Your 2011 Chicago Cubs

[fugazi]

The bad signings weren't "gambles"...they were bad signings.

Milton Bradley? not a gamble...everyone from Seattle to Tampa Bay knew what was gonna happen.

Soriano? If that was really the owner's decision, Hendry could've manned up and resigned. Arguably the worst deal in baseball in a long time.

The Zambrano deal could have been better...but I think most wanted him to stay...remember, the Cubs at that time did not seem to be headed this far down the poop chute.

The ones that sealed it for me were letting DeRosa and Wood go...

hendry had a good run, but he should have been gone last year AT LEAST.

[Sportsforever]

Quote: Originally Posted by fugazi

The bad signings weren't "gambles"...they were bad signings. Milton Bradley? not a gamble...everyone from Seattle to Tampa Bay knew what was gonna happen. Soriano? If that was really the owner's decision, Hendry could've manned up and resigned. Arguably the worst deal in baseball in a long time. The Zambrano deal could have been better...but I think most wanted him to stay...remember, the Cubs at that time did not seem to be headed this far down the poop chute. The ones that sealed it for me were letting DeRosa and Wood go... hendry had a good run, but he should have been gone last year AT LEAST.

The Soriano deal is horrible in hind sight, but the guy was coming off a 40-40 season in a pitcher's park. Everyone was trying to get him and the Cubs had to outbid everyone.

[1Rose]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mo

Fukudome- go back and read the articles around his signing. Overpay? yes, but that was needed to bring in a guy from Japan.

The guy wasn't even a star in Japan. Why give 50 million dollars to guy who barely hit .300 overseas? He was already 30 years old, anyone who thought he was worth that money was an idiot. Besides Ichiro, how many times has any Japanese player had continued success in the MLB? They did it to make the organization more profitable and to generate interest in the team overseas to sell some jerseys. They didn't do it to win games.

Could've signed Mike Cameron for a considerably less amount and would of had the same impact.

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Zambrano? Really? Had he not giving Z that extension he would have been crushed by the baseball people. He even managed to sign him to cheaper deal than if Z had gone to FA.(If I recall correctly)

18 million a year guaranteed to a guy who just lead the league in walks and came off his highest ERA since his rookie season. I understand wanting to keep the guy around, but they needed to be a little more realistic with the money.

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Silva was brought in to clean up his mistake in Bradley, and he managed to get usefulness out of Silva before having his heart ailment. I'm sorry, but If you don't see the greatness in that deal, then I'm not sure you know baseball.

Headcase for headcase? Guess i couldn't see the greatness through more dugout confrontations and all the whining he did. I know baseball, played it my whole life. Any time a guy has generated a reputation for being a cancer, it usually holds true no matter what team he goes to. Sure he pitched a good first half. Also was a part of the total lack of team chemistry we had.

The only good part of that deal was the $9 million we recieved in salary relief.

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Soriano wasn't a Hendry deal. It was move made by then ownership to make the club more attractive to potential owners.

Regardless, Hendry had the power to step in and make a decision.

It was a contract year. He stole 40 bases for the first time since 2002, and he was already 30 when the Cubs signed him. If they really thought giving a guy a contract for $140 million dollars till he was 38 for maybe 3 more years of good production, then they are the most *** backwards thinking team in all of baseball. Wait, with Hendry there, they were. Which is why they DID give him that contract.

I'm not disputing that at the time he was an attractive piece because the power numbers where there, but you just don't guarantee that much money and years to a guy that is at the back end of his prime and keep him under contract till he's damn near 40. Offer him a front loaded 4 year deal or let another team overpay him.

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I'm sorry, 5 winning season in 9 years. 3 Division Titles. 2 of which that should have resulted in WS appearances had in not been for the players choking. For goodness sakes they won a playoff series for the 1st time in 70 YEARS under his watch. The Cubs won't have another good stretch like that for while.

Not sure if you're giving him credit for the 2003 team, which you shouldn't because he inherited that team from MacPhail and Lynch. Like I stated before, sure he lead us to a couple hollow playoff appearances, but invested a TON of bad money, dumped hard working character guys for big headed ego maniacs and botched 8 years worth of drafts that have only produced two major leaguers, with one that has no business being one. (Tyler Colvin) Andrew Cashner being the other.

Jim, don't let the door hit you on the *** on the way out.

[bluengold34_OS]

Obviously most of us know that ESPN is airing "Catching Hell" the story of the infamous foul ball in 2003. Here is a really good article that talks about Steve, and what type of guy he really was and is.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/n...,7593981.story

[authentic]

I just saw all the hate on Jim Hendry. As a huge Cubs fan, that was on the fence about this, I have to say that Hendry was a good GM. How many GM's could convince Kerry Wood to sign a 1 million dollar deal? Soriano deal was the ownerships choice, not Hendry. He works for owndership, if they want it, they get it. Derosa might have been smart, he barely plays now. Bradley was a good player, with mental issues who couldn't handle Chicago, but who can? Silva was a good deal solely to dump salary. Hendry is also one of the most respected GM's in the game. I don't know if you watch baseball on tv, but everyone had something to say about Hendry when telecasted. Not only was Hendry a GM that was willing to do anything to win a WS for his ballclub, but he's someone who took great pride in what he did. He was all about the Cubs, which showed in his press conference. Until someone comes in and does a better job, be happy with what he did. Hendry may have not won a World Series, but he got the fans wanting one more didn't he? In the 90s there wasn't a hope to win one, in the 2000s there sure is a more avid group of people pushing for one. Jim Hendry will get another job in the league eventually. Everyone pushes for someone to be out until someone else comes in, then they might realize what they had.

[bluengold34_OS]

Well I would be lying if I tried to convince people that Jim accomplished nothing during his tenure with the Cubs. The reason I always struggled with him, was his apparent lack of negotiation skills. It always seemed like the Cubs came out on the wrong end/were taken advantage of, in most trades/signings with Jim. I understand that he could only play with the cards he was dealt. I will go as far as calling him the Oliver North of the MLB, but that doesn't exonerate him of all wrong doing.

Jim made some good moves early on, but lately, we have not received anything worth of value in the trade reciprocation dept. I think this is the case of someone had to go, and who else was it going to be.

Soriano - we bid against ourselves

Milton Bradley - You call him a good player, and yet still recognize he has mental issues. Jim new that before he brought him to Chicago. Just because he had somewhat of an incident free year, prior, doesn't mean he was a changed man.

Beltran - Let him use us as leverage

Derosa - Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer and John Gaub Who??

Lilly/Theriot Blake DeWitt, Brett Wallach and Kyle Smit Again...who??

Fukudome - good trade, salary dump, and opened spot for youth(still wasted a ton of money on him).

Garza - I think both teams made out ok here

This is just a small sample recently, but it starting to become a bad trend with Jim.

So Jim builds the best farm system in baseball, from 96-2001......then watches it decay over the next 6 years. With Jim, it was always 1 step forward, and 2 steps back.