Grade the job Dale Sveum has done the last two years...

[HurricaneDij39]

In my opinion, I think he's put Castro and Rizzo in position to fail, especially this year, with his lineup patterns.

Rizzo needs to be the Cubs' full-time cleanup hitter. That way he could focus on doing what he does best - Hitting for power and driving in runs. Typically your 3-hole hitter needs to hit for a good average and be a good baserunner. Rizzo doesn't strike me as either of those things in the early stages of his career.

He's taken the exact opposite approach with Castro this year, who's hit just about everywhere in the order this year - From leadoff to 2nd to 5th to 7th and 8th. Way to mess with the kid's confidence. I honestly have no idea why Sveum moved Castro out of the 3-hole midway through the 2012 season, because Castro has fallen of significantly ever since then.

Some days off here and there would have been helpful for these two as well...

HurricaneDij's Overall Grade: D+

All in all, I think it's time to give someone else their shot at managing this team. Theo and Jed need to let go of their Boston days and let go of Sveum.

 

[waldo7239117]

I say he has with Castro, but Rizzo is just having a bad year. Castro should be the leadoff hitter going into next year, Rizzo should bat 5th. That will take more pressure off of him and think best suits him. But to finish out the year, keep Rizzo 3rd and when the Cubs prospects start coming up, he may be the 5th hitter or even 6th. The Cubs are gunna keep Sveum until they are reasy to compete. His contract runs out after next year and that's when I think he goes. He's just a fill in right now.

Possibly managers in 2 years could be Joe Maddon and Joe Girardi.

 

[SilenceS]

I say he has with Castro, but Rizzo is just having a bad year. Castro should be the leadoff hitter going into next year, Rizzo should bat 5th. That will take more pressure off of him and think best suits him. But to finish out the year, keep Rizzo 3rd and when the Cubs prospects start coming up, he may be the 5th hitter or even 6th. The Cubs are gunna keep Sveum until they are reasy to compete. His contract runs out after next year and that's when I think he goes. He's just a fill in right now.

Possibly managers in 2 years could be Joe Maddon and Joe Girardi.

I agree, I don't mind Sveum as an instructor but his in game coaching is pretty horrible. I think he will play out his contract be gone. I would like to keep some his staff though.

 

[waldo7239117]

Yes it is, especially how he manages the bullpen.

 

[Jntg4]

A nice old

F!!!

 

[Cubs2008]

I hate how bunt happy he gets.

 

[inactiveuser1]

Zomg he gets an F- he sucks

 

[HurricaneDij39]

DePaulfan21 you possibly a Sarah Kustok fan? LOL

 

[CSF77]

IDK to be honest.

While I would love to be that guy with the knee jerk reaction and blame him for every loss I won't be that guy.

He is a mixed bag.

He was given a shitty team and failed with it. So ya he did what was expected. So he is not a great manager that can make duds studs. Fact Joe G. did that with Fla had more to do with that he had talent to work with and pulled .500 with that talent. With a quality line up he won it all.

With Dale he has been stuck or mired in a team in transition where they are using F/A to buy a farm.

So he has not been given an opportunity to have success.

Now can we grade him for Castro and Rizzo's lacking? Maybe but Castro did not fit the profile as a hitter that was desired and did not adapt to it. At one point we have to look at the overall pitcher and I personally feel that they should trade him due to this mismatch. Or management needs to back off and let him be who he was before the tinkering. Rizzo has not put together a full quality season so we have no standard to go by.

Now with other vets like Schierholtz and Sori they had rebound years under the same management. So at some point we have to hold the players accountable.

So in view of this I can not judge Dale until he is given a team that can win at least 80 games on paper. Then we can judge him. Even Joe or any other wonderlick manager would not win with this transition going on.

And I believe he was not expected to win.

 

[nwfisch]

Anything lower than F?

 

[waldo7239117]

Anything lower than F?

Yeah, a G.

 

[daddies3angels]

He gets a F-


He AWFULL. Castro went from an All Star SS to a .240 hitter. Shark has declined. Rizzo hitting in .220's Barney hitting in the .210's. So the 4 guys that were so called core guys have all went down hill. He should be fired just cause of this. I dont want him to ruin the so called top prospects in Baez, Soler, Alamora, Bryant

 

[brett05]

He gets a F-

Totally could be the grade he gets. As stated, hard to tell based on the talent given.

