Post #1400: Mike Quade Named Cubs Manager

Well, by now I'm sure you've heard the news. Mike Quade has been named the Cubs Manager. He has signed a two year contract. Of course, the biggest news was that Ryne Sandberg did not get the job, or that the Cubs did not wait until after the postseason to see if Joe Girardi was available.

How do I feel about the move?

In 2006, when the Cubs were interviewing candidates to become their next manager, one of the candidates they interviewed was Ryne Sandberg. Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Sandberg that he needed to start managing down in the minors and work his way up. Sandberg started down at the Peoria Chiefs, then managed the Tennesee Smokies the following year, then managed the Iowa Cubs, winning the Pacific Coast League manager of the year award.

Lou Piniella gets the job to manage the Cubs, leading them to the postseason in 2007 and 2008, but they get swept out of the first round both years. The Cubs regressed in 2009 and 2010. Lou Piniella retired early in the season, replacing him with Mike Quade.

I think I was most suprised to announce that the Cubs did not wait until after the World Series to see if Joe Girardi was available.

I think that it is downright disheartning that the Cubs passed on the obvious heir apparent to the legendary Lou Pinniela, Ryne Sandberg. The man who thought that going all the down from Peoria would help him get a job managing at the Major League Level.

I know that Mike Quade led the Cubs to a 24-13 record in his season managing, but the fact that the Cubs may have lost the chance for a hall of famer like Ryne Sandberg to wear a Cubs uniform again is disheartening to me.

It's a two year deal, so maybe the Cubs don't believe they can contend for the next two seasons.

The biggest question I want answered is:
How in the World does GM Jim Hendry still have a job? He should have been fired as soon as he traded away Mark DeRosa and signed Milton Bradley.

Two Weeks Into Baseball Season...

Randy Johnson will replace Doug Davis in the rotation. Davis is coming off Thyroid Cancer surgery.
Here's What I've Observed...
RANDY JOHNSON TO MAKE FIRST START OF 2008 TONIGHT AGAINST GIANTS
Diamondbacks Pitcher Randy Johnson will make his first Major League appearance since June 28 on Monday night in San Francisco.
The Big Unit suffered a reherniation of a disk in his back and underwent surgery in early August to repair it.
Johnson is being opposed by Giants Left Hander Johnathan Sanchez.

This Brings Me To...

FREE BASEBALL!!!
The D-backs are making the game available on MLB.TV free of charge without a local blackout in the Phoenix area.
Gametime is 7:15 MST/10:15 ET.

I Can't wait to see this game tonight. I hope we see the Randy Johnson of old. The Randy Johnson that threw a Perfect Game May 18, 2004 against the Braves, the Randy Johnson that beaned a bird with his 95 MPH fastball!

I don't believe we'll see anything like that ever again!

JOE GIRARDI NATIONAL LEAGUE STYLE OF MANAGING SUPRISING, BUT WON'T WORK IN AMERICAN LEAGUE
Joe Girardi had a suprising approach to the Red Sox-Yankees Game. He was managing like he was back in Miami managing the 2006 Florida Marlins. He was calling for sacrafice bunts and for hit and runs, and Red Sox Manager Terry Francona probably hasn't seen this approach since he managed against Clint Hurdle in the 2007 World Series.

The style was suprising, but in the Home Run Power World of the American League, it won't work.

The Yankees only hope to make the postseason this year is if they win the American League Wild Card.

JOE TORRE HAS MANAGED TO KEEP DODGERS AFLOAT DESPITE INJURIES TO THIRD BASEMAN NOMAR GARCIAPARRA AND ANDY LA ROCHE.
How? Three Words. Pitching and defense. Hiroki Kuroda has appeared to be another great Japanese pitcher through one start, and the Dodgers Double Play Combo of Rafael Furcal and James Loney have kept the Dodgers in ballgames so far this season. I didn't expect Joe Torre to be able to stay afloat in the NL West with Colorado and Arizona breathing down his neck. I may be wrong. It's still too early to tell.



