Lord Jim
Quade Hire Could Mean Hendry Stays

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The Quade hiring might affect what the Cubs do with Jim Hendry, the Daily Herald's Barry Rozner says. He notes everyone assumed Quade would sign for a one-year deal with a team option. So if Hendry is booted, the new GM could start with a clean slate. But Quade got two years, and "There is simply no way Ricketts is going to guarantee a manager two years now and then fire his GM at the end of next season, forcing a new GM to work with Quade," Rozner writes. And Steve Rosenbloom? He hates everything.

Daily Herald: Cubs' Hendry not going anywhere
Rosenblog: It's not that Quade got the job, it's why does Hendry still have his

Who's the Man?
An In-Depth Look at New Cubs Manager
We all know a little of this, a little of that about Mike Quade: He has alopecia areata, which means he's been bald since he was 11. He's done his time in the minors and won Manager of the Year there twice. But did you know the 53-year-old Evanston native is a die-hard fisherman who thinks you should eat what you catch out of the Gulf of Mexico? That he lettered in baseball, football, and basketball in high school? That he throws batting practice, and wants to continue to do so? Now you do.

CSN Chicago: Who is Mike Quade?
Chicago Sun-Times: New Cubs manager Quade armed and ready

Great Move, Cubs!
Why the Cubs Did the Right Thing (pt. II)
More articles, more "hooray, Mike Quade!" stories. The Daily Herald's Bruce Miles raves about the new skipper, saying, he's got poise, patience, and honesty. "The players always knew where they stood with Quade," Miles notes, adding that "there was a huge uptick in confidence" in many Cubs after he took the reins. View from the Bleachers wants to start "The Q Club" because "the players like and respect his managing style and it produces results." SB Nation notes Quade is "mentally agile" and "as trim and fit as his players."

Daily Herald: Things to like about Mike (Quade)
View from the Bleachers: They call him 'Q'
SB Nation: Quade to turn deaf ear on 102-year drought talk

Terrible Move, Cubs
Why the Cubs Did the Wrong Thing (pt. II)
The tsk-tsk'ers are also out, wagging their fingers at the Cubs for the hire. "Quade has only 37 more games of big league managerial experience than Sandberg," Gene Wojciechowski whines writes on ESPN Chicago. And, he notes, "those 37 games were played when nothing was on the line." Wojciechowski also notes people mispronounce Quade's last name. (Now there's some insight.) Rick Telander woke up long enough to take some shots, saying Quade lacks "pizzazz" and the Cubs are "treading water" by hiring him.

ESPN Chicago: So Cubs-like to pass on Ryne Sandberg
Chicago Sun-Times: All comes down to Hendry picking pal Quade for manager

Who's on Second?
Checking out Next Year's Second Basemen
With a new manager in-tow, it's easy to forget there's actually a team that needs to, you know, play. View from the Bleachers analyzes the Cubs' many second basemen, and concludes your starter next year should be Blake DeWitt — i.e., the guy we got for Ted Lilly. Jeff Baker should platoon, and Darwin Barney should make the team because, well, he's kinda like Ryan Theriot. The blog takes a left turn, though, and recommends the Cubs also sign free agent Aki Iwamura. Who? Exactly.

View from the Bleachers: Offseason outlook: second base

Mike Quade hasn't ruled out Ryne Sandberg to work on the Cubs' coaching staff... Want to see all the places Mike Quade has played or managed? Sure you do... The Cubs have $101 million tied up in nine players' contracts next year.

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