Should Dale Sveum Stay or Should He go?

[waldo7239117]

The number one question brought to the Chicago Cubs over the past few days is whether or not manager Dale Sveum will be retained and come back for the final year of his contract. President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein did not say if Sveum will be back or if he will be let go. Epstein just said we are in our evaluation process and we will determine which direction the organization will go. Epstein did not give any boat of confidence to keeping Sveum and let his wording open to a lot of questions. The Cubs are about to finish back-to-back 90+ game losing seasons.

The Cubs signed Sveum back in 2012 to a 3-year contract to replace recently fired manager Mike Quade. The finalists were down to Sveum and Mike Maddux. But Maddux ultimately dropped out to keep his position with the Texas Rangers and that opened the door for Sveum. Sveum had a connection with both Epstein and Jed Hoyer with their time in Boston together. Sveum came over from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He manly was a coach in the minors, but became interim when Ned Yost was wired. However, after the season the Brewers did not keep Sveum and gave the managerial job to Ken Macha. Sveum stayed on the roster as the hitting coach and when the job offer from the Cubs came open in 2013, he interviewed for the job and was later hired.

Going into the hiring process of finding a manager the Cubs knew they wouldn't be good for the next few years and had the mindset of finding a cheap temporary manager that may be good with player developmental and fundamentals. Sveum has done good with fundamentals as he brought the bunt tournament to spring training as the Cubs have been a bad bunting team for years and he worked on defense more than anything. Soriano turned into a pretty good LF and lost the hop. Now teams can keep him in for the rest of the game and not take him out for being a defense liability. Also, Sveum was Castro's number 1 priority to be a better shortstop in the field and Castro has looked a lot better. Getting the ball out of his glove a lot faster and not making many errors. He still has the mental lapses in the field, but it seems like he'll have that every once in a while and the Cubs just have to limit them.

Sveum's second year has been everything but good. The Cubs core players of Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro has progressed badly and many blame Sveum. In Castro's case, the Cubs wanted him to walk more and that's not his game. Epstein came out recently saying "we are done tinkering with Castro." I'm not sure why Rizzo has struggled, but I think he's putting a lot of pressure on his self. Rizzo just can't hit with runners in scoring position this year. Sveum is also being blamed for Darwin Barney's regression and Jeff Samardzija's poor 2nd half.

The Cubs top prospects are closer to the majors and many in the organization do not want Sveum to be in charged of player development when players do start to come up from the minors. The Cubs lost complete faith in Sveum this year and will look elsewhere for a manager. The Cubs brought Sveum in for player development and it has not gone to plan.

After the 2013 season concludes the Cubs will make a play for Joe Girardi. As of right now, the New York Yankees will not make the playoffs and the Cubs may be able to talk to him sooner. If the Yankees do make the playoffs, the Cubs will have to wait to talk to him until their season comes to an end. Girardi's contract runs out at the end of the season. There's is mutual interest between the Cubs and Girardi. Girardi always wanted to become the Cubs manager and his heart is with the Cubs. And it may be time for a reunion.

The Cubs like Girardi and how he is with player development. Girardi has done a great job with the Yankees, but there's no point to look at his win/loss record and their playoff appearances. Girardi came into a loaded team and a team with the highest payroll. Don't get me wrong, Girardi is a good manager.

Girardi will cost money, but if you want to win and look toward the future, the time is right the spend money on a big-time manager. Next year won't be a good year for the Cubs and may look bad upon Girardi, but the Cubs are not worry about next year and 2015 at the earliest. Girardi will come in and try to help with the young players to start off and then when the comes have the players on the field, look for a World Series title.

If you asked me about a month ago, I would have said there's no way Sveum would get fired and would have finished out his final year of his contract. Then just not re-new his contract. But from the way Epstein worded his media conferences and reports coming out saying the Cubs are not happy with Sveum, I changed my mind completely.

This is how I see it ... if the Cubs can get Girardi, Sveum is obvious gone. But if the Cubs somehow can't get Girardi, Sveum will be back for his final year of his contract. If the Cubs really want Girardi and a new guy in charged of the players, he will be the manager next year. I'm leaning toward 60-40 of Sveum being fired and Girardi the next manager.

The million dollar question: Should Dale Sveum stay or should he go?

http://www.chicitysports.com/2013/09/23/should-dale-sveum-stay-or-should-he-go/

 

[Derkach77]

He needs to go. He looks so fuckin uninterested in the game. All he does is stand in one place throwing seeds in his mouth. I wonder if he even knows where he is at sometimes. He just looks so lazy and like a guy who is hungover. I just don't see him as a head manager.

 

[waldo7239117]

He gets a good exercise every game as a relief pitcher can only face one or two batters.

