Managerial Search Down To Final 3

The Chicago Cubs have entered the second phase of their managerial search, and have completed multiple interviews two of the serious candidates for the job. As Bruce Levine reports, the plan now is to have each of the three serious candidates in Wedge, Sandberg, and Quade to have a sit down with chairman Tom Ricketts. From there, Hendry will approach Ricketts with his final reccomendation.

The biggest tidbit of news dropped out of Levine’s latest report, is that the Cubs do not plan to have a formal interview with Mike Quade. Considering that general manager Jim Hendry as sat down with Quade at least 15 times already while he was interim manager, they feel there is no need to have a formal interview. I kind of feel that this can either be a negative or a positive for Mike Quade. Because, that could mean that the Cubs have decided on whether or not he is going to be their next manager. If they hire him, and never formally interview him, that just goes to show you that they put much stock into his record as interim manager.  Which is wrong, because they should pick the best manager based on his characteristics and skill set at managing.  Sources say that an unknown team has asked the Cubs for permission to speak to Quade.

I still feel like Ryne Sandberg is not being given a fair shake at the manager’s spot. Because, I go back to during the season, if the Cubs were going to hire him why not just name him the interim manager and not Mike Quade. Because then Sandberg would have gotten the major league managing experience that the Cubs want out of their next manager.

I kind of surprised that Eric Wedge has a serious chance at becoming the Chicago Cubs next manager. When he was originally interviewed in late August, I figured him to be a fall back plan if their primary options did not work. The Chicago Cubs seem impressed by the way he is regarded as a teacher of the game, and his a strong presence about him when he is on the field.

As things stand now, it still appears that Mike Quade is going to be the Chicago Cubs manager next year. However, if the Cubs want to continue to go by what they have done in the past, then Eric Wedge will be the manager next year. In the coming weeks, the decision on the next Cubs manager should be known.