Hendry Gone; Fans Rejoice. For Now
I remember being around some Cub fans in the fall of 2002 when they hired Dusty Baker. Boy, were they stoked. Four short years later, they were planning parades as Dusty ran for the airport.In 2007, Lou Piniella was named manager of the Cubs. The Cubs made back to back playoff appearances in 2007 and 2008, but by last summer, when Piniella abruptly ran out on the team by announcing his retirement (like he did in Tampa years earlier) the fans were also sick of him.
When the Cubs lured Andy McPhail away from Minnesota after a very successful run there, Cub fans rejoiced. And when McPhail finally left the team, the fans couldn't be happier.
When the Ricketts family bought the Cubs before the 2010 season, Cub fans once again rejoiced. But their happiness was short lived as the Ricketts not only kept Jim Hendry but Crane Kenny as well. Ricketts allowed Hendry to hire Mike Quade as Piniella's replacement while passing up and perhaps disrespecting Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg.
Today, "The Ricketts Family" as they liked to be called, pulled the plug on the Hendry era. After seventeen years with the club. the last nine as GM, Hendry is gone. And once again the Cub fans are rejoicing. For now.
For what usually happens with the Cubs is they sign the sexiest player or most sought after free agent (the list is endless) or the hottest managerial name. And what invariably happens is that guy's career goes into the tank the minute he begins work at Wrigley Field. Maybe not right away, but eventually.
The list of bodies strewn across the grass at the old ballpark is endless. I remember when the Cubs signed Dave Kingman and Cub fans thought for sure he'd hit 80 home runs at Wrigley. Kong did not. Or all of the other busts they have had over the years, especially recently with Fukudome, Soriano, Milton Bradley and all of the other failures the Cubs have had.
Did Hendry deserve to be held accountable? Absolutely. Did he need to go? Well, unlike Bob Pulford, he apparently had no pictures of Ricketts behind the barn in Nebraska with a sheep. Crane Kenny apparently does.
Sure the Cubs will hire a new GM. Sure, he might even be sexy. So might the new manager as Mike Quade is probably as good as gone. But what then? The Cubs have such bad contracts moving any of their stiffs will be impossible unless the Ricketts family wants to eat a whole bunch of money. Whoever takes over better understand from day one what they are getting themselves into. The culture. The limitations. Crane Kenny and his pictures.
So, today Cub fans, your thirst for blood has been satisfied. You await the new guy. And just as quickly you await the opportunity to quickly drive him to the airport.
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