It must have a slow day in the newsroom, so Daryl Van Schouwen from the Times reached out to Quade while he was fishing in his hometown in Florida.

Sveum was quoted previously talking about the effort or lack thereof put out by the team Quade managed last year, saying, "[w]hen you lose that many games, there are obviously problems."

"Not running a ball out isn't OK. It's unacceptable, and that has to be communicated."

Quade's response to hearing that was, "[m]aybe I'm being an idiot, but I thought we gave a pretty damn good effort every night. I don't know, maybe that was [Sveum's] philosophy or a back-handed shot."

If it's me, I'm going with the idiot comment.

Here is proof, again from the horse's mouth: "Did everybody run out every ball? No. That's going to happen with a lot of people [on a lot of teams]."

That's why Quade is fishing in Florida instead of preparing to head to spring training.

If you don't hold people accountable, and you are accepting of it, how can you say the team gave a good effort every night?

Using the reasoning that other teams do it too is no excuse.

Does that make it okay?

Using the old adage mothers like to use on their kids, "if everybody else jumped off a cliff, are you going to do it too?" Quade seems to be saying he would.

It's yet to be seen if Sveum will hold players accountable, but that kind of thinking is the reason Quade doesn't currently have a job in baseball.

As for the guy who gave him the job, former GM Jim Hendry, his name popped up in the news this week when he was hired by Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees.

No matter how poor a job you do, there is always room somewhere in the "good old boys network."

That's great news for Hendry, and he's certainly working for the right team.

Hendry was as good as anybody at handing out money, and now he's with the team with the deepest pockets.

Hopefully for the Steinbrenners, he's not the guy negotiating contracts, or they may be broke before they know it.

Hearing their names brought back some painful memories, but at least they're no longer associated with the Cubs.

That's the good news, along with pitchers and catchers report February 18.

A new era of Chicago Cubs baseball begins.

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You hear it on the radio. You read it in the newspapers. You hear fans and other Chicagoans say it.

But, let me be the one to tell you that they're all wrong.

You have two baseball teams in Chicago—the Cubs and the White Sox. But, there is only one football team.

So, theoretically, everyone is a Bears fan.

While that might be true, the difference is in the game.

Nobody would argue that if you're talking baseball only, it's a Cubs town. For a while, some media tried to say that Chicago was a Sox town shortly after they won the World Series.

Of course, that was proven wrong, because the Sox only draw good attendance to their games when they are winning. This brings me to the basis of my argument.

The Cubs have generally been miserable since, well, forever.

They've failed to win a championship since 1908. Yet, for the last eight years, they have drawn over 3 million people annually to Wrigley Field.

And, over 2 million fans have packed the park every year since 1984 except for 1986, 1994 and 1995.

Neither rain nor hail nor sleet nor snow can keep Cubs fans from passing through the turnstiles and supporting their team. A true Cubs fan is more reliable than the postman.

Bears fans could say they sell out every game, too. They'd be correct. But, how many home games do they play every year? Eight?

Football is an event played once a week. Fans plan around the game, including tailgating—it's something they look forward to all week.

Furthermore, pro football is usually played on a Sunday, when most people are off.

Baseball teams play 81 home games a year, and game dates and times are almost always inconvenient.

And, the Cubs have more day games than any other team in the MLB, which puts them at a disadvantage for drawing the most people possible because of work and school.

And they average 37,000 at every game.

Even the night games are not much of an advantage for the Cubs, because families with kids have to send them to school the next day, or they have to go to work early.

Weather is also a factor.

In baseball, tickets are often times available the day of the game at the gate, while tickets for football games are all sold in advance. How many walk-ups are you going to get on a miserable, Spring Chicago day?

Yet, the fans keep coming and supporting a losing team year after year.

Can you imagine the Cubs being in the World Series and on the verge of winning a MLB title for the first time in a million years?

TV ratings would be through the roof. In fact, I would be willing to bet that it would be the highest-rated World Series ever.

I know fans would argue that the Super Bowl numbers would blow it away, but again, that is an event people plan far in advance.

It's only one game, while the World Series can take up to seven.

What would the numbers be if the sports were reversed?

In 2003, when the Cubs were on the brink of making the World Series, there were thousands of people gathered outside the ballpark on Waveland Avenue ready to celebrate in the streets once the Cubs won.