 

[Derkach77]

He gets a good exercise every game as a relief pitcher can only face one or two batters.

His decisions are pretty bad. He puts guys in in really weird situations. That game a week or so ago when he put like 4 different relievers in the inning was brutal to watch. Russell was doing fine and the inning would have ended much earlier....

 

[waldo7239117]

His decisions are pretty bad. He puts guys in in really weird situations. That game a week or so ago when he put like 4 different relievers in the inning was brutal to watch. Russell was doing fine and the inning would have ended much earlier....

Yes, exactly. My point exactly. The guy gets two quick outs and he gets taken out, next pitches walks batters out of gate.

 

[Parade_Rain]

He needs to go. He looks so fuckin uninterested in the game. All he does is stand in one place throwing seeds in his mouth. I wonder if he even knows where he is at sometimes. He just looks so lazy and like a guy who is hungover. I just don't see him as a head manager.

So now the managerial gig is about the fire and the passion? The Cubs are the new Bears.

 

[beckdawg]

I'd say he needs to go though I don't really see a point in changing him until the front office is convinced to spend more/bring in more players.

 

[Sunbiz1]

"The million dollar question: Should Dale Sveum stay or should he go?"

Stay, no sense bringing in a big name manager until Epstein finishes his work.

"After the 2013 season concludes the Cubs will make a play for Joe Girardi."

And you know this how?, your article makes some assumptions w/o citing sources.

 

[waldo7239117]

"The million dollar question: Should Dale Sveum stay or should he go?"

Stay, no sense bringing in a big name manager until Epstein finishes his work.

"After the 2013 season concludes the Cubs will make a play for Joe Girardi."

And you know this how?, your article makes some assumptions w/o citing sources.

It's been reported. So I assumed people know and I put it together fast. It was Cubs den or Tom Loxas new blog.

 

[daddies3angels]

Castro, Rizzo, Shark all regressing. He needs to GO

 

[SilenceS]

Sveum can go with David Bell. Dude is a horrible third base coach. Maybe the Cubs can be the Astros?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...m=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national2

 

[Icculus]

[video=youtube;uQnCVBertf0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQnCVBertf0[/video]

 

[ChiTeez.com]

He needs to go, no discussion necessary.

 

[Shawon0Meter]

In agreement with everyone else. He gone.

 

[Boobaby1]

I'd say he needs to go though I don't really see a point in changing him until the front office is convinced to spend more/bring in more players.

Agreed. When the front office commits to putting a good product on the field, then they can look to put a good product on the bench. If the right coach becomes available, go ahead and sign him. Hopefully the Cubs are close to adding something to the parent club of substance between young kids and veterans.

This lack of commitment is growing very old, very fast, and frankly, 2014 looks to be on pace as the previous two years IMO.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I didn't catch who the commentator was on B&B today, but this "expert" suggested that Epstein's words about Sveum surprised him and that the door could be open to him being let go. However, this person also went on to say that he would be very surprised if Sveum was let go.

 

[beckdawg]

I'm curious to see how quickly the media starts to go at him after the whole Gregg issue with communication as well as the numerous fights they've had in the dugout recently.

 

[Derkach77]

So now the managerial gig is about the fire and the passion? The Cubs are the new Bears.

You rather have some lazy ass emotionless man running a team? How can you play for someone who isn't happy when we win. He is the same when we win or lose. I can't fucking stand those people. At least Trestman interacts with people and is engaged. I always viewed sveum as the total opposite of that.

 

[dabynsky]

You rather have some lazy ass emotionless man running a team? How can you play for someone who isn't happy when we win. He is the same when we win or lose. I can't fucking stand those people. At least Trestman interacts with people and is engaged. I always viewed sveum as the total opposite of that.

One thing that really bugs me is that some people equate emotionless with laziness. There has been plenty worked on and tried. The issue is that not all of it has been successful and the larger issue of lack of talent.

Beyond that baseball is a grind that unlike any other sport requires a steady presence, imo. The guys that are up and down with every win and loss are the guys that get run out of town quick like Bobby Valentine's short stay in Boston. Who are the best managers in the game right now? Any of them fire and passion guys?

 

[Derkach77]

One thing that really bugs me is that some people equate emotionless with laziness. There has been plenty worked on and tried. The issue is that not all of it has been successful and the larger issue of lack of talent.

Beyond that baseball is a grind that unlike any other sport requires a steady presence, imo. The guys that are up and down with every win and loss are the guys that get run out of town quick like Bobby Valentine's short stay in Boston. Who are the best managers in the game right now? Any of them fire and passion guys?

I kinda see your point man. The braves manager has emotion and is engaged. Girardi is engaged. A's manager has emotion. Btw im not talking about lou piniella type of fire. I just think a good manager is someone who has some type of emotion and is actively engaged.