It's official - Cubs hire the wrong guy.

Hendry hires Pinella, or is it Homer Simpson hires his dad, Abe Simpson to manage the Cubs.

While no one goes to my Cafepress shop, I noticed this shop for people who like the move, and this shop for people who don't. I know where I would shop.

Prediction

I predict, and I hope I am 100% wrong, that if Joe Girardi becomes manager of the Washington Generals - I mean, Washington Nationals, that he will get them into the playoffs before Pinella does so with the Cubs - if he ever does.

It is silly and kind of sickening to see the MSM all of a sudden suck up
(or suck off) Lou Pinella, now that the Yanks won't be hiring him. I saw
one item in one of the local online papers talking about his 3
championships vs. Girardi's total 78 career wins, so I started thinking "I
know he won in '90 with the Reds. When were his other 2?" and I went
through my memory of all the WS champ mgrs since the Yanks won in 1978.
Other than '90, none of them were Lou Pinella. So therefore, 2 of his 3
championships were as a player. In that case, Mr. only 78 wins can also
claim 3 championships. A few years back, another GM was faced with a
similar decision: Should I hire a manager with 2 championships (as a mgr,
which makes him Lou x 2, doesn't it?) or one with 0 (ZERO for you MSM clowns that place way too much value in that statistic) wins as a manager, but a history with this particular team. In this case, this GM picked the 0 wins guy. If you live in Chicago, you know how that
turned out for Kenny Williams.

That's what really pisses me off about this franchise. Joe Girardi is a golden opportunity to bring the right person in to be manager, and as we knew, Hendry's going to fuck it up, because he has some weird man-love thing going on for Lou Pinella. He/they fall in love with the big name manager, and don't bother to bring in better players. It just proves the Cubs don't give a fuck about their fans, unless it's convenient for them, like when they traded away Sosa and Patterson, or held onto Prior, they used that excuse. When they could do something meaningful for the long haul, forget it. Well, I personally won't believe Pinella is the right choice until I see players wearing Cub uniforms jumping on each other at the end of the World Series. And I personally doubt that will happen.

Eerie... I find myself agreeing with Jay Mariotti more and more..
Jay is saying the same thing I said the other day, only in hundreds more words....

Please. Cubdom doesn't want Bochy, Lou isn't coming and, last I looked, three other major-league teams are seeking managers, a total to become four if Torre is fired. At least one of those teams, the Washington Nationals, openly covets Girardi, and so might the Yankees, who groomed Girardi as Torre's bench coach two years ago. So don't be foolish, Mr. Hendry. If Girardi fits whatever plan the Cubs are assembling and if he wants the job as badly as it appears -- is there a local TV or radio show he hasn't done in recent days? -- then execute your deed. Announce it later, if need be, but get it done.

Absolutely, Jay. By himself, Girardi won't win the Cubs a pennant - Krispy Kreme Jim still has to put the fork down and get better players - but at least Girardi will be passionate, and force the players to be better fundamentally than Baker ever did.

Miguel Cabrera

Boers and Bernstein interviewed Matt Herges on their show Thursday around 5:30 pm. Herges, a reliever for the Marlins from downstate Illinois (and Todd Hollandsworth's brother-in-law), couldn't say enough nice things about Joe Girardi. He even disclosed at the end of the season, Miguel Cabrera, who had differences with Girardi in spring training because he came into camp somewhat out of shape, stood up in front of the whole team and, with tears in his eyes, thanked Joe for helping him become a better player. Friday night on WGN Sports Central, Dave Kaplan said he called Joe Borowski earlier in the day and asked him what it was like playing for manager Girardi (they were teammates in 2002). Borowski said pretty much what Herges said and also relayed the Cabrera story. Donut Jim, what are you waiting for? Your interview with Girardi should consist of 2 questions: 1) When can you start? and 2) How much would you like us to pay you?

Sour On "Sweet Lou"

Memo to Jim "King Cruller" Hendry:

Jimbo, You have a most daunting task ahead of you. There have been published reports of who your short list contains. Please re-write it. It should start with Joe Girardi (proven manager who is an ex-Cub, and a catcher, who actually has World Series rings), move on to Ryne Sandberg (unproven manger, but HOF lifetime Cub who has an idea of how to play the game right), and Jody Davis (success at Peoria in 2006, ex Cub who is a catcher). As a last resort, Bob Brenly (ex-catcher, World Series ring as a manager, knows how horrid Cubs were last year and should have an idea on how to fix it). The ex-catchers would be good because they know how to handle pitchers. Sandberg would be good because they would get better at fundamental baseball - or else. What you should not do under any circumstance is hire Lou"Grandpa Munster" Pinella, who is not only older than dirt, but would probably bring back Larry Fraudschild as pitching coach. Just to make it clear, Jim, that would be a BAD idea. Cub fans across the world are scared shitless that you will bring Grandpa in and we'll never be rid of Fraudschild. Please, Jim, make the right move.

Hoping to change the blog name someday, sincerely, Doormats of the National League

Why John McDonough Might Work Out

While everyone will definitely cheer the resignation of Andy MacFail, certainly, there are many reasons to dread and fear the hiring of John McDonough as the "interim" team president.
Many other blogs and websites have, quite humorously, already hit on the fact that McDnough is the "Evil Lord" of Cubs marketing. Be that as it may, I actually think this has a reason to work for the Cubs. Heres's why:
1 Within the first 5 minutes of the press conference after it was announced he would be the interim prez, he said "it is my singular goal to bring the Cubs a World Series title", which is something that McFail never said during his tenure. He would always use words like "competitive" and "deep into October", but never use the phrase "World Series title"
By that alone, it may well represent a change in attitude.
2.My daughter attended high school with McDonoughs cousin (though he is probably in his 50s and she in her 20s, in some families, that is not an uncommon age discrepancy). Anyway, his cousin and her entire family are HUGE Sox fans, so I imagine family get togethers couldn't have been much fun for John in the last year or so. I know from my family, last Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day, etc, really sucked when we got together with some of the Sox fans in our family. John is definitely in position to chane that. Hopefully, he hs full
Trib financial backing to accomplish that.
3. He may be the "Evil Lord" of marketing, but at least he's good at his job. Too few people involved with the Cubs have been lately.

This could all be false hope. The Trib might handcuff him moneywise. He might be in over his head. He's not a baseball guy. However, the baseball people haven;t done too good lately. Maybe he'll have the passion to win. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Let Me Be One Of The First...

to announce that Andy McFail, aka Moe has resigned as Cubs president. Feel out on a plank, Jim Hendry?