They weren't even watching the game, save for maybe a guy holding a small TV on his shoulder. They just wanted to be part of the atmosphere.

I think that the Cubs winning the World Series would be the biggest sports story of the last hundred years, with the Miracle on Ice being a very close second.

You can say that this is all speculation on my part and that I don't know what I'm talking about, but do you really think Bears fans would support an inept franchise 81 games a year, year after year?

Is that doubt that I see creeping in? Are you starting to buy into my theory that Chicago really is a Cubs town?

I may sound crazy.

But, I might be right.

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With Prince Fielder leaving for the safety of Detroit (Am I kidding?), following in the footsteps of Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa both abandoning the St. Louis Cardinals, there can no longer be any doubt that Chicago Cubs GM Theo Epstein has put the fear of God in the team's competitors.

Not only did Fielder and Pujols leave the NL Central Division — they left the league entirely so as not to be embarrassed by the Cubs' budding dynasty.

It was even worse for former Cardinals manager LaRussa. He figured it was better to quit then go up against Theo and the boys.

Without making any major deals for big-name players so far, the Cubs are already closing in on the competition in their division.

It looks like an episode of Fear Factor. Instead of being afraid of spiders or snakes, their rivals are terrified of the slickster from Boston, and are hightailing it out of town as fast as they can.

These changes bode well for the Cubs future, even if the rebuilding is just in its infant stage. When your opponents lose their best players, it makes your job that much easier.  

The Cardinals will feel the loss of both Pujols and LaRussa. While LaRussa is a Hall of Fame manager, having one of the greatest hitters ever in his lineup every day made his job easy.

Without them, St. Louis doesn't figure to be as strong, even with Adam Wainwright scheduled to return in 2012.

The Milwaukee Brewers lost half of their dynamic duo in Fielder, and Ryan Braun is on the shelf for 50 games due to his suspension for taking a banned substance as of now.

They're the cream of the division, and the cream is starting to curdle.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are rebuilding for the 20th straight year, so that leaves Cincinnati.

The Reds were a disappointment last season. They added Mat Latos in a trade to bolster their rotation, but in the process, may have given too much back in return.

Reliever Sean Marshall was added in a trade from the Cubs and should be a boost for the bullpen.

While they could be the biggest threat in 2012, the National League Central looks more vulnerable than ever.

Even though the Cubs are not yet ready for prime time, they're primed to be the class of the division within a few years with Theo running the show.

To get an idea of the Cubs situation, look at your car's side-view mirrors.

It says, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

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He has been compared to Marlon Byrd. I don't want the current Byrd, so I'm not terribly excited about getting a younger version of him.

Byrd is an average hitter and baserunner, and a decent fielder with not much power. Cespedes supposedly has more power, and some say he's a better centerfielder than Byrd.

Cubs Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Jason McLeod said on ESPN Chicago in Bruce Levine's column, "It's funny, because we have a guy on the Cubs now that compares to him when he was younger. He reminds me somewhat of Marlon Byrd."

He's supposedly 26, but you know how that goes. Defecting from Cuba, who knows what his real age is?

According to SB Nation, Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona is allegedly 31 years old instead of his reported 28, and he's not even Fausto Carmona. His real name is said to be Roberto Hernandez Heredia.

What that says to me is "Buyer Beware." You don't know what you're getting when you sign a player from another country.

He might not be the age he tells you, he might have a different identity, or he just might not be any good like Kosuke Fukudome, who cost the Cubs $48 million dollars (not yen) when they signed him from Japan.

The quality of Cuban baseball has been compared to A ball in the states. He's said to be a guy who's going to strike out a bit and not walk a lot.

He has struggled in the Dominican Winter League.

Nobody has said exactly what he's asking or what it's going to take to sign him, but the talk is he could get up to the $60 million range. It doesn't matter to me, because I'm not spending it, but if you spend bad money on one player, you might not have the money to spend on someone else who can help your team.

Another Cuban defector thought to be on the Cubs radar is Jorge Soler. He's supposed to be 19, so even if that's not accurate, he's more in line with the youth movement the Cubs are currently on. It might take longer for him to develop, but he should cost a lot less, and will hopefully be ready to step in when the Cubs are ready to step up.

If I go for anyone, he's the guy I take a chance on.

