Rick Renteria Named New Cubs Manager

[Cubswin11]

Any assistants on Maddon's staff that are intriguing?

[BeerHere]

So the firing wasn't about wins/losses. Sveum excelled at game planning, defensive alignment....he was dealt a bad hand...etc

 

Does this boil down to poor bullpen management, the lack of development for Castro, Shark and Rizzo, and poor on base skills?

[Elrhino]

Signing a big name manager would be a perfect way to market to Cub fans to buy season tickets in lieu of spending the money needed to substantially improve the talent base. I'm sure Theo would love another big marquee name in the franchise to help carry the scrutiny bullseye on their back.

[ConstableRabbit]

Press Release:

 

Cubs fire Manager Dale Sveum

The Chicago Cubs today announced that the club has fired manager Dale Sveum. Sveum, the 52nd manager in franchise history, led the club for the past two seasons.

 

Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein today released the following statement:

"Today, we made the very difficult decision to relieve Dale Sveum of his duties as Cubs manager. Dale has been a committed leader for this team the last two seasons, and I want to thank him for all of his dedication and hard work. I have a lot of admiration for Dale personally, and we all learned a lot from the way he has handled the trying circumstances of the last two years, especially the last two weeks, with strength and dignity.

 

In his own authentic and understated way, Dale always put the team first and never complained about the hand he was dealt. He and his staff helped us excel in game planning and defensive positioning, contributed to the emergence of several players, and helped put us in position to make some important trades. I have no doubt that - much like Terry Francona, whom we hired in Boston after his stint with a losing Phillies club - Dale will go on to great success with his next team. We had hoped Dale would grow with our organization to see it through the building phase to a period of sustained excellence; instead, I believe Dale, who felt the weight of losing perhaps more than any of us, will grow because of this experience and find excellence elsewhere.

 

Today's decision to pursue a new manager was not made because of wins and losses. Our record is a function of our long-term building plan and the moves we have made - some good, a few we would like back - to further this strategy. Jed and I take full responsibility for that. Today's decision was absolutely not made to provide a scapegoat for our shortcomings or to distract from our biggest issue - a shortage of talent at the major league level. We have been transparent about what we are, and what we are not yet. Today's decision, which was painful for all of us, was made to move us closer to fulfilling our ultimate long-term vision for the Cubs.

 

Soon, our organization will transition from a phase in which we have been primarily acquiring young talent to a phase in which we will promote many of our best prospects and actually field a very young, very talented club at the major league level. The losing has been hard on all of us, but we now have one of the top farm systems in baseball, some of the very best prospects in the game, and a clear path forward. In order for us to win with this group - and win consistently - we must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level. We must have clear and cohesive communication with our players about the most important parts of the game. And - even while the organization takes a patient, long view - we must somehow establish and maintain a galvanized, winning culture around the major league club.

 

I believe a dynamic new voice - and the energy, creativity and freshness that comes with this type of change - provides us with the best opportunity to achieve the major league environment we seek. We will begin our search immediately - a process which will be completed before the GM meetings in early November and perhaps much sooner. There are no absolute criteria, but we will prioritize managerial or other on-field leadership experience and we will prioritize expertise developing young talent. We have not yet contacted any candidates or asked permission to speak with any candidates, but that process will begin tomorrow morning."

 

Thought the bolded was interesting.

[Guest]

So the firing wasn't about wins/losses. Sveum excelled at game planning, defensive alignment....he was dealt a bad hand...etc

 

Does this boil down to poor bullpen management, the lack of development for Castro, Shark and Rizzo, and poor on base skills?

 

And/or behind the scenes stuff we aren't privy to.

[Guest]

clear and cohesive...almost seems like a direct reference to what went on with Castro.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

clear and cohesive...almost seems like a direct reference to what went on with Castro.

 

I also remember that they gave in to Sveum on calling up Jackson and Vitters last year when the front office didn't want to.

[Elwood]

So the firing wasn't about wins/losses. Sveum excelled at game planning, defensive alignment....he was dealt a bad hand...etc

 

Does this boil down to poor bullpen management, the lack of development for Castro, Shark and Rizzo, and poor on base skills?