CUBS LEFT HANDERS TED LILLY AND RICH HILL HAVING COMMAND ISSUES
Both Lilly and Hill have had two mediocre starts in the young Baseball Season. What are the Cubs doing about It? With Lilly, they are saying he will work himself out. For Hill, he has been temporarily assigned to the Bullpen. The Cubs believe Hill will fix whatever is wrong in the bullpen.

JIM LEYLAND HAD EVERY RIGHT TO LET HIS FRUSTERATIONS OUT ON HID TEAM AFTER 11-0 DESTROYING BOUGHT THEM TO 2-9 ON THE SEASON
Kenny Rogers tied Nolan Ryan for the Career Lead In Grand Slams given up, with 10. Both Paul Konerko and Joe Crede hit Grand Slams as the White Sox Bamboozled the Tigers 11-0.
Leyland was not happy after this game, letting the team know how badly they have stunk. Detroit had better right the ship soon, or they will be watching the World Series on FOX instead of Playing in it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREG MADDUX!
Greg Maddux, "Mad Dog" turns 42 today. Maddux is still going strong. He has never been a Strikeout pitcher, yet he has 3,000 atrikeouts. Maddux has always pitched to weak contact. Maddux will be going into the Hall Of Fame as the Greatest Non-Power Pitcher in the history of Baseball.

My Baseball Thoughts...

Sorry Folks. I have not been able to update this blog in a while. My internet's down and this library won't let me go to youtube for Nba videos, but here are my thoughts on Baseball and the start of the season.

BOSTON RED SOX HAVE TOUGH ROAD TO REPEAT
If the Red Sox want to repeat as World Series Champions, they are going to have to rely on the old veterans (Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz) while riding on some new former rookies (Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Bucholz.) OManny Ramirez won the MVP Award for the first game played in Japan (Boston won 6-5), Manny won A Million Yen, which equates to about $10,000 on this side of the pond. Ramirez considered using the money for gas or giving the money to his mother!

Manny Being Manny...You've Gotta Love It!

Oakland Beat Boston 5-1 in Game Number Two as a Manny Ramirez homerun in the sixth stopped Boston from being shutout.

TEXAS RANGERS DECIDE JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA NEEDS TRIPLE-A SEASONING
Gerald Laird won the job as Rangers starting Catcher today after the Rangers decided to send Jarrod Saltalamacchia to their Minor League Camp. Jarrod will start the season catching every day in Triple-A Oklahoma.

Good move for both teams, as Laird keeps his catching job (for now) and Texas hopes that Jarrod works on improving his hitting and defense in Oklahoma. The Rangers realized that Jarrod is the Rangers catcher of the future, and the future doesn't need to happen right away.

KERRY WOOD TO CLOSE FOR CUBS, DEMPSTER IN ROTATION, LIEBER IN BULLPEN
The Chicago Cubs have finally sorted out their rotation. Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Rich Hill, and Jason Marquis all keep their starting spots from last year. Starting in the rotation this year is former closer Ryan Dempster. Dempster was a starter until 2005 when he was converted to a reliever. Pinella last year said Dempster would start, but later changed his mind. Lou won't be changing his mind this year.

Good move by the Cubs to give the Fireballer Wood the job in the ninth, as Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry will back him up in the eighth inning. If Wood can handle the load and stay healthy, the Cubs could be dangerous in the late innings.


CENTER FIELD BATTLE TAKES UNEXPECTED TURN
The battle for the backup center field job in Chicago just got very interesting. Felix Pie will start the year in Center Field. Backup Sam Fuld got sent to the minor leagues. To take his place, the Cubs signed former Toronto Blue Jay Left Fielder Reed Johnson. Johnson doesn't have a whole lot of experience in Center Field, but he can hit right handed pitching, something Felix Pie is trying to figure out.

There will growing pains for Pie, but Reed Johnson will be there to help Felix along the way.