One last thing on Cespedes. I saw some highlights of him at the plate swinging at a pitch and admiring it before he starts to run. It gave me a frightening reminder of a current Cub, Alfonso Soriano.

If that's how he's major league ready, thanks but no thanks.

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It appears players' late-night carousing will no longer be tolerated. Team officials said as much at the love-fest that is known as the Cubs Convention, where they mentioned there are certain standards expected of the players.

That's something that wasn't done previously.

I remember a friend telling me about running into former Cubs pitcher Kyle Farnsworth at a party several years ago. Farnsworth was still there the next morning at 9 AM, even though the Cubs had an afternoon game that day.

Farnsworth got into the game and gave up a homer to Paul Konerko as the Sox overcame a big Cubs lead to win the game.

That has been the bane of the team in the past.

Part of the new culture is trying to determine what players will fit into the philosophy of the Cubs, and adhere to it. You can be sure they will doing their homework before they add someone to the team.

If you think day games and the night life scene in Chicago hasn't had anything to do with the clubs lack of success in the past, you haven't been watching. 

They're also not going to be tolerating "lollygagging" anymore. I believe that refers to a lack of hustle by certain players. I don't want to name names, but can anyone say Alfonso Soriano?

It's easy to talk about—enforcing it is another thing. I have a feeling the current staff will no longer put up with a lack of hustle.

Whether the Cubs even allow Soriano to challenge the new accountability depends on finding a taker for his services.

He's said he only wants to go with a contender, which eliminates the recent trade rumors with Baltimore. My question is: Doesn't any team that picks up Soriano automatically lose contender status?

Is there a player in the game today who fits the "loser" image more than he does?

The changes continue with the pitching staff. New pitching coach Chris Bosio is looking for his pitchers to be more aggressive. That means working faster and taking advantage of the entire strike zone. It may even mean going "old school" and knocking batters down who crowd the plate.

Keeping the hitter honest opens up the outside corner for the pitcher to utilize. It's something the Cubs have been reluctant to do in the past, and it's a refreshing approach to how they see the game being played.

Even adding a "party deck" to the right field bleachers is a smart move. They're trying to utilize every asset they have in a confined space to maximize profit, which can then be put back into the team.

Everything takes time, and there is no magic formula. All you can do is have a plan and follow it.

That's something that has been lacking with the Cubs in the past.

The Cubs are already more balanced, adding left-handed hitters to the team, and depth to the starting staff. Everything might not be quality yet, but they are getting pieces and trying to fit them into what they are doing.

There are still many changes to come. The team will either add or subtract, depending on how things play out.

For once, the Cubs are working on the puzzle to make it work — instead of just being puzzled.

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Listening to Epstein talk, I thought he was above pandering, but now I'm not so sure.

Cubs fans universally love Kid K, but he's no longer the phenom who struck out 20 Houston Astros in just his fifth major league start.

If you watched him pitch that day, you would have assumed the Hall of Fame would be polishing up a bust of him for his future nomination. Unfortunately, his career was plagued by injuries, and Wood became the poster boy of all the bad luck that is the Chicago Cubs.

Do Cubs fans need a mascot? I thought that was Ronnie Woo Woo.

I love Kerry Wood as much as the next guy, but where are the Cubs going next year?

Was this a Theo Epstein move, or was it dictated by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, who is a big fan and wants him somewhere in the organization after his career ends?

Since Theo supposedly has autonomy over the roster, maybe he was trying to win favor with his boss, even though he doesn't need to.

Perhaps this was a marketing ploy to keep the fans coming through the turnstiles despite the fact the team will probably not be contending for anything this year.

But isn't the front office the attraction? Do the Cubs have a bigger star than Theo? Won't the fans pay the freight knowing there is now hope for the future?

I know Theo's not performing on the field, but isn't the thought of him there enough to keep the crowds coming?

Maybe because Wood signed below market value last year when former GM Jim Hendry signed him to a $1.5 million contract, the current brass felt they owed him something.

Epstein said he wasn't going to make any moves like bringing back a fan favorite if it didn't help the team on the field.

You can say Wood makes them better, but at what cost? His contract is for $3 million with a club option. That sounds like a lot more than they initially offered him.

Why did the numbers change, and why did it suddenly become so important to bring Wood on board?

Was it done strictly for the buzz and good feeling it created at the convention? You have to admit the timing was perfect.

