Ryne Sandberg did a Sunday radio interview on WSCR.
Sandberg said that he got into managing as his kids were grown and leaving his house. He wanted to see if managing was something that suited him. So he went to the low minors, rode the buses and emersed himself in the job. He said that without six years in the minors, he would not have had the chance to learn to communicate with players on a daily basis and hone his skills as a manager in any given situation. He also indicated that the minor league tenure helped him set his managerial tone. He said without the minor league experience, he would have never been able to become a major league skipper.
It was a trial and error approach. Initially, Sandberg, who was a quiet leader as a player, was a boisterous and angry Larry Bowa-type manager. He got into umpires' faces. He got tossed. He had to learn how to control his emotions.
Players from the Cubs minor league system respected Sandberg as a manager, player and a teacher. And that is one thing that most people outside the Cubs organization classify as Sandberg's greatest trait: the ability to develop young players.
Baseball historians in the future may point to one or two events that shaped the continuing decline of the Cub franchise: the P.K. Wrigley ownership era, the Tribune ownership era with Sam Zell, Dusty Baker and the Bartman game, and perhaps the Cubs not hiring Sandberg to be their major league manager.
Corporate executives always preach that a company's strength is its "human capital." That means the workers who know the company products, services, methods and profitability centers are as valuable as the end product. You don't have to train a novice when you already have an expert on staff.
After 5 years in the Cubs minor league system (at all three levels), Sandberg had the expert knowledge of every prospect in the system. Most had played for him. Most knew what he expected from them. He taught them how to win as a team. These are all qualities that clubs want in their managers.
But the Cubs passed on hiring Sandberg. The reason was clear: Sandberg would have been a too popular figure in the Cubs organization. Sandberg would have public opinion on his side. He would not be "controllable" by the front office. They feared Sandberg could second guess the team's roster selections, free agent or trade moves. They did not want Sandberg to have a say in personnel moves because that would weaken their own authority.
Sandberg starts his first full season as Phillies manager. The team has decided to make one last championship run with a very old roster of veterans. But one can tell that Sandberg's hire is for a longer term, as in 2015 the Phils will start a massive rebuild with young players. Sandberg is the guy who can build a team around young players.
And this was the Cubs missed opportunity. Even with the Cubs tearing down their major league roster to "rebuild" the minor league system, a Cub manager named Sandberg could have gotten the most out of the old Hendry regime's minor league talent at the major league level. He would have stressed the fundamentals (which he does in Philadelphia: he said during the season he does an infield drill every three days; pitchers bunting drills; outfielder throw days, etc.)
During the opening home stand, the Cubs have reverted back to bad defense as Castro missed two easy grounders, and baserunning gaffes began to reappear with frequency. Renteria, who also had six years of minor league managing experience with two teams, may be a nice guy, a cheerleader, but he does not have the professional player status as a Sandberg. And at a certain level, major league players will only respond to coaches who have the credentials to back up what they are telling their team to do on the field.
In Cub lore, the missed opportunity is a recurring theme. By not hiring Sandberg, the Cubs missed a great opportunity.
