Mike Quade

They called the sunday (almost) finale of the Giants series early enough that a fan from Kenosha driving to Wrigley didn't have to get much past the Illinois border before turning around and calling a sports talk show to say thanks for the game cancellation update. Postponing the game early was the right thing to do. Playing last night in similar weather was not. I guess a national Fox broadcast causes funny decisions to be made.

Today's rainout has been rescheduled as a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday, June 28th. It's a quirky schedule that has the Giants coming to Wrigley Field twice this year otherwise they would have lost a scheduled day off to make up this game.

I need to vent some frustration and reflect on the week just past...

You've probably read or heard about yesterday's dugout fracas between Carlos Slim and Aramis Ramirez after the first inning. The Cubs continued their defensive indifference that has plagued their early Cactus League games with 3 errors in the first inning - 5 total on the game (Yahtzee!) -  and that led to a 6-run first inning. You try not to infer too much meaning in spring training results, but despite what Carlos said at the Cubs Convention about not having to compete for a spot in the rotation, the reality is that it's between him, Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner for two of the spots. And while his hefty contract may earn him the benefit of the doubt over Wells or Cashner, both of whom still have minor league options, you hope he will have to demonstrate some modicum of success in March. Thus he was somewhat justified in his anger if he felt his teammates let him down in the first. But like his namesake has hopefully learned by now, you can't act on it in the dugout in front of witnesses.

I had a decent write-up on this, but Firefox ate it. Eff it.

Anyway, Quade has been named Cubs manager with a two year deal and a third year club option. No word on what will happen with Ryne Sandberg other than he'll pursue other managerial openings. Of course, the only other team mentioned has been the Toronto Blue Jays and they're interviewing everyone and seemed to be favoring Sandy Alomar Jr. at the moment if the reports that they've brought him in for a third interview are true. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Will Carroll's tweet rumor comes to fruition by the end of it all that Sandberg does indeed become the bench coach.

What can we infer from this move? Well unfortunately, the Ricketts seem serious about this whole let Hendry run the organization corporate philosophy they've been spouting since they took over. Quade is obviously a Hendry favorite joining the organization at about the same time Hendry took over the GM job. Then he was named to Lou's coaching staff despite any known past relationship between the two and finally picked as the interim manager last year when Ryne Sandberg or Alan Trammell could have just as easily been named.

I'm not going to put much stock in the team's magical turnaround last year under Quade. I believe the term, "dead cat bounce" is appropriate. He might be do good, he might do poorly and it'll most likely be determined by the moves the Cubs make this offseason and if some of the minor league talent continues to progress. Ultimately I would have preferred Sandberg get the job of course, he's the guy many of us grew up rooting for and those things just kind of stick with you, but I understand the hesitation as well on Hendry's part.

Godspeed Quade. Enjoy the honeymoon, it won't last.

More after the jump...

The Cubs came out thumping last night for their new manager knocking out 15 hits and taking 6 walks, 3 of them by Soto as they pitched around him in the 8th spot. The last time the Cubs had an interim manager it was 2002 and the job went to Bruce Kimm (with Rene Lachemann getting one game before Kimm took over). The Cubs responded well that first game for Kimm, winning 7-3 over the Braves, but he ended up going 33-45 on the year, nearly identical to Baylor who was 34-49 before being fired.

You have to go to 1991 for the next mid-season firing, when Don Zimmer got canned after going 18-19 and once again a one game gig was given to bridge the gap, but this time to Joe Altobelli before Jim Essian took over.  If my math is right, the Cubs won that game as well for Essian, a 5-2 win over the Mets thanks to Greg Maddux, but Essian didn't fare much better than Zimmer did for the rest of the season finishing with a 59-63 record.

Some other interim manager results since 1970 for the Cubs.