 

In order for us to win with this group – and win consistently – we must have the best possible environment for young players to learn, develop and thrive at the major league level.

 

I think the lack of development is the issue.

[Illini Iceman]

I don't know what Theo and Jed liked so much about him in the first place. He really didn't do stupid stuff like Dusty but he was so vanilla and boring. I can't remember once hearing something from him that sounded insightful. Not sure what he could have done during the extensive interview process that impressed them so much.

[Guest]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 1m

Theo :I believe a dynamic new voice – and the energy, creativity and freshness that comes with this type of change – provides us with ...

 

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 33s

"the best opportunity to achieve the major league environment we seek."

So... It's our fault were losers but we can't play with a manager who is a loser, so he's collateral damage for our failings and/or strategy to suck.

 

Ok. So he was probably always a placeholder.

I wouldn't call him a placeholder. More of an audition. If he'd turned out to be the kind of manager the FO wanted I'm sure he'd have stuck around. He didn't.

I agree. How hard was it for him to manage the last week knowing he was getting fired?

[XZero771679666304]

That statement makes it clear (imo) that they did not like how Dale handled the young players, and that was the primary reason for the firing.

[CubsInNC]

So the firing wasn't about wins/losses. Sveum excelled at game planning, defensive alignment....he was dealt a bad hand...etc

 

Does this boil down to poor bullpen management, the lack of development for Castro, Shark and Rizzo, and poor on base skills?

 

The way I read it, the lack of development and/or regression of the majority of the core, is what did it. They emphasized that they are about to transition to a youth movement, and the majors must be a place that the young players can still learn and develop. I think they saw the lack of positive results as a very strong negative toward that end.

[XZero771679666304]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 1m

Theo :I believe a dynamic new voice – and the energy, creativity and freshness that comes with this type of change – provides us with ...

 

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 33s

"the best opportunity to achieve the major league environment we seek."

So... It's our fault were losers but we can't play with a manager who is a loser, so he's collateral damage for our failings and/or strategy to suck.

 

Ok. So he was probably always a placeholder.

I wouldn't call him a placeholder. More of an audition. If he'd turned out to be the kind of manager the FO wanted I'm sure he'd have stuck around. He didn't.

I agree. How hard was it for him to manage the last week knowing he was getting fired?

 

This happens all the time with managers/coaches in pro sports. I'd bet 90% of the time they know they're getting fired well in advance of the axe falling.

[Guest]

I don't know what Theo and Jed liked so much about him in the first place. He really didn't do stupid stuff like Dusty but he was so vanilla and boring. I can't remember once hearing something from him that sounded insightful. Not sure what he could have done during the extensive interview process that impressed them so much.

 

Vanilla and boring is not exactly a negative attribute.

[Guest]

I doubt bullpen management falls into Top 5 reasons that Sveum lost his job. In no particular order:

 

- Important young players did not develop

- The team as a whole did not make enough progress at the plate, which especially falls at his feet given that he's basically the 2nd hitting coach

- Important young players did not develop

- He was not good enough at articulating things to the media to avoid controversy

- Maybe behind the scenes stuff we're not privy to(e.g. he didn't take well to or listen to input from the FO)

- Important young players did not develop

 

I still think Dale is a pretty good manager. In a different market with a different roster he might have a lot of success.

[Cubswin11]

So the firing wasn't about wins/losses. Sveum excelled at game planning, defensive alignment....he was dealt a bad hand...etc

 

Does this boil down to poor bullpen management, the lack of development for Castro, Shark and Rizzo, and poor on base skills?

http://www.beneathmyheart.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cousin-eddie-Bingo.jpg

[Sammy Sofa]

I don't know what Theo and Jed liked so much about him in the first place. He really didn't do stupid stuff like Dusty but he was so vanilla and boring. I can't remember once hearing something from him that sounded insightful. Not sure what he could have done during the extensive interview process that impressed them so much.

