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Author Topic: Next GM for the Cubs  (Read 28461 times)

Ron

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1560 on: November 02, 2011, 11:09:06 am »
JR - I remember having the same reaction to Theo's comments on Wrigley. 

I found it interesting that he also mentioned that the decision to acquire Bill Mueller was based, in part, on the fact that he pulled the ball to LF when batting RH, but hit to the opposite field batting LH, something that would benefit him in Fenway.

"At Fenway we had the (Green Monster) … and the ultimate was a guy like (switch-hitter) Bill Mueller, who from the left side was an opposite-field guy and was a pull guy from the right side. All of a sudden he gets to Fenway and hits .325."
« Last Edit: November 02, 2011, 11:12:50 am by Ron »
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Reb

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1561 on: November 02, 2011, 11:09:42 am »
As JR points out so well, Theo and his folks seem to know what they don't know.  They seem to look at an issue by asking questions.

If you look at the early Bill James Abstracts from the late 1970s into the 1980s, he always wrote about questions and how to approach getting data to answer those questions.  Of course, this is the kind of stuff that has gone on in many disciplines for a heck of a long time and it was a bit startling to see that in baseball. 

Epstein and his team are grounded in that way at looking at the world.  So, are a bunch of other teams now and Cubs are now competitive on that front.  This all goes back to Ricketts having this priority.  Rickets said all the right things from the beginning but it was hard to know if he was serious.  He was serious.
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Jes Beard

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1562 on: November 02, 2011, 11:10:32 am »
Quote from: Ron on November 02, 2011, 10:40:19 am
Ben - that's an excellent point, something I've noticed and been really pleased about as well.  These guys all exude an unusual combination of deep confidence with a hunger to grow and become even better than they are.  There seems to be an eagerness for different information and ideas.  Their passion to excel appears to drive them to input from any source that could broaden their knowledge.

I always like to try to match up "appearances," which are often phoney, with testable, known reality.

These three guys who "exude.... eagerness for different information and ideas.... (and) appear... drive(n) to input from any source that could broaden their knowledge," just put off the team's organizational meetings until days before spring training starts.

Perhaps it is a result of my intellectual limitations, but at least on this front, what they "exude" does not seem to match up with what they are in fact doing.
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davep

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1563 on: November 02, 2011, 11:16:23 am »
Someone should archive this thread, and make it available to read in 5 years.

Unless, of course, the world ends next October.
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Cactus

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1564 on: November 02, 2011, 12:06:35 pm »
Jim Hendry on Theo and his pals

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs
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Deeg

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1565 on: November 02, 2011, 12:19:34 pm »
Hendry wasn't a good GM, but he certainly seems like a nice guy.  Where do they finish, again?
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DelMarFan

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1566 on: November 02, 2011, 12:42:05 pm »
Quote
He thought doing research into Wrigley Field and more research into things like how day games affect players, how the wind affects Wrigley throughout the season, etc. would be important to determining what kind of players he needs to acquire so he can turn Wrigley into the big kind of homefield advantage that he thought he had in Boston.

The saddest part of that is that we won't know the results of the research.  It would be fascinating, but Theo is smart enough to keep that stuff internal.  One of the reasons I wasn't interested in Beane is the fact that he let them write Moneyball to begin with.  I remember reading somewhere that Theo couldn't believe Beane was letting the whole world in on their competetive advantage.
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ben

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1567 on: November 02, 2011, 01:22:27 pm »
Agreed re Beene, DelMar...I think that agreeing to (and his role as advisor to) "Moneyball" is another indication that he's not presently 100% engaged in his baseball leadership position...Team Theo seems much better for the Cub job, which is a HUGE one and will require lots of listening, lots of analysis and lots of energy!

Love McLeod's comments reflecting on a failed #1 pick: "What was the process?  Why did this happen?"

These guys are asking questions of EVERYONE, including themselves.   That sure seems like the right approach to me.

DaveP, as one who has beaten the drum for years for exactly the kind of leadership we now have, I'll agree that we should bear in mind where we've been, where we are now and review both several years from now...history is instructive.
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Ron

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1568 on: November 02, 2011, 01:29:18 pm »
Bill Center of the San Diego Union Tribune rates Jed Hoyer's best and worst moves as GM.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/26/rating-hoyers-moves-padres-gm/
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StrikeZone

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1569 on: November 02, 2011, 04:42:42 pm »
Billy Beane didn't write Moneyball.
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ben

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1570 on: November 02, 2011, 04:58:35 pm »
I't's certainly true, Strike, that Billy Beane didn't write Moneyball (or appear onscreen in the movie), but he had to put in one heckuva lot of time in the process, let alone providing the author personal access and access to other key folks in the organization.

I may be wrong, but that suggests to me that Billy enjoyed having a different kind of project than MLB. 

Of course, I suspect it's been less than fun much of the time over the years for Billy, having to deal with a really small budget, in a small market, and having his plan for a new ballpark (and more money) dashed time and time again (whereas the team just across the Bay has a great new ballpark and much success in recent years).
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DelMarFan

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1571 on: November 02, 2011, 05:54:00 pm »
He let the author look behind the curtain.
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Jes Beard

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1572 on: November 04, 2011, 04:38:22 pm »
I thought it was interesting to see a report from San Diego looking at Hoyer's best and worst moves while GM there, and seeing the following:

Brad Hawpe: With Adrian Gonzalez traded to the Red Sox, the Padres signed Hawpe to play first until Anthony Rizzo was ready. Not only was Hawpe a terrible first baseman, he hit .231 with four homers and 19 RBI with 68 strikeouts in 195 at-bats. Hawpe will cost the Padres $3 million, including a $1 million buyout.

Orlando Hudson: After Hairston rejected the Padres’ offer and the club decided not to re-sign David Eckstein, the Padres committed $11.25 million to Hudson for two years plus a $2 million buyout against an $8 million option. Hudson hit .246 with seven homers and 43 RBI and didn’t provide the expected leadership.    http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/26/rating-hoyers-moves-padres-gm/

The reason I thought it was interesting is that there seem to have been several people here who urged that the Cubs get both of those guys.

Also thought it was interesting/promising to see two of his better moves being relatively low priced FA signings (Yorvitt Torreabla and Aaron Harang) who either have been or will be converted into draft picks by allowing them to leave as FA the season after they were signed.  THAT is the kind of roster management I would love to see from the Cubs, and which we saw virtually none of from the Cubs under Hendry.
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Ron

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1573 on: November 04, 2011, 05:06:49 pm »
Buster Olney was on Waddle & Silvy today.  He was asked whether Theo is being overhyped.  Olney said about a year ago he polled about 15 GMs and asked them to identify the best GM in baseball.  He said 12 of the 15 said Theo.  Said he's not the most popular GM (mentioned Hendry as someone who was extremely well liked in contrast), but that even GMs who don't like Theo think he's "phenomenal at what he does."  Smart, quick study, and said Theo is far more competitive than the public realizes.
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/chicago/play?id=7190388
« Last Edit: November 04, 2011, 05:09:28 pm by Ron »
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ben

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Re: Next GM for the Cubs
« Reply #1574 on: November 04, 2011, 05:16:47 pm »
Thanks for that info, Ron...I'll sure hope those GMs are right!

It certainly seems to me that Team Theo is focusing on the right things, doing the right things and saying the right things.   They seem very organized and proactive.   It also seems that they always take the higher ground, which is both very smart and prudent long term.
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