“Managers are expendable. I believe there should be relief managers just like relief pitchers.”
– Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley, 1960
Thank goodness we don’t have the “wisdom” of Wrigley (who brought us the ever successful College of Coaches) influencing us anymore.
Jim Hendry has told us that Dusty Baker’s job is safe.
“I felt like we should put that to bed,” Hendry said. “Very briefly, after the season is over, I’ll try to move expediently on making a decision on what direction to go after that.”
As a Cub fan, that quote infuriates me.
Just who is he working for? If he is planning on making a managerial change (and something tells me many would applaud him in doing so), do it now. With late season personnel changes on the team, it would behoove management for the field manager to acclimate himself to such changes to be better prepared for an ’07 campaign.
Hendry had two options as I see it.
1) Assure Baker that he is his man for the future (not likely)
or
2) Let him go now (or two weeks ago) and find a suitable manager who can help rebuild the Cubs in the next couple years.
What he should NOT do is hang on to Baker for the rest the year (the duration of Baker’s contract) then hire someone new for next year. Why postpone the inevitable?
Let’s give the next manager a head start.