It could be that Wood is the kind of veteran to teach the young players the right way to be a professional. Management might think that is more valuable than what he contributes on the mound.

There was talk earlier in the week that the Cubs were going to cut ties with Wood and possibly bring in Jason Varitek from the Red Sox for his leadership abilities. When that came out in the local daily, fans were incensed that they would bring in an outsider at the expense of their beloved Wood.

Did Theo buck to the pressure?

I would hope not.

He's shown the guts to finally blow up the team and start from scratch. I admire that, and I've been waiting for the Cubs to do that my entire life.

He's preaching patience, because doing things the right way takes time. It's taken 103 years of doing things the wrong way, so it's not too much to ask for a little patience when somebody's doing it right.

Just don't cry at the trade deadline when Theo sends Woody to a contender for a prospect that might be a part of the Cubs finally winning.

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To be voted in posthumously was something he said he never wanted.

I remember throughout the years listening to the radio waiting to hear the voting and see if Ron finally made it in. He never did, and then the reporters would interview him and you could see the disappointment written all over his face.

He wasn't good at hiding it. Earlier in the process, he would have Chicago media at his house in Arizona waiting for the good news, but just like the disappointment he experienced with the Cubs—never winning a World Series—his individual experience was no better.

I'll never understand why he had to wait so long. He shouldn't have been punished because his team never played in a World Series, but it seemed like he was.

Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles, another great third baseman, was elected on the first ballot when he became eligible. Could it be because he had a series for the ages defensively where he earned the nickname, the "human vacuum cleaner?"

I won't say Santo was as good defensively as Robinson. but he did win the Gold Glove award five times. And as a hitter, there was no comparison. Santo finished his career with a .277 average, belted 342 homers and drove in 1,331 runs.

Baseball historian Bill James rated him the sixth-best third baseman of all time, yet at one time, he was actually off the ballot in his first 15 years of eligibility because he didn't garner even five percent of the writers vote.

Was it bias because his Cubs teams never won, or because three other players from a team that never won were already in the Hall? That will never be known.

What is known is what a disgrace it was when his fellow living Hall of Famers never gave him the required 75 percent of the votes to get him in.

Whether it was wanting to keep it exclusive and not let anyone in, or something personal against Santo, we'll never know. But I do know that Santo never received what he deserved during this process.

It took a new format of 16 voters to finally get him in. He needed 12 votes for election and received 15 from the Golden Era Committee, so justice was finally served, but it's a little too late for him to enjoy.

Robinson happened to be on that committee, and I'm sure he voted for him, because he always said it was an injustice that he was never voted in.

It's great for Ron Santo fans everywhere, and he had millions of them. Even those that never saw him play loved him from his broadcasts of Cubs games with Pat Hughes.

Santo was a far better ballplayer than an announcer, but his passion and love for the Cubs is what made him beloved by so many.

His family might be happy today knowing that he finally received what he deserved years ago, but for many Cubs fans, it's more of a sad day than a happy one.

My best friend is a die-hard Cub fan, and Santo was his favorite player. He called me as soon as he heard the news. I was just about to call him.

He wanted to be happy he was finally elected, but the melancholy sound of his voice gave away his true feelings. His wish was for Santo to be alive and to pick up the phone and hear the words, "Ron, good news for you, you have just been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame."

His legs were gone for many years from his diabetes, but I have a feeling he might have clicked his heels, just like he did back in 1969, clicking all the way to the clubhouse after the Cubs won a game.

Saturday was the one-year anniversary of his passing, and that's what makes this even harder to take.

Santo was like so many of the fans of the team he played for, trying to live long enough for that one moment of enjoyment they had waited their whole life for, but his time, like theirs, expired.

Here's hoping he got the news in the bleachers in the sky and can finally have peace knowing what his fans knew all along: that he was one of the best to ever play the game.

Now, everyone else knows it, too.

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Dallas Green came up with the slogan "Building a New Tradition" when he took over as the GM of the team in the early '80s. It worked for awhile, but he was soon out the door when the Tribune Company decided they really didn't want to win after all if it was going to cost them money.

My suggestions won't cost anything, other than ridding the team of the bad karma from the past.

First to go has to be the song played after Cub wins by Steve Goodman called, "Go Cubs Go." It has to be one of the worst songs ever written. I'm not sure exactly when they first started playing it, but I know when it has to stop and that is now!

