Mike Quade on CTL

Mike Quade was on Chicago Tribune Live the day he was named the manager of the Chicago Cubs. Let's check out a recap of what the new skipper had to say:

• This opportunity is something very special for Mike and his family. He loves the game and loves everything he has been able to do so far.
• The first day after he took over for Lou, Quade asked his team what he could do to improve the team the rest of the season.
• Winning starts with the veteran players.
• The benefit of having the six weeks was huge for Quade. He plans on building on those six weeks and doing it for sixth months.
• Mike's goal is for the team to be fundamentally better next year.
• The team wants to come out of Spring Training sharp and ready to go.
• Quade is going to put the whole "curse" thing out of his mind. He plans on making this ballpark and this city work for him.
• The "curse" has to be the farthest thing from the manager's mind day in and day out.
• Mike thinks you can get the most out of people no matter what they are making money wise.
• Every situation is different, but Quade respects the game and believes that all players should play hard.
• He doesn't see any reason to think that he should change anything from what he did the last six weeks of the season.
• There is nothing better than having strong leadership in the clubhouse. The makes a manager's job much easier.
• Ryan Dempster thinks the Cubs will play the game differently under the new manager.
• Quade says he learned a lot from watching Lou, but he also learned a lot from his time in the minor leagues.
• He plans on asking for effort. Mike sounds like he is willing to take risks.
• Mike would like to think that he has thick skin. It is the nature of sports. Quade have rough seasons in the minor leagues and knows that there will always be adversity.
• He has the confidence to believe in himself and what he is doing.
• The Cubs are going to go out and do things the way he think they need to be done. This game is about the players, it always has been, and Quade gets that.
• Q understands that Carlos Zambrano is an emotional guy. If he will clear his mind the way he did at the end of 2010, he will be able to put this together.
• Mike hopes to continue to listen and learn things about big league managing.
• David Kaplan asked him what one area he would like to improve. Quade indicated that he is going to let the front office worry about putting things together. Mike will have some input, but he will wait to see what the front office is looking at before he gives his opinion.
• There is so much more information available to you at the big league level that you have to be on top of things a little bit quicker.
• Mike enjoys dealing with the media. He understands that things like that come with the territory.
• He wants to be straightforward and honest with his team and with the media.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always.

Marlon Byrd on Waddle & Silvy

• Marlon is "doing all right" and just relaxing at this point.
• His first year experience was a blast despite the losing record. He loved going out there and being a Cub every single day.
• The day game atmosphere and fan situation was right up his ally.
• He was very happy when he found out that Mike Quade will be the manager for the next several years.
• At the beginning of Spring Training this past season, Byrd knew that Quade was a managerial type.
• Mike always has the answers players need. Marlon likes his perpetration and energy.
• Byrd is confident that the Cubs can win in 2011. The young guys that came in got better and got a taste of the big leagues.
• It was tough playing the way they did this year, but they can improve.
• The Cubs need a first baseman. Marlon is not sure what the team needs as far as pitchers.
• "Who wouldn't like Adam Dunn? That would be a big pick-up," he said.
• Byrd is having fun watching his friends and former teammates in Texas play in the World Series. It has been tough watching them lose the past few days.
• Marlon has texted with some of the Rangers during this series.

That's it for now, but I'll have more this weekend!

10-27 Bruce Levine Chat Recap

• This is an important week for the Cubs, who will find out if their $84 million training facility will be approved by Mesa voters.
• Adam Dunn is the Cubs "number one priority".
• The most likely player to be traded by the Cubs this offseason is Kosuke.
• Levine expects Big Z to stay with the Cubs because of his no-trade clause.
• Marlon Byrd should get a good share of the vote for an NL Gold Glove. He made just three errors all year.
• Jim Hendry's fate after this two-year contract will be decided by how many more young players come through the organization in the next few years.
• Bruce thinks Mike Quade will be the last manager Hendry hires. Both have two year contracts and their fates seem to be interwined.
• If Hendry can find a way to trade some payroll the Cubs may be able to afford Dunn.
• Right now, it looks like Blake DeWitt will start at second next year.
• Bruce doesn't see Josh Vitters making the team next year. He expects Jay Jackson and Brett Jackson to make the roster out of Spring Training. Chris Archer could be in line for a call-up during the year.
• Tyler Colvin was thinking about playing winter ball in Mexico, but that's probably not going to happen now.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always.

