Castro

[Guest]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

My problem is with people who think spending money is running the team just like Jim Hendry.

Right. I think the issue was people wanted Boston Theo and got something more like Friedman. Although a lot of people wanted Friedman too, though likely under the assumption it'd be a Friedman who also could spend money.

[abuck1220]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

holy [expletive] nobody thought that.

[Guest]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

I got 99 problems and 1 of them is with people who completely misunderstand or misrepresent what it was about Hendry's strategy that was a problem.

Let's be serious, you have a lot more than 99 problems.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Guys there are only two ways to run a baseball team. The Jim Hendry way and the Andy MacPhail way.

[Rob]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

I got 99 problems and 1 of them is with people who completely misunderstand or misrepresent what it was about Hendry's strategy that was a problem.

 

Most of what Hendry did couldn't be called a strategy, since it had so little focus. "We need to [get more lefthanded / get guys who can catch the ball / get more OBP]" with the answer changing every week.

 

What little Hendry did that could be referred to as strategy was so ass backwards that it's painful. He actively eschewed signing young players to cost controlled extensions, with his stated preference being to wait until they hit FA and then get them back when we had to pay open market prices. He focused way too heavily on pitching, but somehow never had enough depth at the major league level. He refused to recycle back end roster spots hoping for marginal upgrades and more upside, preferring to stick with "his guys" despite them being more expensive and no more effective (Neifi Perez, anybody?). He spent as little money as possible developing the farm system, or focusing on player development. He also liked to run his mouth to the media and trash his own players to make it more palatable to the fans when he ran the players out of town, despite what that would do to their market value.

 

Jim Hendry was a terrible GM who only had some short term success due to inheriting a well-regarded farm system and trading most of the assets to win immediately. And when the window had come and gone, he hamstrung the team for years with bad contracts while he made one last ditch attempt to save his job.

 

Did I misrepresent anything?

[SouthSideRyan]

Jim Hendry was a terrible GM who only had some short term success due to inheriting a well-regarded farm system and trading most of the assets to win immediately. And when the window had come and gone, he hamstrung the team for years with bad contracts while he made one last ditch attempt to save his job.

 

I'd just say this last bit is unfair given that he played a large role in building said farm system, and that hamstringing the team for years with bad contracts is an oversell with only Soriano, Z, and Marmol as bad contracts, with only one Soriano being a long-term commitment.

[Rob]

Jim Hendry was a terrible GM who only had some short term success due to inheriting a well-regarded farm system and trading most of the assets to win immediately. And when the window had come and gone, he hamstrung the team for years with bad contracts while he made one last ditch attempt to save his job.

 

I'd just say this last bit is unfair given that he played a large role in building said farm system, and that hamstringing the team for years with bad contracts is an oversell with only Soriano, Z, and Marmol as bad contracts, with only one Soriano being a long-term commitment.

 

If you love Hendry so much why don't you just marry him?

[Rob]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

[Cubswin11]

I honestly don't think Hendry was that bad, he wasn't the best but there are GM's who've done far worse jobs. My biggest problem with him, like mentioned above, was he was seemingly always chasing a different philosophy every offseason and never trying to find his own ways to try and find inefficiencies or value in things the league didn't value and instead just piggybacking off of whatever the league was trending towards. He did have some good moves.

[SouthSideRyan]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

 

I'd agree with this. The wording of "inheriting" a good farm system, when he was primarily responsible for it was my quibble.

[Backtobanks]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

 

The arguments involving Hendry always forget that he was told to do whatever necessary (spend money, trade prospects, etc) to build a winning team at the ML level. When the Cubs failed in 2010-2011, the minor league assets had been used to stock the ML roster. Theo & CO. took over and traded the ML assets that Hendry left to restock the minors. Obviously 2010-2014 has proven that building "dual fronts" is a hard concept regardless of who is in the FO. Hopefully we will see a contending team at the ML level and a solid ml system for the next 5+ years.

[mul21]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

 

The arguments involving Hendry always forget that he was told to do whatever necessary (spend money, trade prospects, etc) to build a winning team at the ML level. When the Cubs failed in 2010-2011, the minor league assets had been used to stock the ML roster. Theo & CO. took over and traded the ML assets that Hendry left to restock the minors. Obviously 2010-2014 has proven that building "dual fronts" is a hard concept regardless of who is in the FO. Hopefully we will see a contending team at the ML level and a solid ml system for the next 5+ years.

