Sandberg did something most Hall of Fame honorees would never do: go back to the low minors and work oneself up the managerial ranks. When Sandberg told the Cubs during the Tribune ownership that he wanted to manage someday, GM Jim Hendry appeased him by sending him to Class A ball. Hendry never intended to hire Sandberg as a major league skipper. But he never told him.
Sandberg worked his way through the entire Cub minor league organization. He brought great respect from the young talent on those minor league teams. He was a disciplinarian. He was a good teacher. By all accounts, he brought a winning attitude to each club.
So when the Cubs job opened up, Sandberg was dissed by Cub management. They did not give him even an interview for the job. Many fans, including myself, thought this was a great disservice to Sandberg and to the team.
Baseball management-speak these days is all about "acquiring assets." When Sandberg was ready to manage at the major league level, he had worked his way up the Cub system. He knew all the talent in the Cubs minor league system. He knew player strengths and weaknesses. He had the experience to put them in the best position to succeed. By any definition, for the Cubs Sandberg was a major organizational asset.
In 2011, Mike Quade became the full time Cub manager. He then went 71-91 and a last place finish.
Under the new front office, the Cubs again refused to interview Sandberg when Quade was released. Sandberg was managing the Phils AAA affiliate. If the new regime wanted to really know what talent the Cubs had in their system, would not have been smart to hire the man who helped develop it?
In 5 of his 6 minor league seasons as a manager, Sandberg had a winning record.
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Peoria Chiefs | Midwest League | 71-68 | 7th | Chicago Cubs | ||
| 2008 | Peoria Chiefs | Midwest League | 60-78 | 12th | Chicago Cubs | ||
| 2009 | Tennessee Smokies | Southern League | 71-69 | 3rd | Chicago Cubs | Lost League Finals | |
| 2010 | Iowa Cubs | Pacific Coast League | 82-62 | 1st (t) | Chicago Cubs | ||
| 2011 | Lehigh Valley IronPigs | International League | 80-64 | 4th | Philadelphia Phillies | Lost League Finals | |
| 2012 | Lehigh Valley IronPigs | International League | 75-68 | 5th | Philadelphia Phillies |
The alleged reason Sandberg was passed over for the Cubs manager was that Sandberg did not have major league bench experience. This reason flies in the face of a Hall of Fame career. It also does not make sense that a bench coach gathers more experience in managing a game than an actual manager in the minors.
It was an excuse to keep a high profile Cub like Sandberg from have the political fire power of the fan base to assert his vision of change on the team. The quiet field leader had become a feisty advocate of the game as stated in his Hall of Fame induction speech. Just because Sandberg would become the face of the franchise and eclipse the current players is no reason not to hire him.
As a result of not hiring Sandberg to manage in 2011, the Cubs franchise has been set back at least five years. Epstein and Hoyer continue to stock pile talent at the Rookie and Class A levels of the Cub system. The hold-overs from the prior regime have been in a state of promotional limbo as the front office continues to sign second and third tier veterans to fill the major league roster in an attempt to flip these new assets at the trade deadline. There is no doubt in most people's minds that Sandberg could have taken the Cubs 2011 talent and made it work better than Quade. And that could have added the impetus for more internal promotion of players Sandberg knew and understood to fill in the gaps in the roster in 2012 and 2013. But the new front office did not want to use the old Cub system anymore than relying on an old Cub to take a leadership role. The new front office wanted to hire its "own guys" who would be loyal to them. As a result, Sandberg had to join another organization to get his chance.
When the Phillies come into town this month, the fans will give Sandberg another standing ovation. They should; he still deserves it.