Breaking News: Trammell and Sinatro Out, Other Coaches Return

Alan Trammell, who has spent the last three years as the bench coach for the Chicago Cubs, will join Kirk Gibson's staff with the Arizona Diamond Backs. Gibson was Trammell's bench coach in Detroit and now the roles will be switched with the D'backs.

The Cubs will have a spot to fill on Mike Quade's coaching staff with Tram's departure. Alan was expected to be a candidate to replace Lou Piniella at the helm but he did not receive much consideration from the organization.

The first two candidate that come to mind to fill the void are Ryne Sandberg and Pat Listach. Both ideas have been shot down by the Chicago media today. ESPN reports that Sandberg has been offered his job back at Triple-A Iowa, but he will not be invited to be on the big league staff.

Bruce Levine writes that Listach is expected to return to Washington. He will be retained by the Nats and most likely will not join another staff unless it is a managerial offer. Listach managed the Iowa Cubs for several years before becoming the third base coach in DC.

Paul Sullivan tweets that the rest of the Cubs coaching staff (besides Lou's buddy Matt Sinatro) will return. It was already announced that Lester Strode, Rudy Jaramillo, and Larry Rothschild would return. If Sullivan's tweet is correct, it appears that Ivan DeJesus and Bobby Dernier will be retained as well. DeJesus could serve as the team's bench coach or stay at third base.

The full coaching staff is expected to be announced before the organizational meetings, which take place the first week of November in Mesa.

In other news, the Cubs outrighted right hander Jeff Gray to Triple-A, which opens up another space on the 40-man roster. Gray worked in seven games for the Cubs in 2010.

Ben Maller says that the Cubs are interested in signing Adam Dunn for 3 years, $40 million.

Weekend Quick Hits: Reaction on Quade

News and Notes after the Hiring of Quade

• Lester Strode, Larry Rothschild, and Rudy Jaramillo are expected to be apart of Mike Quade's staff next year.
• The futures of Alan Trammell, Ivan DeJesus, and Bobby Dernier are up in the air.
• Pat Listach could end up in Chicago if he does not get the gig as the Brewers manager.
• The Chicago Tribune reports that Ryne Sandberg is welcome to return as the manager of the Iowa Cubs if he chooses to.
• Ted Lilly inked with the Dodgers last week.

Jim Hendry joined Waddle & Silvy on Thursday:

• Hendry said he enjoyed the search for the manager.
• He had plenty of time to get really deep into a lot of things.
• The Ricketts family allowed him to do it the way he wanted to.
• Quade would still have been a candidate even if he didn't have to take over for Lou.
• There were some situations earlier in the year with Piniella's family and he almost left but wanted to stick it out as long as he could.
• The job Mike did down the stretch certainly strengthened his case.
• Ryne Sandberg is a terrific guy. He is probably a better person than he was player according to Jim. Ryno earned the right to be a finalist for the manager's job.
• Sandberg is disappointed he didn't get the job, but he is not angry at Hendry or Ricketts.
• Hendry feels strongly that the Cubs made the right decision.
• Ryno did nothing wrong in four years in the minor league system. He doesn't think more experience would have made a difference. Mike Quade just strictly earned this job.
• It is a given that Sandberg is welcome back to Iowa. Hendry would love to have him back in Iowa.
• Ryno has every right to do what he wants to do. There will be some private conversations between Hendry and Sandberg.
• Jim is encouraged by the fact that a lot of the team's young players got a lot better over the final six weeks.
• The team would like to think that they have a lot more guys coming from the system.
• Carlos Zambrano has a no trade clause so he will be back. The Cubs are hopeful that he has grown and learned from his mistakes. He is not the young flame-thrower that he used to be, but he had a very good last two months.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Breaking News: Mike Quade Named the Cubs Manager

Mike Quade has been named the manager of the Chicago Cubs. Quade, who has been on the staff since he became the third base coach in 2007, has signed a two year contract with an option for 2013.

