Tag: mike quade

Quommunication

While White Sox manager is embroiled in a sniping war with former Sox reliever Bobby Jenks, it looks like Mike Quade is cementing himself as the Great Communicator in the Cubs organization.

From USA Today:

Mike Quade already had the attention of his Chicago Cubs players during his first spring training as a big league manager, between his hands-on approach during drills, added attention to fundamentals, and an infectious energy he brings to work.

But not even the most alert player saw this coming Friday: lineups posted for the first three exhibition games, two days in advance of the spring opener, complete with each starter’s backup for the day listed in parentheses.

I’m not sure if it’s an issue of communication or just plain being organized.  Compared to the former Cubs czar, the players think he’s quite on top of things. 

Yet, communication, efficiency and even being a ‘players manager’ may not translate to wins.  We won’t know that come April.  It’s a good start, though.

Counterpoint: Was Quade really the right move for the Cubs??

DonS, a long suffering fan of TBZ, emailed me a response to my article in favor of the Cubs hiring Mike Quade.  He makes some good points against the hiring I’m posting it tonight. -tbz


I said the following the day Lou left: “Lou leaving in mid-season” is the worst thing that could happen to the Cubs. What if the “Interim Flunky” hits a hot streak? Now you’re stuck with him.

Is that exactly what happened?. Quade went 24-13 (that projects out to 105 wins in a full season). So now the Cubs think this guy is the answer.

The guys on WSCR think this is a great move. But keep in mind: That’s a bunch of White Sox fans who hope the Cubs lose every game. Some endorsement, huh?

Nothing against Quade. But the guy spent 17 years in the Cub minor league system. In that time, I never heard him rumored to be a managerial candidate at the major league level, for the Cubs or for anybody else. Now, based on 37 games, he gets the job?

One More Thing: I said on the day of the hire, “If I am Ryno, I am outta there.” I heard yesterday that Ryno has left the Cub Organ-I-Zation. It sounds like he told Jim Hendry where he could stick his “Go back to Iowa” idea.

Seems obvious to me that the Cubs NEVER intend to hire him to be the manager. It’s not like they bypassed him for a proven manager, like Girardi or Torre. They had told him, “Go to the minor leagues, ride busses, work hard, … ” Something negative to Ryno must have happened in those four years.

Or maybe Jim Hendry is every bit the stumbling dunderhead that his critics think he is.

As the late Mike Royko often said, “I may be wrong, but I doubt it.”

Quade- the right answer for the Cubs

What to think about the hiring of Mike Quade?? Well, let’s start with the details… He’s getting a two-year contract from the Cubs with an option for 2013.  At this point, no money considerations have been discussed. 

I like the deal.  I’ve been struggling to evaluate the move on its merits alone.  As a natural born cynic, I’ve tried to distance myself from my perceptions of the Cubs’ potential motives of hiring Ryne Sandberg (should they have done so).  Let’s face it, Ryno has proven himself as manager in minors the last few years.  Hiring him would have been more than just a public relations move as I’ve insinuated to my friends.  Honestly, Sandberg wouldn’t have been a bad choice at all.

But when it came down to it, I favored hiring Mike Quade as manager of the Cubs and now that the deal is done, I still like it.  Forget the 24-13 record he posted at the end of 2010, the 53-year old Evanston, IL native has the goods without it.  Quade has experience.  He’s managed a prolific 2,378 games in the minors.  But more importantly, he has a reputation of possessing strong leadership skills and being a good on-the-field manager, all which comes with experience. 

Earlier, I said forget Quade’s 24-13 run with the Cubs in 2010.  But maybe don’t dismiss it completely.  The Cub players responded quite well to Quade’s leadership and even said so to the press.  The cynics among us have said that perhaps it was more the lack of Piniella that players were responding to and that is a point well taken.  Yet, no one can dismiss the support that he got both implicitly and explicitly. 

What does Cub Nation think about the Quade hiring??  If you take Bleed Cubbie Blue’s vast readership as any indication, you can check out its poll on the hiring of Quade.  BCB readers support it… kinda.  A whopping 38% supported the hiring of Quade while 19% didn’t (41% didn’t really have an opinion.  An indecisive bunch, these Cub fans).

A few questions remain:

  • How much of a leash does Quade have with a rebuilding 2011 Cubs team?
  • For that matter  (and this is relevant, of course), what of Jim Hendry?  Is he on the hot seat?
  • Will Cub fans learn to embrace Mike Quade when he won’t be able to replicate his 24-13 success in 2011 (let’s face it, the biggest Quade fans out there know he can’t do that)?
  • What happens to Ryne Sandberg?  There have been rumors you might see him on the coaching staff of the Cubs.

At any rate, I wish Mike Quade well.  He’s (officially) stepping into some big shoes and doesn’t have an easy row to hoe in 2011.

Saturday night tidbits

Cubs’ Quade gets support

I was asked by a fellow Cub fan what I thought of interim manager Mike Quade.  I honestly told him I didn’t know a whole lot about him but I sure was impressed by his performance so far.  His 21-11 record is a long time coming.

Now I find out that at least a couple of the Cubs are coming to the plate for him too.  Pitcher Ryan Dempster and outfielder Marlon Byrd both have expressed support for him.

So says Dempster:

"He’s been very upfront, very honest with all of us. He’s been tremendously supportive, he’s given us a lot of confidence to go out there. What he’s done for the bullpen- those guys have really stepped up and he’s believed in them.”

Pretty strong words.  As for Byrd:

"The record speaks for itself. The way we’re playing, the way we’re executing, just all-around."

I won’t speculate if they’re just simply backing up their manager or making a statement on who they want for their next permanent manager but those statements (especially Dempster’s) are pretty telling. 

That said. the Cubs could have gone 32-0 under Mike Quade and that won’t change the fact that a certain former Cub second baseman has more star power than a ex-Carolina League/current Coach with a funny name.  Like it not, the Cubs organization knows that and they’ll have tough decision to make.

Or not.