Sandberg Should Be On The Bench For Cubs
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
I’ve wondered if the Cubs are the least bit interested in making Ryne Sandberg a coach for 2016.
At this point I’m certain Sandberg feels like he’s paid his dues as a coach in the minors, and he’s got a point. He spent six seasons leading minor league teams in the Cubs and Phillies organizations before Philadelphia moved him up to the parent club in 2013.
The negative in his coaching resumé is he lost the respect of the locker room this season. From what I’ve read, it’s safe to say he did the right thing by stepping down rather than letting the situation fester and become a media spectacle.
What he’d bring to the Cubs is his strong desire to play the game right, and a Hall-Of-Fame presence comes with a certain amount of credibility.
The reason I’d like to see Sandberg back in blue is to be a significant part of any postseason success the Cubs should enjoy in the next few years. While conceding there are dozens of former Cubs who’d like to be in uniform the day a World Series title comes to the north side, Sandberg is the one who has the most to offer.
The key would be whether he could get along with Joe Maddon and staff. At this point it’s not like the Cubs really need Sandberg. In fact, Sandberg needs the Cubs a lot more than the team needs him. But he brings something unique to the table, and it’s worthy of consideration.
As a Cardinals fan it hurts to say this, but I think St. Louis is going to come back to the pack, and the division title is definitely still up for grabs. But the Cubs should tread lightly before the trade deadline. They could use some more pitching, but that’s true of all the contenders in the N.L. Central. The Cubs best days are still a season away, and to sacrifice significant parts of the future for a 2015 run is ill-advised.
The other thing I’ve given a lot of thought to is the ending of this year’s British Open. It’s too bad it wasn’t on Sunday when more folks could see it. The “legendary” statue of Jordan Spieth may have to wait, but not long. The kid is built for the long haul.
It will be harder for him to build a Tiger-like resume; the competition got better during the last 15 years of golf, and now even Mr. Woods would have a greater challenge in racking up wins. Time will tell, obviously, but Spieth seems like he’s ready to become the golf legend our kids will remember forever.
The Open Championship playoff was a lot of fun to watch. Going in I thought “over four holes, one bad shot won’t do a guy in.” That isn’t necessarily true, but I prefer the four-hole format to the 18-hole playoff the U.S. Open plays; if for no other reason but the domestic playoff is always contested on Monday.
My appreciation for St. Andrews grew over the weekend. The Scots have done an excellent job of preserving and celebrating The Old Course as the birthplace of golf, and yet everything seemed to be up-to-date technology-wise. Kinda like Wrigley Field, I suppose.
Other thoughts: anyone want to crank up a Delorean with a flux capacitor and find out how NFL history would be different had Donald Trump bought the New England Patriots in 1988?
Has an NBA Summer League title ever been more celebrated than the one San Antonio won last night? I’m not saying Becky Hammon or any other female can’t coach men’s sports; I know better than that.
On the professional level, I do wonder how things would work out long term. The model for such a time as this was established 68 years ago by Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson.
In some ways it’ll require a person as special as Robinson was to break the gender barrier in professional men’s sports coaching. But in many important ways, that path has already been paved by Robinson.
I think the Spurs might be the right organization to bring Hammon along, and her role in player development certainly took a leap forward in the last 90 days or so. As near as I can tell, it seems she’s right on schedule for a shot as a full-time head coach in the NBA sooner rather than later.[[In-content Ad]]
I’ve wondered if the Cubs are the least bit interested in making Ryne Sandberg a coach for 2016.
At this point I’m certain Sandberg feels like he’s paid his dues as a coach in the minors, and he’s got a point. He spent six seasons leading minor league teams in the Cubs and Phillies organizations before Philadelphia moved him up to the parent club in 2013.
The negative in his coaching resumé is he lost the respect of the locker room this season. From what I’ve read, it’s safe to say he did the right thing by stepping down rather than letting the situation fester and become a media spectacle.
What he’d bring to the Cubs is his strong desire to play the game right, and a Hall-Of-Fame presence comes with a certain amount of credibility.
The reason I’d like to see Sandberg back in blue is to be a significant part of any postseason success the Cubs should enjoy in the next few years. While conceding there are dozens of former Cubs who’d like to be in uniform the day a World Series title comes to the north side, Sandberg is the one who has the most to offer.
The key would be whether he could get along with Joe Maddon and staff. At this point it’s not like the Cubs really need Sandberg. In fact, Sandberg needs the Cubs a lot more than the team needs him. But he brings something unique to the table, and it’s worthy of consideration.
As a Cardinals fan it hurts to say this, but I think St. Louis is going to come back to the pack, and the division title is definitely still up for grabs. But the Cubs should tread lightly before the trade deadline. They could use some more pitching, but that’s true of all the contenders in the N.L. Central. The Cubs best days are still a season away, and to sacrifice significant parts of the future for a 2015 run is ill-advised.
The other thing I’ve given a lot of thought to is the ending of this year’s British Open. It’s too bad it wasn’t on Sunday when more folks could see it. The “legendary” statue of Jordan Spieth may have to wait, but not long. The kid is built for the long haul.
It will be harder for him to build a Tiger-like resume; the competition got better during the last 15 years of golf, and now even Mr. Woods would have a greater challenge in racking up wins. Time will tell, obviously, but Spieth seems like he’s ready to become the golf legend our kids will remember forever.
The Open Championship playoff was a lot of fun to watch. Going in I thought “over four holes, one bad shot won’t do a guy in.” That isn’t necessarily true, but I prefer the four-hole format to the 18-hole playoff the U.S. Open plays; if for no other reason but the domestic playoff is always contested on Monday.
My appreciation for St. Andrews grew over the weekend. The Scots have done an excellent job of preserving and celebrating The Old Course as the birthplace of golf, and yet everything seemed to be up-to-date technology-wise. Kinda like Wrigley Field, I suppose.
Other thoughts: anyone want to crank up a Delorean with a flux capacitor and find out how NFL history would be different had Donald Trump bought the New England Patriots in 1988?
Has an NBA Summer League title ever been more celebrated than the one San Antonio won last night? I’m not saying Becky Hammon or any other female can’t coach men’s sports; I know better than that.
On the professional level, I do wonder how things would work out long term. The model for such a time as this was established 68 years ago by Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson.
In some ways it’ll require a person as special as Robinson was to break the gender barrier in professional men’s sports coaching. But in many important ways, that path has already been paved by Robinson.
I think the Spurs might be the right organization to bring Hammon along, and her role in player development certainly took a leap forward in the last 90 days or so. As near as I can tell, it seems she’s right on schedule for a shot as a full-time head coach in the NBA sooner rather than later.[[In-content Ad]]
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