Quade led the Cubs to a 24-13 record down the stretch once he took over as interim manager. He won over 1,200 games at the minor league level and led the Vancouver Canadians to the 1999 Triple-A World Series title. He was named the Minor League Manager of the Year twice during the early 1990s skippering in the A's organization.

Jim Hendry called Ryne Sanberg a "great candidate" but he said that in the end he felt that Quade was the best fit for the Cubs at this time. Bruce Levine reports that Ryno is very disappointed. He says his heart is now with managing at the major league level. Sandberg will look elsewhere to make that happen is he has to.

Will Mike Quade be the manager to finally accomplish the goal that no Cubs skipper since Frank Chance has accomplished?

Weekend Quick Hits: Quade Leads the Pack, Wedge to Seattle, Roster Moves, & More

• Bruce Levine wrote today that the Cubs are getting closer and closer to naming their new manager. He said that Mike Quade is the leading candidate. Levine says that the announcement could come as early as next week prior to the start of the World Series. Major League Baseball does not allow managerial announcements during the Fall Classic.
• Bruce added the Ryne Sandberg is a candidate for the Toronto Blue Jays managerial position.
• Bobby Scales and Blake Parker have been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, reducing the Cubs 40-man roster to 38.
• Josh Vitters has started for the Mesa Solar Sox twice so far this fall, once at first base and once at third base.
• The Mesa Cubs finished up the Arizona Instructional League with a mark of 7-9-4.
• There was an Internet rumor going around that Mike Quade was set to be named the manager with Ryne Sandberg as his bench coach, but several Chicago media members were quick to shoot down the report.
• Eric Wedge has been named the new manager of the Seattle Mariners, reducing the list of possible Cubs skippers even further. The Sun Times reports that the Tom Ricketts will not lose any sleep over Wedge going elsewhere.
• Gordon Wittenmyer reports that Joe Girardi continues to have interest in the gig.

That's it for now, but if news breaks on the Cubs managerial search we'll let you know!

Coaching Staff Roundup: Rothschild Takes Option, Tram Expected to Move On, & More

Rothschild Exercises Option
Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild has picked up his option for the 2011 season. Bruce Levine reports that Larry informed team officials of his decision Monday, which was his last day to do so. This does not mean that Rothschild will definitely return to the club next season, because he could be fired if a new manager comes in and bring in "his guy". Paul Sullivan tweets that if Mike Quade becomes the skipper, Rothschild will return.

Jaramillo Expected to Stay
Rudy Jaramillo is the only Cubs coach in addition to Rothschild who is under contract for the 2011 season. Despite the Cubs offensive struggles in 2010 he is still well respected around baseball. This means that Rudy will most likely be back regardless of who the new manager is.

The Final Four
The Chicago Tribune reports that it appears that Mike Quade, Ryne Sandberg, Eric Wedge, and Bob Melvin are the final four for the Cubs managerial position. Carrie Muskat also lists these four as finalists. Tom Ricketts reportedly would like a guy with a Cubs background, which would indicate that Q and Ryno could have an edge, but Tom has met with Wedge. Levine expects the new skipper to be announced soon.

Bench Coach
Bruce Levine mentioned during his chat earlier in the week that the Cubs do not see Alan Trammell as a big league manager. He added that Alan will most likely be "moving on". If Ryne Sandberg is named the manager, Tram could be replaced by ex-Cub Larry Bowa.

Rest of the Staff
The Tribune points out that the rest of the Cubs coaching staff could easily stay intact if Mike Quade is named the manager. This would create less of a transition period. Bringing in a skipper that has already been around for three years and keeping the rest of the coaches could help the Cubs gel faster in 2011.

Random Quick Hits

• Cubs pitcher Angel Guzman started playing catch this week in Mesa according to a report from Carrie Muskat. Guzman missed the entire 2010 season.
• The Mesa Solar Sox posted an 8-3 win yesterday but no Cubs prospects saw action. They will have the home opener tonight with Jake Muyco, David Cales, Chris Carpenter, and Kyle Smit all scheduled to pitch. Josh Vitters, rehabbing his broken hand, may see the field tonight.
• Chris Archer fanned ten over six shutout inning yesterday in Team USA's 4-1 win over Cubs in the Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always!

