NEWSLETTER
One of the most heavily debated topics in the Chicago Cubs’ space for the last two years is how effective general manager Jim Hendry has been. I will not go off on a rant in this particular article, but suffice it to say: his decisions the last two or three years have left me disappointed.
When mostly-owner (together with his family) and team Chairman Tom Ricketts took over control after the 2009 season, we all wondered how much of a leash he would give Hendry. He repeatedly offered a vote of confidence, and seemed to suggest he was behind Hendry all the way. But recently, he has intimated – if not suggested – that if Hendry doesn’t win soon with the team he’s put together, he won’t be around for much longer.
Yet the lack of big-name acquisitions has left some wondering whether new ownership is as serious about winning as it asserted when it took control in October.
“The dollars leaving the door is not the issue,” Chairman Tom Ricketts said. “It’s the third-highest payroll (in baseball). The issue is getting the right performance for the number of dollars you spend.” chicagotribune.com.
To me, that reads as a direct indictment of the guy choosing how to spend the money. If the Cubs perform, great. But if they don’t, then someone will have to be accountable for not “getting the right performance for the number of dollars” spent. And the one making those decisions since 2002 has been Jim Hendry.
