most capable of running it, irrespective of what he may have said (mostly in defense of Hendry, who he fired) a few months ago.

[minnesotacubsfan]

this is actually what I fear, that Henry is saying to Chicago, go ahead, make him President. I don't know that I want Epstein as a President, I want him as a GM. I'm also wondering if Ricketts also only wants him to be the GM.

 

What powers do you think he'll have as President that would be a problem?

 

I think he fears that somebody else would be the guy performing GM duties.

 

yes, exactly. But also, its

my lack of knowledge as to what duties would be required as Pres, and if they sop up too much of his time, will he have to delegate GM responsibilities to someone of less ability.

[Little Slide Rooter]

this is actually what I fear, that Henry is saying to Chicago, go ahead, make him President. I don't know that I want Epstein as a President, I want him as a GM. I'm also wondering if Ricketts also only wants him to be the GM.

 

What powers do you think he'll have as President that would be a problem?

 

I think he fears that somebody else would be the guy performing GM duties.

 

yes, exactly. But also, its

my lack of knowledge as to what duties would be required as Pres, and if they sop up too much of his time, will he have to delegate GM responsibilities to someone of less ability.

 

We need a GM, not a president. Just give him whatever title he wants as long as he does the GM job. Call him Supreme Intergalactic Super Emperor for all I care.

[SouthSideRyan]

Given how often Ricketts has talked about the unnecessary system of having a baseball guy to oversee his baseball guy, does anybody really think Ricketts would hire Epstein as president and another guy as GM? It goes against what he has said he wants to do. While he played his cards close to his vest with firing Hendry, it's not like that move directly contradicted what he repeatedly said he wanted to do.

 

Ricketts said he had "100 percent confidence in Jim" on June 15 before firing him (secretly no less!) on July 22. Whether we like it or not, I don't think Ricketts always means what he says publicly. He feeds pablum to reporters in order to avoid public feuds while conducting his business behind closed doors.

 

Those situations aren't comparable at all.

 

Yeah, what would be the motivation for Ricketts to lie in this case?

To be clear, my point is simply that I don't think you can put a lot of stake in what he says to reporters. His full quote regarding replacing Kenney with a "baseball man":

I've never bought into the (idea) that I should have a baseball guy to watch my baseball guy and his baseball guys. Then what do you get, a baseball guy to watch the baseball guy who's watching your baseball guys? I trust Jim to do the best he can to get the best team on the field. I trust Mike to manage those guys effectively and give us the amount of wins that he can. And so, I really haven't thought about an extra baseball guy, and I'm not regretting having an extra baseball guy at all.

It's obvious in retrospect that he didn't "trust Jim". I think its equally plausible that the rest of the stuff he said could be a smoke screen; Ricketts seems to like to avoid public confrontations. I think he will stock his front office with the people he thinks are most capable of running it, irrespective of what he may have said (mostly in defense of Hendry, who he fired) a few months ago.

 

You're acting like Ricketts said I'm just going to hire a GM and nobody else. There's a difference between having Pat Gillick as a president over the GM and Epstein bringing along a Byrnes or whoever as assistants.

[Magnetic Curses]

so what did macphail do when he was hired away from minnesota?

 

was he the de facto GM or did lynch have a lot of autonomy?

 

this seems like a similar situation, very successful GM hired away and promoted from a 2-time world champion that he constructed.

Edited October 7, 2011 by Stannis

[minnesotacubsfan]

so what did [explative] do when he was hired away from minnesota?

 

dont ever use that name again

[Magnetic Curses]

so what did [explative] do when he was hired away from minnesota?

 

dont ever use that name again

 

seriously though, it's pretty similar, eerily, if you will.

[minnesotacubsfan]

thats why I'm scared. he brought the DISEASE, Dusty Baker, to us.

[Guest]

thats why I'm scared. he brought the DISEASE, Dusty Baker, to us.

 

That was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy later.

 

 

Pretty sure Lynch had autonomy for the most part. They brought in McRae and Navarro...traded for Servais and Gonzalez early in the 95 season. That's all I can come up with off the top of my head. Also traded for Zeile late that season.

 

 

I don't think the situations are that similar because I think whoever gets brought in, if some sort of title of President is handed out, will still be the GM.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

so what did macphail do when he was hired away from minnesota?

 

was he the de facto GM or did lynch have a lot of autonomy?

 

this seems like a similar situation, very successful GM hired away and promoted from a 2-time world champion that he constructed.

 

Didn't you make fun of me for half-seriously bringing up the MacPhail/Epstein parallel like 20 pages ago?

[minnesotacubsfan]

thats why I'm scared. he brought the DISEASE, Dusty Baker, to us.

 

That was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy later.

 

it was, and Hendry was GM so he had more of a hand in it. BUT, Macphail still has the stink on him. I blame him as well.

[Magnetic Curses]

so what did macphail do when he was hired away from minnesota?

 

was he the de facto GM or did lynch have a lot of autonomy?