Isn't it ridiculous to stand around singing that awful song in September when the Cubs are 30 games under .500? Maybe they're actually saying please go Cubs, we're sick of how bad you are. They're both bad, but the team can stay. The Cubs have a chance to get better; the song won't.

"It's Gonna Happen." I can't tell you when, but really, it will. This stupid slogan and shirt came out during the surprise 2007 season when the Cubs suddenly caught fire and beloved Cubs utility-man Mark DeRosa noticed it in the stands. 

He spoke about it to the media, and the next thing you know, it was everywhere. The funny thing is, the shirt was actually made hoping the Olympics would come to Chicago in 2016. That's what it was about. It had nothing to do with the Cubs, but the guy who made it saw an opportunity and ran with it to the bank.

It kept on not happening, but I kept seeing the shirt. I don't remember noticing it much the last two seasons. Maybe because it was obvious it wasn't going to happen, and, on a side note, Chicago didn't get the Olympics either, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it might show its ugly face again with the new regime in town.

Don't let it happen. Don't buy it. When you see the guy selling it, run—fast! Don't support another losing tradition.

I love Len Kasper and Bob Brenly who broadcast the Cubs games on TV, but I absolutely hate the seventh inning stretch guests.

They come to promote whatever they're promoting, ruin the song and then sit in the booth and talk to Kasper and Brenly about inane things while fans are trying to watch the game. It's an important time in the contest, and how can you concentrate when you're listening to them?

I don't care what they're talking about. Kasper and Brenly don't care what they're talking about. Does anybody care what they're talking about?

Do they even know where they're at? NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon thought he was at Wrigley Stadium. Ozzy Osbourne, formerly of Black Sabbath fame, didn't know the words or where he was. He probably thought he was having a flashback.

I know the girls volleyball team from some local school are cute, sweet girls, but do I want to hear what they have to say?

Instead of having every two-bit celebrity, and many that are not, sing "Take me out to the ballgame," how about a tape of Harry Caray singing it with a life-size cardboard cutout of him nearby? He's the one who made it famous at Wrigley.

The guests started coming after he went to the bleachers in the sky. Let's not desecrate his memory anymore with this garbage.

I think I'm done with what I want gone, but I want one other thing to stay—the troughs.

For those who don't know what they are or for the ladies reading this, they are long, extended places to relieve yourself after a hard day drinking beers at the ballpark.

They're great! You can always elbow your way in and find a spot without a wait. Those nice parks with the pretty urinals are useless. You can miss an inning going to the can waiting for some drunks to empty their pistols. That doesn't happen with the troughs. Long live the troughs.

If anyone reading this agrees with me, please let me know. If you think I missed anything, fill me in.

These ideas might not help the Cubs win the World Series, but they'll make me a lot happier.

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He still was not my choice. I clearly said I wanted Mike Maddux and would have settled for Sandy Alomar Jr.

That being said, I like the way he came across in the interview session. He impressed me with what he had to say, especially about holding players accountable and playing hard.

That's something they didn't do last year, and to me, that is inexcusable.

He had a chance to witness that first-hand from the Milwaukee Brewers dugout, and he seemed to allude that he was disgusted by it.

In an article on ESPN Chicago he said, "You're trying to create a situation where the other team knows how you play the game. The worst thing that happens in baseball is when we look over and are like, That team, man, they're dogs."

The Cubs had enough of those to start a kennel, and hopefully the new regime will sweep them out.

From the baseball side, he seems to be a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll.

He feels there is a place for stats, but he's not married to them. His philosophy appears to be it depends on the situation, which is good, because that seems to mean he can think.

Sveum is known as a players' manager, but he doesn't have a problem getting in their face if they're not doing what they're supposed to. 

That's a refreshing change from Mike Quade. Players would get in his face (Ryan Dempster) or he would joke about someone emasculating him saying, "That's just Carlos."

He also tried to emphasize that blaming the conditions at Wrigley Field for the teams' history of failures are just excuses, and that the ballpark has to become a home-field advantage for the Cubs.

How he's going to do that is up in the air, and he's going to need help from the front office to supply him with the right players to make that happen.

There is a lot of work to be done. This is a construction site, and the rebuilding hasn't even begun.

They need a third and first baseman, and possibly someone at second, though I like Darwin Barney's hustle. The entire outfield is a mess, and might be the worst in baseball.