 

Vanilla and boring is not exactly a negative attribute.

 

Yeah, given what most teams usually end up with I want a manager who I forget is there most of the time.

[Illini Iceman]

I don't know what Theo and Jed liked so much about him in the first place. He really didn't do stupid stuff like Dusty but he was so vanilla and boring. I can't remember once hearing something from him that sounded insightful. Not sure what he could have done during the extensive interview process that impressed them so much.

 

Vanilla and boring is not exactly a negative attribute.

 

Yeah, given what most teams usually end up with I want a manager who I forget is there most of the time.

 

True, but it doesn't exactly sound like "energy, creativity and freshness".

[Elrhino]

I don't know what Theo and Jed liked so much about him in the first place. He really didn't do stupid stuff like Dusty but he was so vanilla and boring. I can't remember once hearing something from him that sounded insightful. Not sure what he could have done during the extensive interview process that impressed them so much.

 

Vanilla and boring is not exactly a negative attribute.

 

So no Bobby Valentine or Ozzie Guillen bandwagon?

[Tyrant]

So the firing wasn't about wins/losses. Sveum excelled at game planning, defensive alignment....he was dealt a bad hand...etc

 

Does this boil down to poor bullpen management, the lack of development for Castro, Shark and Rizzo, and poor on base skills?

http://www.beneathmyheart.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/cousin-eddie-Bingo.jpg

 

why doesn't that picture move?

[UMFan83]

That statement makes it clear (imo) that they did not like how Dale handled the young players, and that was the primary reason for the firing.

 

I think the communication issues were outlined in Theo's statement as well. Like handling Castro's mental gaffes over the last 2 years, the situation with Gregg, Edwin Jackson and Shark the last couple of weeks, etc.

[Elrhino]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 1m

Theo :I believe a dynamic new voice – and the energy, creativity and freshness that comes with this type of change – provides us with ...

 

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales 33s

"the best opportunity to achieve the major league environment we seek."

So... It's our fault were losers but we can't play with a manager who is a loser, so he's collateral damage for our failings and/or strategy to suck.

 

Ok. So he was probably always a placeholder.

I wouldn't call him a placeholder. More of an audition. If he'd turned out to be the kind of manager the FO wanted I'm sure he'd have stuck around. He didn't.

I agree. How hard was it for him to manage the last week knowing he was getting fired?

 

 

He probably knew he was take the fall at the trading deadline.

 

Offseason season ticket campaigns don't market themselves, particularly when you mostly return the same roster that's finished with the 3rd and 4th worst winning% in baseball in back to back years.

[XZero771679666304]

I don't know what Theo and Jed liked so much about him in the first place. He really didn't do stupid stuff like Dusty but he was so vanilla and boring. I can't remember once hearing something from him that sounded insightful. Not sure what he could have done during the extensive interview process that impressed them so much.

 

Vanilla and boring is not exactly a negative attribute.

 

I didn't think "vanilla and boring" when I thought about Dale, I thought "stupid". Not in regard to what he did, but just in general. I was kind of surprised the he was hired, I figured Jed/Theo would have preferred someone more...cerebral. That said, I didn't have a burning desire to see him fired, but I'd definitely prefer someone who doesn't come off like a neanderthal (or drunk/brain damaged).

 

Articulate, at least, would be nice.

[Irrelevant Dude]

What are the logistics for the Cubs talking to Girardi, if that is what they want to do? I thought I read that his current contract runs through the end of October, so I assume the Yankees still have the first chance to negotiate with him and would have to grant permission for anyone else to speak with him.

[Guest]

What are the logistics for the Cubs talking to Girardi, if that is what they want to do? I thought I read that his current contract runs through the end of October, so I assume the Yankees still have the first chance to negotiate with him and would have to grant permission for anyone else to speak with him.

 

You've got it right, they need to ask the Yankees for permission to talk to him about the job before November 1. Considering that Theo all but guaranteed that the new manager would be in place before then, you'll likely see news about the Cubs asking the Yankees for permission to chat with him soon.