New Cubs manager

[Canton BU fan]

Dale Sveum to be announced as Cubs manager at 9 am Friday.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111117&content_id=25992752&vkey=news_chc&c_id=chc

[lightsout]

Don't know alot about Mr. Sveum but if he is good enough for Theo he is good enough for me.

[Da Coach]

I'm confused. I thought they stated publically that Ryne Sandberg (among other good candidates) would not even be considered for an interview because the put a priority on hiring someone with big league managing experience, despite the fact that Sandberg has a proven record of managing very successful teams in all levels of the Cubs minor leagues, and is intimately familiar with ther Cubs minor league system and players.

Now they hire Dale Sveum, who's entire managing resume consists of a 12 game stint at the end of the 2008 season for Milwaukee as their interim manager after Ned Yost got canned, and 2 years as the manager of The Pirates Double A team way back in 2001-2003! And he is completely unfamiliar with the Cubs' system and players, not that it means he couldn't be successful. But lack of experience was one of the excuses I heard levelled at Quade.

Doesn't sound to me like the experience factor was nearly as important as they said.

Between Dale Sveum with the Cubs and Robin Ventura with the White Sox, has there ever been less managerial experience in Chicago at one time in history?

[cpacmel]

Epstein never said that the future manager had to have experience as a manager at the MLB level.

What he did say was that the future manager had to have experience at the major league level (coaching). And all the people inteviewed had that. Sandberg did not have that. All his experience has come in the minor leagues.

Dale Sveum has been at the major league level since 2004, in some capacity.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/2011-11-02-500869007_x.htm

"The next manager must have leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level," Epstein said.

[Beninator]

I'm confused. I thought they stated publically that Ryne Sandberg (among other good candidates) would not even be considered for an interview because the put a priority on hiring someone with big league managing experience, despite the fact that Sandberg has a proven record of managing very successful teams in all levels of the Cubs minor leagues, and is intimately familiar with ther Cubs minor league system and players.

Now they hire Dale Sveum, who's entire managing resume consists of a 12 game stint at the end of the 2008 season for Milwaukee as their interim manager after Ned Yost got canned, and 2 years as the manager of The Pirates Double A team way back in 2001-2003! And he is completely unfamiliar with the Cubs' system and players, not that it means he couldn't be successful. But lack of experience was one of the excuses I heard levelled at Quade.

Doesn't sound to me like the experience factor was nearly as important as they said.

Between Dale Sveum with the Cubs and Robin Ventura with the White Sox, has there ever been less managerial experience in Chicago at one time in history?

The interesting aspect about Sandberg is that he has coached in the minor leagues for two different teams, and as of now, both teams have passed him over for a promotion to the big team. This suggests a divided opinion about Sandberg's ability to manage at the MLB level. The Phillies granted the Cardinals permission to interview Sandberg, but there has been no real talk about promoting Sandberg in their system. I never thought that Epstein would consider Sandberg for the Cubs manager as he turned him down last year for a job in the Red Sox minor league system. As for hiring Sveum as the Cubs manager, I will give Epstein a lot of leeway on this as in 2004, Epstein's finalist for the Red Sox manager were Terry Francona and Joe Maddon.

[Da Coach]

Epstein never said that the future manager had to have experience as a manager at the MLB level.

What he did say was that the future manager had to have experience at the major league level (coaching). And all the people inteviewed had that. Sandberg did not have that. All his experience has come in the minor leagues.

Dale Sveum has been at the major league level since 2004, in some capacity.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...00869007_x.htm

Here is the link that was buried in my post above-

http://eye-on-baseball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/33090536

This was what Ryne Sandberg was quoted as saying-

"Moments after the press release came out, Theo called me and left me a message stating Mike Quade was not going to be back in 2012," Sandberg said. "And he said they were going to do a managerial search of four to five candidates and that major league coaching experience or managing experience was one of the criteria that they were going to follow, and I would not be a candidate for that job."

So it does sound like this was one of the things Theo Epstein said was an important issue.

[cpacmel]

Here is the link that was buried in my post above-

http://eye-on-baseball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/33090536

This was what Ryne Sandberg was quoted as saying-

"Moments after the press release came out, Theo called me and left me a message stating Mike Quade was not going to be back in 2012," Sandberg said. "And he said they were going to do a managerial search of four to five candidates and that major league coaching experience or managing experience was one of the criteria that they were going to follow, and I would not be a candidate for that job."

So it does sound like this was one of the things Theo Epstein said was an important issue.

Yeap. Sandberg has no Major league coaching experience.

Everyone that was interviewed does. And Dale Sveum has been coaching in the majors since 2004.

