Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry endures chaos, remains upbeat

Hendry is the worst GM in the game and has choked this team for years to come with his idiotic back loaded contracts to mediocre players. I hope the new owners fire him immediately.

Brant Brown was in 1998....Hendry wasnt here.

pmarz wrote:

Hendry is the worst GM in the game and has choked this team for years to come with his idiotic back loaded contracts to mediocre players. I hope the new owners fire him immediately.

Yeah. I mean, just because the time he has been the GM is about the most succesful period for the Cubs in, ohhh.... 60+ years. It really looks like he has choked the team, because...why? I believe they are competing for their 3rd straight division title.

Hedry has made monster trades his whole tenure with the Cubs.

it's 50% easier to win a division these days. you can even do it with a losing record.

bring on steve stone.

st. louis is going to get halladay, and then game over. at least get a bat or two to make them fun to watch though!

rob mccolley wrote:

it's 50% easier to win a division these days. you can even do it with a losing record.
bring on steve stone.

That might be good logic if you are in a 4 team division, but in fact the Cubs division has 6 teams; the same number that were in each division when the league was first split into two divisions.

rob mccolley wrote:

it's 50% easier to win a division these days. you can even do it with a losing record.
bring on steve stone.

And as far as Steve Stone being GM... that would be th worst thing that could possibly happen.

You mentioned Jim Edmonds in your article Paul. Where in the world has Mr. Edmonds gone ? Signed "Exteremely Puzzled"

Stratmaster wrote:

<quoted text>
Yeah. I mean, just because the time he has been the GM is about the most succesful period for the Cubs in, ohhh.... 60+ years. It really looks like he has choked the team, because...why? I believe they are competing for their 3rd straight division title.
Hedry has made monster trades his whole tenure with the Cubs.

You cannot be serious!
The Soriano and Fukudome contracts have crippled the team for years with little return...
The DeRosa deal was asinine.
He failed to land Peavy when the guy begged to play there.
They have a $134 mil payroll and are .500 in the worst division in baseball...
There's probably more, but I'll let the Cub fans take over.

thats wonderfulll we look to upgrade the team... duh! doesn't everyone! too bad you don't have an ubderstanding of how to do that... hey i know... maybe trade for another 2nd basmen! haven't done that enough in 7 years... please pack your bags and go !

There is no way a new owner is going to take over the team and not fire Hendry. Between Bradley and Soriano, you have over $100 million in dead payroll on the roster... contracts the Cubs will eat because neither of them should or will finish those contracts in a Cub uniform. Those deals will kill the team for years to come.

Um, Dusty Baker's theories on heat (i.e., that balls carry further in warm weather) is Physics 101. It was Dusty's theory on on-base percentage (guys who take walks prevent other guys from scoring) that was stupid.

rob mccolley wrote:

it's 50% easier to win a division these days. you can even do it with a losing record.

Maybe, but unless you count the 1994 ALW, that never has happened.

Don't see this current Cub's roster getting into the playoffs. A bonafide leadoff man is urgently needed, like a Brian Roberts type, that can spark the offense. Fukudome is not the answer at leadoff- given his respectable OBP. Actually, B.Rob might be available since the O's are in last place and 14 games out, going nowhere. Hendry should right this wrong... done to Cub fans when he did not get Roberts earlier when he had the chance. Increasing payroll might be an object, but offering enough players in a trade (to make it happen) is not. Besides, this would lock down the Cubs 2nd base position for years to come. Jim, we need some of your magic here!

what else would he say, I'm an idiot! of course he defends himself. but he has been drinking the forgetful kool-aid. The team beat some mid spenders and immediately got crunched in the playoffs. Winning a division with Pitt,Cin,Hous.Mil.is almost a guarantee.They have small budgets and the cubs overwhelm them with available funds. Only St. Louis is a competitor and they spend 40 million less. But they have LaRussa.So what have we won? Nothing? And what does the future hold with this over paid terrible corner outfield and a 5 inning can't throw anymore pitcher. Maybe a trip to the playoffs, but maybe 4th place. And maybe a disgrace for the next 2 years.Hendry has as much money as Boston. Now, let's make some fair comparisons and a reality check!i

Nada Surf wrote:

<quoted text>You cannot be serious!
The Soriano and Fukudome contracts have crippled the team for years with little return...
The DeRosa deal was asinine.
He failed to land Peavy when the guy begged to play there.
They have a $134 mil payroll and are .500 in the worst division in baseball...
There's probably more, but I'll let the Cub fans take over.

You mean the guy who is not going to the all-star game for the first time in 8 years? Yeah, Hendry should have seen the future there. Fact is Soriano has had one poor half-season. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan fo Soriano, but everyone sure was crowing when they got him. How about these:

Todd Hundley to the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek

Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Pirate third baseman Aramis Ramirez. Hendry brought in Kenny Lofton and Randall Simon to shore up the bench that same year.

They won a division title his 1st full year after having a team that won less than 70 games the year before.

He traded Hee Seop Choi to the Marlins in exchange for Derrek Lee, and then Damian Miller to the Oakland Athletics for Michael Barrett. He signed Todd Walker and Greg Maddux.

And now the team will probably win its 3rd straight division title.

Hendry has always been considered one of the great GM's in the game. The fukudome contract puzzles me. Other than that I am fine with him.

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Hendry is not the one playing. He is making moves that sometimes do no work out. You want to bring back Ed (lightning in a bottle) Lynch or Larry (adios Maddux) Himes?

I think I have too much to say about this one. First this story is a joke. How does a true reporter let Hendry off this easy? Hendry is part of the problem not part of the solution.

Let's put it on the table - Hendry screwed up the team this year. He was so confident that they were going to make it to Post season he forgot what it took to get there. And it's not just DeRosa, it's about the chemistry. This team has no chemistry. This isn't a team. This is a bunch of individuals. Whether it's Soriano, Fukudome, Lee, Milton, Soto, Ramirez, Zambrano, Marmol- just a bunch of guys who are looking at the stat sheet. The only team seems to maybe Lilly and Dempster and all the kids.

Can't make a move at the trade deadline - well if you didn't back load all of these contracts so that the new owner would take on this incredible payroll - you might have some money to actually since a player.

Who is at fault here:
McDonough for going to the quick let's make the fans happy solution - we will go sign Soriano to a huge deal
Kenney and those tribsters for going along with it - for the big deals for Zambrano and Fukudome
Hendry for sitting back and getting a huge contract extension and laughing all the way to the bank. He feels no pressure because he is going to get paid for the next three or four years.

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