 

That just means he was bad at his job, which was to build a winning team. He may have been told everything you say he was, but he also had a responsibility to not completely ignore the minors and player development. He did ignore it and it resulted in complete crap once veterans got old and there was no one to fill the void.

[Sammy Sofa]

Starlin Castro is like Zeus masquerading as a common creature but still retaining all of his godlike majesty.

 

Anyone who wants to trade him can so suck on a dirty mop.

[Tyrant]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

I got 99 problems and 1 of them is with people who completely misunderstand or misrepresent what it was about Hendry's strategy that was a problem.

Let's be serious, you have a lot more than 99 problems.

 

problem 2: outdated pop culture references

[Guest]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

I got 99 problems and 1 of them is with people who completely misunderstand or misrepresent what it was about Hendry's strategy that was a problem.

Let's be serious, you have a lot more than 99 problems.

 

problem 2: outdated pop culture references

 

problem 3: tim would've probably missed that in 2003

[treebird]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

I got 99 problems and 1 of them is with people who completely misunderstand or misrepresent what it was about Hendry's strategy that was a problem.

Let's be serious, you have a lot more than 99 problems.

 

problem 2: outdated pop culture references

 

problem 3: tim would've probably missed that in 2003

 

http://i.giphy.com/HhTXt43pk1I1W.gif

[Guest]

My problem has never been with people who didn't like or understand the plan.

 

My problem has been with people who wanted Jim Hendry gone and then got mad when Theo Epstein didn't run the team just like Jim Hendry.

 

I got 99 problems and 1 of them is with people who completely misunderstand or misrepresent what it was about Hendry's strategy that was a problem.

Let's be serious, you have a lot more than 99 problems.

 

problem 2: outdated pop culture references

 

problem 3: tim would've probably missed that in 2003

Had to google it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It's from a Lincoln Park song.

[Guest]

It's from a Lincoln Park song.

 

loll nice

[UK1679666180]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

 

Once Oneri got promoted. It hurt them twice as bad as he wasn't good after his promotion and Serra did not do well in Latin America, similar to the Far East, I'm guessing they invested less resources but for whatever reason the international prospects dried up.

[SouthSideRyan]

Once I learned what Oneri Fleita looked like, I knew we were doomed.

[Backtobanks]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

 

The arguments involving Hendry always forget that he was told to do whatever necessary (spend money, trade prospects, etc) to build a winning team at the ML level. When the Cubs failed in 2010-2011, the minor league assets had been used to stock the ML roster. Theo & CO. took over and traded the ML assets that Hendry left to restock the minors. Obviously 2010-2014 has proven that building "dual fronts" is a hard concept regardless of who is in the FO. Hopefully we will see a contending team at the ML level and a solid ml system for the next 5+ years.

 

That just means he was bad at his job, which was to build a winning team. He may have been told everything you say he was, but he also had a responsibility to not completely ignore the minors and player development. He did ignore it and it resulted in complete crap once veterans got old and there was no one to fill the void.

 

He did build some winning teams, but at the expense of the minor league system. The players he left on the ML roster have netted us Rizzo, Hendricks, Grimm, Ramirez, Edwards, Wood, Torreyes, etc. in trades in addition to Castro, Baez, and Alcantara that he drafted. As I said building "dual fronts" is tough (i.e. Epstein/Hoyer completely ignored the ML roster for 3 years to rebuild the farm system).

[UK1679666180]

Once I learned what Oneri Fleita looked like, I knew we were doomed.

Not expecting the H&R Block tax guy.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

 

I think he was using the force.

Edited April 22, 2015 by DiceMan4221

[jersey cubs fan]

Seriously though, I'll give Hendry plenty of credit for helping to put together the good farm system in the first place. I never said he wasn't a good (or even great) scout. I'm just claiming that he was a terrible GM.

 

Perhaps the contract bit is a fair point. Most of Hendry's stupid contracts were shorter term or small money. He mostly hamstrung us with the state of the farm system on his way out, not the contracts.

 

I'd agree with this. The wording of "inheriting" a good farm system, when he was primarily responsible for it was my quibble.

 

I was on board with them hiring him as GM because of the job he did with the minor league team. It was clear from the outset, however, that having a gym teacher running the show was a mistake.