They're Quade's Cubbies
BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade watches his team play the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning of their baseball game at Nationals Park in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010.
Article Extras
He wasn't the fans' choice. Indications are he wasn't the first choice of some within the organization. And few people outside the Cubs' clubhouse even knew who he was two months ago.
But after a successful six-week audition, outspoken support from several clubhouse leaders and two weeks of postseason vetting, Mike Quade -- the guy whose name ESPN anchors still have trouble pronouncing -- is the Cubs' choice to help lead the team out of a two-year downturn and into a new farm-system-driven direction under the Ricketts ownership.
And if he's not the popular choice or the sexy choice for the high-profile gig- Don't expect Quade to make apologies for getting an opportunity he spent 17 years managing in the minors and seven more as a big-league coach preparing for -- an opportunity earned the hard way.
''With all the other candidates, from Day 1, it was fair,'' said Quade, 53, who took over when Lou Piniella was forced home to care for his ailing mother and went 24-13 down the stretch with a team that looked dead in the water until then.
''I understand it,'' said Quade, a Prospect High School graduate who gets a two-year contract plus an option. ''I've always been a guy that understands that there are great baseball people out there. You don't assume anything. You go grind it out every day and do your job and hope for the best. And that approach, I like to think, is why I'm sitting here today.
''It's a dream come true. I haven't used that very often, but at this point, it obviously is.''
After a three-month search that was narrowed to three finalists this month, Quade beat out fan favorite Ryne Sandberg and former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge, who was hired by the Seattle Mariners late last week.
Also hovering over the process was the specter of New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, a Peoria native and ex-Cub who sought the job four years ago when Piniella got it.
The Cubs continued into last week waiting out indications from Girardi's camp that the pending free agent might be interested enough to interview once the Yankees' season was over, according to sources.
General manager Jim Hendry was not given orders dictating a timeline or specific candidates to consider, said a source, but until late last week, the Cubs kept open the idea of including Girardi in the process -- suggesting they got their signals late last week about the time Girardi's agent traveled to Texas for the start of the Yankees' playoff series.
''Congrats to Mike,'' Girardi said Tuesday before Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, downplaying his own interest in the Cubs.
But he admitted he had discussed it with his agent.
''Joe Girardi is an outstanding manager, and we all have a history with Joe,'' Hendry said. ''Joe has a great job, a terrific job, as high a profile as there is, with a great team. But at the end of the day, Mike Quade is our guy.
''That's what we wanted to do. It had nothing to do with the time frame or who might be available or who wasn't. Bottom line was we felt Mike clearly was the best fit for us and the organization moving forward.''
With Quade's hiring, the Cubs are assured of keeping pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who last week exercised his contract option for 2011. Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo also is under contract.
Quade, who was the Cubs' third-base coach and outfield coach the last four seasons before taking over for Piniella, said he'd like to bring back the entire coaching staff. Those discussions are to begin in the next few days.
Quade got high marks from players for his communication skills and high energy. Hendry said the way the team improved in effort and performance, from veterans and rookies alike, was key in the decision, regardless of the record. That included behind-the-scenes issues with players Quade handled, Hendry said.
''He got the best out of each and every guy on the team, and therefore what happened- We won more games than we lost, by a bunch,'' pitcher Ryan Dempster said. ''For the first time all year, we were having fun. We were winning games we were supposed to win. We were beating teams in playoff races. It wasn't just because we were winning games by fluke. We felt he was a big part of that.''
Now it's about doing it longer than six weeks.
''I have a straightforward approach to people,'' Quade said. ''And whether that's [the media] or whether that's somebody in the clubhouse, that's the way I've always done things. I think that'll serve me well down the road, and I guess we'll find out.''
-->
Comments Click here to view or make a comment