Very few people, if anyone, actually knows what exactly is going on in the Cubs front office right now as far as this is concerned.
But these are the things that we do know.
- The current list of candidates who have interviewed so are are as follows:
- Ryne Sandberg
- Eric Wedge
- Mike Quade
- Bob Melvin
- (and possibly Don Wakamatsu...but I'd like more confirmation on this)
- We also know that Eric Wedge and Ryne Sandberg (and in a way, also Mike Quade) have all been in for multiple interviews in one form or another.
- The Cubs cannot talk to Joe Girardi until the Yankees are done playing.
- Jim Hendry has mentioned that he wants this process over with by the middle of this month (which happens to be next week).
- Tom Ricketts has stated that this process will not be rushed and will likely go out until mid-November.
At this point, the only real reason to delay this decision until November, as Tom Ricketts appears to want, is to wait and see if Joe Girardi becomes available. But Jim Hendry seems very content with the candidates that are currently available if he thinks this could be wrapped up by the end of next week.
Keep this in mind...Joe Girardi was available 4 years ago. Jim Hendry interviewed him, but Girardi was not in the list of finalists for the job (a list that, supposedly, Mike Quade was on). Unless Jim Hendry is more impressed with Girardi now that he has a big fat ring on his finger from last year, I just can't imaging the Hendry would feel much differently this time around.
Saying that the process could be wrapped up by the end of next week would indicate that Hendry has no intentions of considering Girardi.
It also indicates one other thing...Hendry may have his list of final candidates already...and it is likely that the short list is Quade, Sandberg and Wedge. If that is the case, Hendry may feel some pressure to get this done quickly because both Quade and Wedge are being considered by other teams right now (Brewers and Blue Jays for Quade, Pirates for Wedge)...and I honestly believe Sandberg might be high on the Seattle list right now assuming Bobby Valentine doesn't get that job. Teams like the Brewers, Pirates and Blue Jays might try to move very quickly to hire someone with so many good candidates out there right now.
Now, look, this is all speculation. As I said, we really don't know what is going on in the heads of all the execs in the front office right now. Well, that's not exactly true. We actually do know what is going on in the head of team president, Crane Kenney...
So, in conclusion (I learned that in high school essay class), if Jim Hendry gets his way, I think we'll see a new manager fairly soon. If this process extends out, though, I really do think that it is Tom Ricketts who is extending his influence to try to seek out Joe Girardi. That seems like an awful risk...because I think Eric Wedge and Mike Quade would accept other jobs before Ricketts's November date.
