Evanston native Mike Quade stepped in as interim manager and provided some spark, willing the Cubs to a 23-14 interim record to finsh the year in 5th place. There seemed to be some fresh air in the Cubs clubhouse when Quade took over and a prime reason he got the nod as full time boss was how much the players like him. Reportedly, the players lobbied for Quade saying "he's one of us" while vowing to play hard for him. It came as a massive shock to most Cub fans when Quade was awarded head coaching duties over Cubs lifer and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. "Ryno" had taken the proper route laid out by Cubs management to becoming 'skipper' of the big league club by putting in his time as head coach in the minors finally working his way up to head the Triple A Iowa Cubs.as coach of the year in the Pacific League last year. He devoted his baseball life to the Cubs over the course of 30 years only to be left heartbroken and wondering what the hell had just happened!! Being the gentleman he is, Sandberg handeled the situation with class refusing to bash the Cubs. He has since signed as head coach with the Phillies triple A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. (Awesome move by Philly!!) What coaching element did Mike Quade possess that Ryne Sandberg does not?? That is the million dollar question for 2011..
All this being said and the odd outcome of Sandberg situation aside, I'm picking the Cubs to win the World Series in 2011. (Why the hell not!!!) Here's why; Number One, as I mentioned the Cubs players like playing for Mike Quade having known him through the organization since 2003 as head coach for the Iowa Cubs and with the Chicago Cubs since 2006 as third base coach. The guy is no stranger to the Cubs or being a manager. Quade racked up his own 'coach of the year' honors and 3 minor league championships along the way. He knows the game exceedingly well, knows how to win, and has the respect of his players. The key element to success with his players is how he handles "Oooops I'm off my meds" Carlos Zambrano. Where Piniella allowed Zambrano to act like a spoiled teenager, Quade needs to keep him on a very short leash. Any flare ups like the gatorade bucket bashing and Quade risks watching the year slip away like it did last year. If and when "Z" tests Quade's patience, and he will, Quade needs to bench him or suspend him. When something like this happens the manager loses his teams respect and control of the team. Hopefully the "like" the players have for Quade translates into respect on the field and winning results. If Quade shows he can handle a wildcard like "Big Z" he will command respect from any player in any situation. I think Quade will be up to the task here and will milk Zambrano for all he's worth.
Number Two; Pitching talent, it's there, with a heady mix of veteran pitching led by Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, and Zambrano with rock solid closer Carlos Marmol, soon to be signed to a hefty deal, and Kerry Wood back in the pen. Wood may not have the 'gas' he used to, but his presence and experience will be a huge plus. If Randy Wells can put down the bottle long enough to realize he's lucky to be pitching at this level and concentrate, and Sean Marshall can be his usual solid self with the occasional contribution from Carlos Silva we will have little to worry about here.
Number Three; Hitting, The onfield talent will be solid this year as well. The outfield will be anchored by Marlon Byrd again, one of the few Cubs who looked like he was working for a paycheck last year. With Soriano in left and Fukudome in right the Cubs outfield will provide good defense while knocking in at least a third of the Cubs overall runs. Add perennial RBI machine Aramis Ramirez at 3B and newly aded Carlos Pena at 1B while mixing in Starlin Castro ( .300 avg) and Tyler Colvin and the Cubs offense will be tops in the league this year. Koyie Hill and Geovany Soto need to work in tandem to provide an economical 'platoon' catcher position. They both handle the pitching staff very well but neither has proven as an everyday power with the bat.The Cubs obviously need to improve on their team average of .257 this year and they definitely will.
Number Four; The Peter Principle, The Ricketts family, although Cubs fans, seem way in over their heads running a major league ball club!! From bungling bond issuances to raising ticket prices to looking like complete morons on reality t.v. shows, they might just accidently win a championship despite themselves. As a business model the Cubs actually winning a ring would be the worst thing that could happen from a marketing standpoint. The "loveable loser" personna is what draws so many to the Cubs. Everyone loves that they keep trying so hard year in year out only to have to try again 'next year.' Plus with an outdoor nightclub like Wrigley they don't have to win to draw fans. Idiot executives like the Ricketts just seem to end up on top no matter how badly they foul up running a team. So it would just figure the Cubs will win it all this year.
I know I'm proably just high on the prospect of a new season coming and the 45 degree temps and brilliant sunshine we had here yesterday, but right now I'm drinking the Cubbie blue koolade. who wants a glass??? Dave Kuhlman bullsbearscubssoxhoxx dave@onyerleft.com
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