Quade It Is

It was really a no-win situation for the Cubs. Either pick the guy who has no major league managerial experience, wait halfheartedly to see if another becomes available even though it was highly unlikely, choose a third that would not capture the fans' excitement, or overlook someone who was deserving of the job. That was what the Cubs were facing when picking their new manager.

Let us take a closer look at the pros and cons of all the candidates:

• Ryne Sandberg- a fan favorite, has spent the last four years managing the various levels of the Cubs minor league affiliates, has never managed or even coached in the big leagues, would have big expectations to fill
• Joe Girardi- a fan favorite, has expressed a desire to one day manage the Cubs, is a native of Peoria, Illinois, won a world series as manager of the Yankees, has more professional managerial experience than Sandberg or Quade, is likely to resign with the Yankees after the playoffs and thus making it unlikely he would jump ship to manage the Cubs
• Bob Melvin- has the most professional experience of the group, would not be a big name hire, fans would find the hire uninspiring compared to other candidates, swept the Cubs in 2007 as manager of the Diamondbacks
• Mike Quade- was a minor league manager for 17 years, has been a major league coach for 7 years before becoming the interim manager of the Cubs at the end of the 2010 season, fan favorite, does not have big expectations to fill

I think the Cubs made the right decision. Bob Melvin would upset Cubs fans because he would not be an exciting hire and fan expectations have been that the managerial race has always been between Quade and Sandberg. It was also unlikely that Joe Girardi would leave the Yankees for the Cubs because the Yankee organization is more stable than the Cubs.

Ryne Sandberg would have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders without ever having managed in the big leagues. And in one of the largest baseball cities in the country, he would instantly have to adjust to the high profile position of Chicago Cubs manager. It also looks like there is a good chance Sandberg does not return to the Cubs organization. There are other managerial and coaching openings through the majors. It would be unfortunate to see him go, but such is the nature of the beast.

Mike Quade has a ton of managerial and coaching experience in both the minor leagues and the major leagues. He would also not have to face ridiculous expectations, because by retaining him for the next two years, the Cubs are suggesting they are going to a slight rebuilding mode. He is also more familiar with the players. And he showed he can win, with the Cubs having gone 24-13 under him during the final two months of the season.

Until next time, Orange Hat Guy