The 2010 Cubs Report Cards

It's been a slow weekend as far as news on the Cubs managerial search so far. Let's take a day to review the 2010 season by grading each Cubs player! Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments. Also, a new poll is up on the right sidebar. Be sure to check it out!

Position Players
Welington Castillo: B-
Koyie Hill: C
Geovany Soto: B
Jeff Baker: D+
Darwin Barny: B+
Starlin Castro: A
Blake DeWitt: B
Micah Hoffpauir: D
Aramis Ramirez: F
Marlon Byrd: A
Tyler Colvin: A
Kosuke: C+
Xavier Nady: B-
Alfono Soriano: C

Pitchers
Justin Berg: C
Andrew Cashner: B
Casey Coleman: A-
Ryan Dempster: B
Thomas Diamond: C-
Tom Gorzelanny: B-
Scott Maine: C+
Carlos Marmol: A
Sean Marshall: A
Marcos Mateo: F
James Russell: B+
Jeff Samardzija: C-
Carlos Silva: B
Randy Wells: C
Carlos Zambrano First Half: F
Carlos Zambrano Second Half: A-

Departed Players
Ryan Theriot: C+
Mike Fontenot: C-
Ted Lilly: A
Derrek Lee: B-
Chad Tracy: C

Coaching Staff
Lou Piniella: C-
Mike Quade: A
Alan Trammell: B
Larry Rothschild: B-
Rudy Jaramillo: C
Ivan DeJesus: A-

We'll bring you all the rumors and news plus some new features as we roll into week number two of the offseason!

Midweek Roundup: Levine's Chat, Managerial Seach Update & More

Random News & Notes:

• The Chicago Tribune reports that Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Dave Martinez would be interested in the Cubs' managerial position if the team contacts him.
• Forbes rated the Cubs the least efficient team in baseball.
• Bob Melvin told MLB.com that the Brewers are not about to hire Bob Brenly as some reports indicated.
• Former Cubs outfielder Matt Murton has set the record for Japanese hits in a single season. On Tuesday, his 211th hit broke the mark set by Ichiro.
• Bruce Levine thinks that the Cubs managerial situation might be "close to entering phase two."
• Alan Trammel and Larry Rothschild's futures with the Cubs is not certain. Trammel might remain on the staff as the bench coach, but it is also a possibility that he will join Kirk Gibson's staff in Arizona. Rothschild has an option for 2011 worth $400,000.

Notes from Bruce Levine's chat:

• The Cubs will do what they can to try to move Kosuke.
• Adam Dunn is high on their hit list.
• If Mike Quade is the manager, Levine does not see Sandberg on the coaching staff. If Ryno is the skipper, Quade will most likely not stay on the staff.
• Bruce expects the decision to be made by the third week of October.
• He believes that Tyler Colvin will be a starting position player for the Cubs in 2011.
• It appears that Jim Hendry is down to three: Sandberg, Quade, and Wedge.
• Levine does not think Brett Jackson will be ready to break camp with the team next spring.
• "Quade has probably earned the job."

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Former Cub Updates: 10-5-10

Let's check out recently departed Cubs finished the season!

• Ryan Theriot: .242 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 54 games with the Dodgers
• Ted Lilly: 7-4, 3.52 ERA, 77 Ks, 12 starts with the Dodgers
• Derrek Lee: .287 AVG, 3 HR, 24 RBIs in 39 games with the Braves
• Mike Fontenot: .282 AVG, 28 games with the Giants
• Chad Tracy: .245 AVG, 1 HR, 10 RBIs, 41 games with the Marlins
• Milton Bradley: .205 AVG, 73 games with the Mariners
• Kevin Gregg: 2-6, 3.51 ERA, 37 SV, 63 games with the Blue Jays
• Aaron Heilman: 5-8, 4.50 ERA, 70 games with the D'backs
• Aaron Miles: .281 AVG, 79 games with the Cardinals
• Reed Johnson: .262 AVG, 2 HR, 15 RBIs, 102 games with the Dodgers

Let's take a look at all of the ex-Cubbies to watch for in each postseason series!