 

this seems like a similar situation, very successful GM hired away and promoted from a 2-time world champion that he constructed.

 

Didn't you make fun of me for half-seriously bringing up the MacPhail/Epstein parallel like 20 pages ago?

 

i don't think that was me. but i do enjoy making fun of you for being disagreeable.

[jersey cubs fan]

It's obvious in retrospect that he didn't "trust Jim". I think its equally plausible that the rest of the stuff he said could be a smoke screen; Ricketts seems to like to avoid public confrontations. I think he will stock his front office with the people he thinks are most capable of running it, irrespective of what he may have said (mostly in defense of Hendry, who he fired) a few months ago.

 

It is obvious, actually, that Ricketts very much trusted the guy since he kept him on after telling him he was making a change to run the team, in order to sign draft picks and guide the team through the trading deadline. That shows a hell of a lot of trust. He just didn't want him to be the GM after this season.

[Guest]

How awesome is it that a while ago we thought we were stuck with Hendry for the foreseeable future and right now we're on the cusp of having Theo Epstein?

 

I can't even wrap my head around it when I put it that way.

[UMFan83]

so what did [explative] do when he was hired away from minnesota?

 

dont ever use that name again

 

seriously though, it's pretty similar, eerily, if you will.

 

Similar? A GM from a small market wins 2 World Series and is hired by a big market ball club to build a team with middle market resources.

 

A GM from a big market team that plays in a fanatical baseball market breaks a very publicized 86 year championship drought and wins 2 total titles is hired by a big market team that is now acting like a big market team and desperate to get rid of their own championship drought.

[Backtobanks]

Rogers speculating the Theo situation could get ugly in Boston. Not sure why he thinks it, though.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-your-morning-phil-theo-big-hurt-arod-20111007,0,1208059.story

 

The initial interpretation of that interview on the “Dennis and Callahan Show” on Boston sports radio station WEEI and NESN television only makes you wonder if the Red Sox and Epstein are at an impasse

 

He does not say, “We value Theo highly and are determined to keep him here.’’ It would have been easy enough to say that, but it sounds to me more like they are preparing Red Sox Nation for his departure, doesn’t it?

 

 

But let’s don’t get ahead of ourselves.

 

Even if the Red Sox are leaving Epstein dangling, which could infuriate him, it remains possible that he’ll stay put. To hire Epstein, Ricketts would have to work out two deals: One with the 37-year-old executive – who would get a package from the Cubs like the one he is apparently not being offered in Boston – and another with the Red Sox, who are seeking compensation to release him from his contract.

 

Everyone has a choking point somewhere. For Ricketts, that could come in compensation talks. What if the Red Sox want Starlin Castro? What if they want a package of top prospects, like Darwin Barney, Brett Jackson and Andrew Cashner? You get the idea

 

This is a very, very fluid; very, very interesting situation. By the end of the weekend, if not the day, it could also be very, very ugly.

 

 

As much as I want Epstein, I will repeat what I have posted before - there isn't any GM out there that's worth giving up much of anything for. With 3 or 4 very capable "B list" candidates for free, they can keep Epstein (or whomever) if they expect any of our top prospects.

[illiniguy]

Give them Darwin Barney even if they don't ask.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Just out of completely random curiosity, does anyone want to try and put a yearly WAR on the difference between Epstein and Hendry in the Cubs' future. Epstein and a mediocre GM? Epstein and a second-tier choice like Hahn?

[Sammy Sofa]

46

[jersey cubs fan]

thats why I'm scared. he brought the DISEASE, Dusty Baker, to us.

 

That was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy later.

 

 

Pretty sure Lynch had autonomy for the most part. They brought in McRae and Navarro...traded for Servais and Gonzalez early in the 95 season. That's all I can come up with off the top of my head. Also traded for Zeile late that season.

 

 

I don't think the situations are that similar because I think whoever gets brought in, if some sort of title of President is handed out, will still be the GM.

 

There's a few big differences. MacPhail was brought in to completely overhaul everything baseball related with the Cubs, and probably the biggest thing was drafting and developing players. MacPhail was a traditional "baseball man", the son and grandson of baseball execs, it was rumored almost from day one that the next step he envisioned for himself was commissioner. He was very much an overseer and not the GM. He was in charge of hiring scouting directors, GMs, developmental people, and setting the tone of the organization.

 

Ricketts has made it fairly clear he's happy with where the drafting and developing situation is going, and he wants a new GM. He has made it clear that that guy will be the baseball boss overall, but it's not like when MacPhail came in.

[dew1679666265]

Give them Darwin Barney even if they don't ask.

 

Barney's cheap, can play fantastic defense at second and short, and is capable of giving us 2-3 WAR a year (and maybe more if his bat ever does anything). I'd send him to Boston if I had to, but I'd rather keep him if they don't ask.

[Banedon]

Man I really wanted something to happen today....my afternoon at work is going so slow...