Castro went from an All Star SS to a .240 hitter. Shark has declined. Rizzo hitting in .220's Barney hitting in the .210's. So the 4 guys that were so called core guys have all went down hill. He should be fired just cause of this. I dont want him to ruin the so called top prospects in Baez, Soler, Alamora, Bryant

You blame the manager for the poor performance of his players? Wasn't Pete Rose the last manager to have an outcome on the game directly (and no, not talking about his gambling days)?

The players are at fault for playing bad, not the manager.

 

[wrig224]

Usually when someone starts a poll, they want a negative response. So thats one issue. What I have liked about Sveum is that he understands the agenda and has fullfilled two of the main goals: mold a team that plays together AS a TEAM and get everybody playing hard and insist on good fundamental baseball. Have the cubs always played good fundalmental baseball. No! but its always broadcast loud and clear publically when someone doesnt. But fundamental, sound baseball is part of he agenda. Sandberg had to step in at Phila when he took over because some veteran players started making up their own rules. So it happens to more than with just thrown-together teams like this Cub team has been.. Charlie Manuel was no slouch as a manager.
Id give Sveum an A as far as for molding a team with good rapport that sees themselves as a'team' Thats a necessary start.Theyre better than an adult version of The Bad News Bears!

And if the Cubs did the absolute best with this lineup, where would we realistically expect the Cubs to finish if everything had gone right? maybe 81-81? That would be a miracle on Clark and Addison if Cubs were 81-81 by last day of season with THIS team. I follow every game. I know how bad they are! They've lost lots of very disappointing games. I want to remember where we're coming from. Then I can really appeciate when the Cubs win 100 games in an upcoming season .They have a nice structure now for all these highly-acclaimed rookies to come into.


But some of the same people would be giving Sveum a failing grade only because they just dont want to watch a 500- team. They want post season ,and they want it NOW.
Sveum has been a very conservative manager,without too much innovation,but some players were still working on footwork on fielding.That could be a valid criticsm.

Realistically Id drop Sveum down to a B this year,But i think its a very well-deserved B for THIS team. Remembering the past managers of Cubs, I cant see any better outcome with the managers we have had, going back 3-4.

One of Theo success stories this years if the rehabilitation Of Baker and Im going to see him Pitch this Friday at WF.
Seeing the success of some of he waiver players ,I think we have to admit that Theo knows what hes doing.
Hes been very innovative stocking the team.

So my final overall grade for Svuem is B...B-minus if you insist .Anything lower than that would fail to take into account how Cubs are restructring just about everything ..

My goal for Cubs next year: a 500 hundred, 81-81 team.anything better would be unrealistic.( Not that it couldn't happen) That would be a great acomplishment. Beyond that, the sky's the limit!

 

[SilenceS]

 

[wrig224]

So the point is? : looking back, Sveum is as good as what came before and the same could be said for Obama.. I agree..

 

[SilenceS]

The point is that Sveum is a horrible in game manager. His team is one of the least fundamentally sound teams in the league. He plays with lineups way to much. He believes in platooning way to much. His two cornerstone players have regressed under him. He doesn't know when to pull a pitcher. He is here for another year and then they will let him walk. He is not a mlb coach. I don't mind you Wrig but you are a huge Cubs homer and will agree with anything the Cubs have. Im guessing the same goes for other aspects of your life.

 

[wrig224]

Silence,
Lots of people dont like Sveum, thats fine.. it has all to do with how the Cubs are doing.But what does a picture of Obama have to do with anything? Its irrelevant, is my point. Obama is a White Sox fan last I heard.But dont explain it at this point! Of course Im a homer we have very critical homers and more positive homers. I think you are a homer totherwise you wouldnt be posting about Cubs.

 

[SilenceS]

Silence,
Lots of people dont like Sveum, thats fine.. it has all to do with how the Cubs are doing.But what does a picture of Obama have to do with anything? Its irrelevant, is my point. Obama is a White Sox fan last I heard.But dont explain it at this point! Of course Im a homer we have very critical homers and more positive homers. I think you are a homer totherwise you wouldnt be posting about Cubs.

You see that smiley when you post. I suggest looking at it. The picture isn't knocking Obama. Its a picture that said your post was a mind boggle. They have all kind of those on here. People use them all the time. It has nothing to do with Obama

 

[wrig224]

Fine,Silence the picture of Obama has nothing to do with Obama. Its perfectly clear! next subject!