[Beninator]

Here is the link that was buried in my post above-

http://eye-on-baseball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/33090536

This was what Ryne Sandberg was quoted as saying-

"Moments after the press release came out, Theo called me and left me a message stating Mike Quade was not going to be back in 2012," Sandberg said. "And he said they were going to do a managerial search of four to five candidates and that major league coaching experience or managing experience was one of the criteria that they were going to follow, and I would not be a candidate for that job."

So it does sound like this was one of the things Theo Epstein said was an important issue.

Like the Red Sox, the Cubs' interview process that Epstein created is very unconventional. The coach they hired is probably the best fit for what Epstein and Hoyer want to do with the organization.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-03/sports/ct-spt-1104-process-cubs-chicago--20111104_1_gm-randy-bush-interview

"We'd try to create some intensity, so we got right in his face and asked for an answer pretty quickly," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "We weren't looking so much as to what the managerial candidate said, in terms of the strategy he would employ, but what pieces of information he would use ??” what his thought process would be in trying to make a decision (under pressure)."

"Epstein's only managerial hiring was eight years ago in Boston, when he ultimately decided on Francona over then-Angels coach Joe Maddon as Grady Little's replacement. He and Hoyer will use a blueprint of the methodology they concocted in Boston when choosing the next Cubs' manager."

[peoriakid]

" And he is completely unfamiliar with the Cubs' system and players..."


Most would see this as a positive. Thier "system" has proven (for 103 years) not to work. This might also explain why they stayed away from Sandberg.

[AZ BU Fan]

Epstein's salary must be too high to afford an experienced manager.

Theo must have some stats that indicate spending the money on ballplayers outweighs spending it on a manager.

Does anyone else think that the Cubs are still closer to their last WS appearance than they will be to their next one?

[Da Coach]

Yeap. Sandberg has no Major league coaching experience.

Everyone that was interviewed does. And Dale Sveum has been coaching in the majors since 2004.

Also, Sveum has only 12 more games as a big league manager than Sandberg. And Sanberg's overall managing record is far more successful and impressive than Sveum's.
Theo can try to use the excuse that "major league coaching experience or managing experience was one of the criteria that they were going to follow", but in reality, he just didn't want Sandberg, he wanted his own guy. His excuse, IMO, was created simply to exclude Sandberg. That's his perogative, and I am not saying Sandberg was some kind of savior, there were candidates who were much better than either Sandberg or Sveum who were never considered. Clearly Theo didn't want anyone with a proven record of managing success or real managing experience.
If you look at the people they brought in for interviews, none of them had even a full season of big league managing experience, and none of them have strong personalities. Theo obviously wants a field manager who he can mold and control.

[Beninator]

Also, Sveum has only 12 more games as a big league manager than Sandberg. And Sanberg's overall managing record is far more successful and impressive than Sveum's.
Theo can try to use the excuse that "major league coaching experience or managing experience was one of the criteria that they were going to follow", but in reality, he just didn't want Sandberg, he wanted his own guy. His excuse, IMO, was created simply to exclude Sandberg. That's his perogative, and I am not saying Sandberg was some kind of savior, there were candidates who were much better than either Sandberg or Sveum who were never considered. Clearly Theo didn't want anyone with a proven record of managing success or real managing experience.
If you look at the people they brought in for interviews, none of them had even a full season of big league managing experience, and none of them have strong personalities. Theo obviously wants a field manager who he can mold and control.

If Sandberg is so good, why aren't more teams after him? As for Sveum, it has been reported that he was also the top candidate for the Red Sox. Again, you need to go back to Theo's finalists for the Red Sox job in 2004. (Terry Francona and Joe Maddon). Not a bad group of finalists!!!!

[Chico]

Does it make a difference? The players will still be wearing Cub uniforms.

[TNel]

Does it make a difference? The players will still be wearing Cub uniforms.

Great point. Changing managers isn't going to make a difference. I think Epstein needs to take more drastic measures to break the "curse." Perhaps he should lobby Selig to transfer the Cubs, instead of the Astros, to the American League.

[Beninator]

Great point. Changing managers isn't going to make a difference. I think Epstein needs to take more drastic measures to break the "curse." Perhaps he should lobby Selig to transfer the Cubs, instead of the Astros, to the American League.

This is limited to a post, but there is one point that is missing. The Cubs went from one of the smallest Baseball Operations offices to one of the best already in this off season. As you stated, the drastic measures are about changing the culture of the Cubs organization. IMO. This is about building the Cubs minor league system and not signing long term contracts to older free agent players. The Cubs have already spent $20 million on amateur players and have drastically built their presence in the Dominican Republic. I have been wanting the Cubs to do something like this for a long time!