Who will be the next manager of the Cubs?

When Lou Piniella first announced that he was stepping down as manger of the Cubs I though Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg was a lock for this position. I mean this organization has been grooming him as a manger for the last few years, but we have to remember that the organization has been sold in that time, and the new owners may feel no team loyalty to Sandberg and may eventually decide to look in a different way.

Chicago sources are now saying that Interim Manager Mike Quade may get the big chair full time to start in 2011. Many feel that this would be a safe way to bring Sandberg to the big team as a bench coach and let him continue to develop. Of course Sandberg may be unwilling to play second fiddle, and Quade probably doesn’t want a fan favorite on his staff. If he was as soon as things went sideways they would be calling for his head.

Now Quade led the Cubs to a 24-13 record after Piniella stepped aside. I don’t know if that is a good enough record to earn him a shot in 2011, or a long enough time frame to judge what he can do as skipper for this club. However it appears that Quade is popular amongst the players and that may be the overwhelming deciding factor.

Lost in this shuffle seems to be current bench coach Alan Trammell. If he were not carrying around the stigma of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, he may be a worthy candidate for this job. I wonder if Quade would keep him on if he gets the job, or is Sandberg would either. I still think Trammell would be an excellent candidate for the New York Mets job, but maybe he should wait for a better opportunity.

Related Links:

•The Business of Major League Baseball
•Joshua Lobdell.com