Giants (2) VS Braves (1)

• Derrek Lee, Braves
• Mike Fontenot, Giants
• Andres Torres, Giants

Reds (2) VS Phillies(1)

• Jim Edmonds, Reds
• Dusty Baker & Staff, Reds
• Ross Gload, Phillies

Rays (0) VS Twins (0)

Yankees (3) VS Rangers (2)

• Kerry Wood, Yankees
• Sergio Mitre, Yankees
• Chad Gaudin, Yankees
• Rich Harden, Rangers
• Andres Blanco, Rangers

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted on the former Cubs playing in the playoffs!

Let the Winter Begin!

Later in the week we'll bring you the 2010 Cubbie Awards, Former Cub Updates and more, but let's start the offseason with a look at the calendar for the long winter months ahead.

October
6: Division Series Begins
12: Arizona Fall League begins; Mesa VS Phoenix
15: LCS begins
27: World Series begins


November
Five Days after WS: free agency starts
1-5: Cubs Organizational Meetings in Mesa
3: Cubs Convention Passes go on sale
6: AFL Rising Stars Game in Surprise, AZ
16-17: general managers meetings in Orlando
17-18: owners meetings in Orlando
20: AFL Championship
23: Last day for teams to offer salary arb. to free agents in order to ensure draft-pick compensation
30: Last day for free agents to accept salary arb. offers


December
2: Last day to tender contracts to 2011 players under reserve
6-9: Baseball's winter meetings, Lake Buena Vista, Fla

January
5-15: salary arbitration filing period
14-16: Cubs Convention at the Hilton Chicago
18: salary arbitration figures exchanged

February
1-21: salary arbitration hearings
13: pitchers and catcher report to Mesa, AZ
18: all players report to Mesa, AZ

April
1- Cubs VS Pirates at Wrigley; Opening Day 2011

I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs all offseason long!

It's All Over

The last day of the Major League Baseball season is always a sad one. Especially when it ends in early October for the Cubs. Especially when you're capping off a year as bad as this one. Especially when the payroll is expected to drop this winter.

However, there is still a reason to keep an eye on the Chicago Cubs. There is still a reason to hope. The Cubs finished strong. Today's 4-0 loss to the Astros was sour, but they still went 5-2 on the final road trip of the season. They went 24-13 in the 37 games under Mike Quade.

The Astros win today put them in fourth place in the NL Central. The Cubs dropped to fifth with a final record of 75-87. There are a lot of questions to be answered this winter.

Here's the latest from the final weekend of the 2010 season:

• The biggest question going around, "Will Mike Quade return as the Cubs full-time skipper in 2010?" Tom Ricketts and Jim Hendry were asked today, "When do you plan to have a manager in place?"
• Quade told Carrie Muskat that he feel good about his chance to return.
• Cubs legend Ron Santo will be honored in Mesa, Arizona next Saturday. Ron will have another shot at the Hall of Fame in December.
• Bob Melvin was interviewed for the manager's job by Jim Hendry on Saturday in Houston according to the report from the Sun Times.
• Carlos Zambrano wants to Cubs to go after Adam Dunn.
• Speaking of Big Z, Jim Hendry has announced that the big right hander will stay with the Cubs next season.
• Ken Rosenthal thinks that if the Cubs wait for Joe Girardi to finish his season to name their manager, they will be taking a risk. Many other candidates may have moved on by that time.
• CSN Chicago reports that Rudy Jaramillo plans to honor his contract as the Cubs hitting coach no matter who the team's manager is.
• While there is no time table for the search for a new manager, Jim Hendry expects to narrow it down in the next couple weeks.
• Tom Ricketts said on the WGN Radio broadcast today that the new manager will be in place by mid-November.
• Paul Sullivan reports that Jim Hendry was pleased with Kosuke's season. Hendry said that Kosuke did a much better job. He does not believe the team over-evaluated the right fielder.
• Carlos Marmol, Geovany Soto, and Sean Marshall are all arbitration eligible. They will all be due big raises once again.
• Xavier Nady is the only Cub set to become a free agent. Aramis Ramirez will take his player option for 2011.

Opening Day is at Wrigley on April 1 against the Pirates! I'll keep you posted on all the rumors and news... the best time to blog on the Cubs is during the winter!

Go Cubs Go!