Soriano might end up being a special project of Sveum's if he is still here next year, which unfortunately is likely. Marlon Byrd is hustle and not much else, and right field is a question mark that hopefully will be answered by rookie Brett Jackson.

That's not even getting to the pitching staff. They need at least two starters, and someone has to either fix what's wrong with Carlos Marmol, or move him out of the closer's role.

Sveum can only work with the tools he's provided with.

He seems like a serious guy, but he exhibited a sense of humor when talking about his "nuts."

He said everything right in the press conference, but once the season starts and reality sets in, we'll see if it was just talk, or if this guy also walks the walk.

There used to be a Chicago Bulls player who later got a job on the local sports scene named Norm Van Lier. When something somebody did bothered him, he would say, "I'm going to put a foot up his ass."

If I see Sveum do that to Alfonso Soriano next year during one of his many "dog" moments, then, he'll be my guy.

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The Sveum hiring is a yawn, and makes you wonder what they saw in him that the Milwaukee Brewers didn't. They passed him over twice for the managerial job, including after he took over as the interim manager in 2008 when the Brewers fired Ned Yost with 12 games left in the season.

He went 7-5 and the Brew Crew made the playoffs before falling to the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.

The next year, Milwaukee thought Ken Macha was a better choice to lead the team.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin was quoted in a column in the Chicago Sun-Times speaking about Sveum saying, "Dales a good guy, a good solid baseball guy."

He then gave his reason for not giving him the job.

"We just felt we wanted to go outside. It's somewhat of a philosophy...Coaches that become interims in September, I don't always feel they have a lot of success the following years. I haven't seen where that works a lot.(Too bad Jim Hendry didn't realize that.) So I just felt we needed to go outside to get a fresh face, fresh voice, whatever."

To translate, what Melvin said was, "Yost lost it and we needed someone to finish the season. He was there, so we asked him to take over, but I knew I could do better with a full off-season to look for a manager."

How come the Cubs couldn't do better than this? People are making a big deal because he was in the running to become the Red Sox manager.  

Well, yea, wasn't Theo there when they put their list together?

The Cubs could have done much better, but Mike Maddux proved to be a small-town tease. He played with the Cubs affections and led them on, then turned them away when it was time to close the deal.

He was believed to be their first choice for the job. Maddux "won" the press conference after his interview.

He was the "next big thing," a pitching coach that could give the Cubs organization an edge on other teams like Theo and the boys had when sabermetrics were still in the early stages.

The Maddux name resonates in Chicago, and the thought was his brother Greg couldn't be far behind.

Epstein brought hope that had been lost in Chicago with the Cubs. This move feels strangely like something the past regime would do.

Nobody, including me, knows if he is going to be a good manager. Hell, Maddux might have been a bust, but if he were being announced as the new manager on Friday, I don't think more than half the voters in a fan poll would be against the move.

So we get the second choice. I doubt if this second banana is going to be as good as Tampa manager Joe Maddon is, who was his runner-up to Terry Francona.

I would have rather heard that the Cubs were hiring Sandy Alomar Jr. Everyone thinks he's going to be a really good manager some day, and he could have grown into the job with the Cubs probably not being very good next year.

A caller to a Chicago sports radio show once had a famous quote about the Cubs. He said, "The Cubs don't have to get better. The other teams just have to get a little bit worse."

That might happen next year with Tony LaRussa no longer managing the St. Louis Cardinals and the possibility of Albert Pujols leaving the team. The same goes for Milwaukee with Prince Fielder almost a cinch to be gone.

A writer with Yahoo Sports who covered the New York Yankees in 1998 made a big deal about Sveum  coming back to finish the season with them as their bullpen catcher after they cut him in August.

While that might be a big deal to him, I see a journeyman player who wanted to enjoy the ride of being there with a World Series winner.

How about a Hall of Fame player worth millions of dollars riding the buses in the minors for five, long years so he could get the opportunity to manage in the big leagues?

His name is Ryne Sandberg, and he couldn't even get an interview with the Cubs and they end up hiring this guy.

At the press conference with Theo Epstein where he introduced new GM Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod as senior VP of scouting and player development, writers described them as the "smartest guys in the room."

They may have been the smartest guys in the room, but I wasn't in that room. Let's hope this wasn't their first mistake.

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