JOE CREDE NAMED WHITE SOX STARTING THIRD BASEMAN
Joe Crede was named White Sox starting Third Baseman, as the Sox sent young slugger Josh Fields to Triple-A Charlotte. Crede will no longer be mentioned in trade rumors with the Dodgers (who need a third baseman after both Nomar Garciaparra and Andy La Roche are injured) Manager Ozzie Guillen likes to reward players for their hard work so, despite the face that he described Crede's hitting in Spring as a word I can't mention, Crede was an ungrade defensively. Chicago needs the best defense to win ballgames, and Crede is their best option.

MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE PLAYERS IN 2008
Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder will be battling for the National League Lead in Homeruns. it will not get into "Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa 1998" territory (nothing will. That will never happen again.) but it will be fun to watch.

Joe Girardi will have an easier time managing the Yankees than Joe Torre will have manging the Dodgers. I really feel like this one will come true. The Yankees may be old, but they are experienced. They have a shot to win the American League East this season, but only if they stay healthy and play to their full potential.

For Joe Torre, he's walking into a Hornet's Nest in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have Andruw Jones but not much else. They had better hope Nomar, Kent, Jason Schmidt, and Juan Pierre stay healthy. Matt Kemp and Andre Eithier can play any of the outfield positions, i'm not worried there.

I'm worried about the Dodgers because they are playing in the National League West, the Toughest division in the National League. Two of the four teams (Colorado and Arizona) made the playoffs last season and may make it again, leaving San Francisco and Los Angeles as odd men out.

Hopefully my internet starts working so I can update this soon.

EVERYBODY ELSE's OPENING DAY STARTS MONDAY!
Don't Miss It!

Benches Clear At Yankees-Rays Exhibition Game

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Both benches cleared during the second inning of a spring training game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, leading to the ejections of two players and two coaches.

The teams, meeting four days after Yankees manager Joe Girardi complained about Tampa Bay’s aggressive play after a home-plate collision that injured catcher Francisco Cervelli, had been warned before the game that the umpires would have little tolerance for any further problems.

The benches cleared after New York’s Shelley Duncan slid into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura with spikes raised after hitting a hard grounder off third baseman Evan Longoria’s glove and trying to advance to second base on the play.

Duncan, thrown out by at least 10 feet, was immediately tossed. Tampa Bay’s Jonny Gomes was ejected, too, after racing in from right field and barreling into Duncan as other players poured onto the field. No punches appeared to have been thrown as order was restored.

Yankees third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long also were ejected by the umpiring crew, which met with Girardi and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon before the game.

New York left-hander Heath Phillips was ejected in the first inning after one of his pitches appeared to graze Longoria’s shirt. The Rays already had two runs and three hits in the inning.

Girardi protested Phillips’ ejection and both benches were warned.

The New Joe Era Is Announced At Yankee Stadium

Joe Girardi stepped to the podium, put on his new pinstriped jersey and showed off a most appropriate number — 27.


As in, now it's his job to lead the New York Yankees to their 27th World Series championship.

"How many do they have?" the new manager said Thursday, knowing full well the answer. In fact, that's precisely why he picked the number.

Girardi's name and picture were displayed on the scoreboard at Yankee Stadium for his introductory news conference. The team did its best to make him feel welcome, with general manager Brian Cashman presenting Girardi's wife, Kim, with a bouquet of roses.

"This is where we wanted to end up," Girardi said.

Girardi made it more of a family affair with a story about his father, who he said has Alzheimer's.

Steadying himself, Girardi said his dad hadn't spoken for a month. That is, until a caregiver showed his father a picture of Girardi being chosen as the Yankees manager.

"Oh, yeah," Girardi said his dad responded.

Girardi got a three-year contract. He said he had spoken to Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees to 12 straight postseason appearances. He also spoke with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

"He was very congratulatory," Girardi said. "He said: `It's great to have you aboard.'"

After New York lost in the first round of the playoffs to Cleveland, Torre rejected a one-year contract with a pay cut.

"Joe had always been a person I always looked up to, respected," Girardi said. "We had a great conversation."

