Dallas Green

What is so BS about it? He ran the business before, and runs it now. If it was just BS they would just let him go. Sure he runs the biz side, and I have no issue with that, but what I was trying to say I guess is Crane was THE Pres and now everyone knows Theo is. The fact Crane got to keep Pres on his biz card is all that it amounts to. I look at it as they moved him sideways to bring in a real Pres.

Wow, that makes all kinds of sense. Wait, no; reverse that. I can see why that would be recklessly assumptive, but am unclear on why that makes no sense. If they wanted to keep him around to make progress and they've milked him for that progress, then dumping him now, before the thing is actually built would completely negate the progress made. If you go to the actual post at Chicago Now Cubs Insider and not Cubbies Crib, you will see that there never was mention of Kenney being fired, just that he wouldn't remain Pres, well they brought in a new Pres, and gave Crane a BS co-presidency IMHO

Well at the end of the day, Crane is still here but the report said we would get a new Pres, so it was half right for sure.

Agreed

He did play for the guy

Is Rudy on borrowed time now that Theo has made the edict of patience and grinding ABs? Holly says Rudy teaches both http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2011/10/interview-csns-todd-hollandsworth-talks-theo-epstein/

I feel the same way, he's done great work lately. Also recommend Cubs Den and The Cub Reporter (great for Arizona Phil's content). Those are good, esp Cubs Den, but a lot of media peeps acknowledge Cubs Insider

Going to have to print this article out, so I can wipe my ass with it in the AM. :shock:

Chuck McElroy

Chuck McElroy

:lol: People in the biz love to talk, they just dont want their names on that stuff

Really? I don't remember those

I would love that. Even if we miss out on Epstein, this means Ricketts is ready to spend. I'm sure he knows that if Epstein were to jump ship, it wouldnt be to spend 4-5 years building a team, it would be to build a winner in the next year or 2. Probably similar to the '06/'07 offseason with better decisions. And I wonder how much resistance that the Red Sox would even put up. They already have a team built to win now and the next several years, and if Epstein left town, they already have his heir apparent in Cherington. Even if he wasn't their guy, they'd still have their pick of the litter to replace him. Damn you not so cautious optimism. Good points

Hey don't apologize for posting that blog, that guy is good and has good connections :wink:

Do you have any pictures of him that aren't distorted by a funhouse mirror? I don't want anyone making big decisions who decides to wear that thing on his head

Agreed, doesn't sound like much, but the Cubs gave up Gorzelanny to save peanuts this year.

OK so I was kind of wrong to suggest Dempster was way over-paid..but I agree with the 10.5 value which is what I would have been comfortable paying him.

Why? It just pointed out that Swisher was the move to make at the time just based on money alone, and I don't think Dempster is a #1 pitcher and he got #1 pitcher money IMHO Maybe #1 pitcher money 10-15-20 years ago...That's #3 money nowadays. Really? I'm going to have to look at the top 20 pitchers in salary and see where Dempster ranks

Yeah, Swisher was a real mixed bag at the time. People seemed in love with his offensive potential, but there was concern about the flaws in both his offensive and defensive game. Again, not saying history would have repeated itself, but Swisher was pretty bad in 2008, and putting him in RF at Wrigley for half the season could have well exacerbated that. Couple that with the perception of him being the consolation prize after missing out on the real target and his easily targeted attitude by meatballs and I could see him getting chased out of town even before his deal was up. Would have been nice to have him available for 1b, so we could have dumped lee even sooner and not had to spend another $10m on a temp 1b (and I like pena but in hindsight - what a huge waste of money). All hindsight and I liked fukudome. But I like swisher and wanted him in 08. Far from JH's biggest mistake. Ok fine, so lets say its in the top 3? Sori Bradley Fuk? At least Bradley and Sori were coming off career years at the time, and Sori should have gotten 6 years, and Bradley one with a team option for 2 IMHO Again, you're inexplicably downplaying the hype and scouting reports around Fukudome. You keep making it sound like the Cubs went out of their way to sign and overpay a guy nobody else wanted. That simply wasn't the case. And the Juan Pierre trade was much, much worse. I mean, yes, the Fukudome signing turned out to be a mistake, but it was a "different" type of mistake for Hendry. That was a mistake GOOD GM's make (look at the caliber of front offices that have been burned by highly touted Japanese players even AFTER Fukudome). He managed to sign a highly coveted FA with a contract that was actually more reasonable than what he was being offered elsewhere. Yeah, it turned out to be a bust, but it's not like a "oh, that's Hendry being Hendry again"-type of situation. Hey I wanted him too, as did many others. However, JH and his scouts are supposed to weigh everything when it comes to deals, and don't tell me Swisher wasnt viewed as what we thought Fuk was going to be at a much lower cost?

Yeah, Swisher was a real mixed bag at the time. People seemed in love with his offensive potential, but there was concern about the flaws in both his offensive and defensive game. Again, not saying history would have repeated itself, but Swisher was pretty bad in 2008, and putting him in RF at Wrigley for half the season could have well exacerbated that. Couple that with the perception of him being the consolation prize after missing out on the real target and his easily targeted attitude by meatballs and I could see him getting chased out of town even before his deal was up. Would have been nice to have him available for 1b, so we could have dumped lee even sooner and not had to spend another $10m on a temp 1b (and I like pena but in hindsight - what a huge waste of money). All hindsight and I liked fukudome. But I like swisher and wanted him in 08. Far from JH's biggest mistake. Ok fine, so lets say its in the top 3? Sori Bradley Fuk? At least Bradley and Sori were coming off career years at the time, and Sori should have gotten 6 years, and Bradley one with a team option for 2 IMHO

Ok, agreed. However, Soriano was an org move for the most part, and Bradley was awful in terms of years, but gambling that much on Fuk?? Dempster should have gotten more along the lines of 10-11 mil per for 4 years. It's just we have Yankee type deals on this team for unlike Yankee production. Oh well..at least they are about to all expire soon, and the Cubs will probably eat Sori's deal in the offseason. Why do you think Desmpter is overpaid? He's not. And Fukudome was highly coveted by multiple teams who tried to pay MORE than the Cubs with glowing scouting reports from a ton of different sources. I just don't think most GMs would view Dempster as a higher than a #3

Ok, agreed. However, Soriano was an org move for the most part, and Bradley was awful in terms of years, but gambling that much on Fuk?? Dempster should have gotten more along the lines of 10-11 mil per for 4 years. It's just we have Yankee type deals on this team for unlike Yankee production. Oh well..at least they are about to all expire soon, and the Cubs will probably eat Sori's deal in the offseason.

Why? It just pointed out that Swisher was the move to make at the time just based on money alone, and I don't think Dempster is a #1 pitcher and he got #1 pitcher money IMHO

Hindsight is always 20/20. If, at the time, Hendry would have passed on the Fukudome sweepstakes to get Swisher, he would have gotten the usual "our GM is an idiot" treatment on NSBB. i highly doubt that. swisher had great patience and put up mid .800s OPS playing in cavernous coliseum (whatever they're calling it these days, naming rights have changed like 30 times). swisher was pretty much what one hoped fukudome would be coming over from japan. I couldn't agree more, plus the money was a huge factor

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-insider/2011/07/swisher-was-plan-b/ Would have much rather had Swisher than Fuk discuss....