Girardi played, coached and broadcast for the team. He was the bench coach before leaving for the Florida Marlins, where he was the 2006 NL Manager of the Year.

Girardi said he'd spoken with former Yankees great Don Mattingly, who was Torre's bench coach last year. Mattingly wanted the manager's job and after finding out he hadn't been picked, he said he was not interested in a coaching spot for next year.

"I would've loved to have had him," Girardi said.

Girardi played for the Yankees and won three World Series championships as a hard-nosed catcher.

"The four greatest years of my career as a baseball player," he said.

The former Yankees broadcaster now gets the big office off the clubhouse, hoping he's the last occupant before the ballpark closes after next season.

This was the first introduction of a new Yankees manager at the ballpark since Torre was presented on Nov. 2, 1995. The following day the Daily News ran a backpage banner headline that became famous: "CLUELESS JOE" followed in smaller type by: "TORRE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S GETTING INTO."

Torre went on to lead the Yankees to four World Series titles in his first five seasons, joining Miller Huggins, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel — Hall of Famers all — as the most successful managers in team history.

Torre didn't win the World Series in the following seven seasons. He chose to walk away when Steinbrenner and team management did not offer a contract Torre found satisfactory.

Girardi received a $7.8 million, three-year contract, nearly four times the $2.1 million, three-year deal the Marlins gave him before the 2006 season for his first managing job. That agreement called for annual salaries of $600,000, $700,000 and $800,000, but Girardi was fired after one season when he clashed with management.

He led a young Florida team to a 78-84 record, keeping the Marlins in contention. His Yankees contract includes a signing bonus of $300,000 payable over three years, annual salaries of $2.5 million and the chance to earn performance bonuses.

Girardi pushed his Marlins hard. Will he have to alter his style in a clubhouse filled with veterans used to Torre's laissez-faire approach? And what about dealing with George Steinbrenner?

"I still think the Boss is the boss," he said. "I've always enjoyed my times dealing with him."

While I do not think the Yankees will make the playoffs or win the World Series during Girardi's tenure, Joe is thinking as big as Yankee Nation. Yankee Nation is hoping Girardi has better luck with the Yankees than he did with the payroll slim Florida Marlins. Alex Rodriguez is not coming back to the Yankees. The Yankees have already lost a lot of offense.

If you disagree with my Assesment about The State Of The Yankees, Let me hear you! Comment and answer the poll question to the right.

New Joe to Replace Torre

Some Yankee fans may have spit out their morning cup of Joe after reading the news this morning...

Joe Girardi is back in pinstripes, taking over as New York Yankees manager from his mentor, Joe Torre.


Girardi was hired Tuesday, agreeing to a three-year contract to replace Joe Torre in New York's dugout.
"I think any of us would be somewhat surprised to get the job because it's such an honor," Girardi said. "I'm extremely excited and thrilled."

The deal is worth an average salary of at least $2 million annually, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the details.

Girardi was the 2006 NL Manager of the Year with Florida, plus he has a pinstriped pedigree. The hard-nosed catcher played on three Yankees teams that won the World Series, served as their bench coach under Torre and was a TV announcer this year.

Once he was informed Monday that the Yankees had chosen Girardi, Don Mattingly told the team he had no interest in returning next year as bench coach or in any other coaching position.

Which Leads us into our next topic...

The Dodgers want Joe Torre to be their next manager. The question is whether Torre wants to manage again so soon after leaving the Yankees.

At the end of a season, Torre routinely questions how badly he wants to manage the following year. The only difference now is that the Dodgers are waiting for an answer.

If Torre takes the Dodgers' job, it almost certainly would not be for the $7 million salary he earned in his final season with the Yankees, sources say.

The New York Times reported that Don Mattingly, who recently lost out to Joe Girardi in the race to be the next Yankees manager, would join Torre on the Dodgers' staff.

If Joe Torre goes to Los Angeles, Don Mattingly will join him. Will Alex Rodriguez join them both in Los Angeles?