Cubs' Quade feels comfortable in his role
The job of managing the Cubs has been a learning experience for local boy Mike Quade.
Although he's had to learn on the fly, he sounded confident Friday that he remains on or ahead of the curve.
Maybe the 17 years of managing in minor leagues have something to do with that.
Whatever, Quade has appeared comfortable in the job since taking over for Lou Piniella last month.
"You do this for a long time," he said before the Cubs fell 7-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals. "Now you spend four years up here coaching with Lou. You've got to get back on the managing horse. You've got to do it very quickly. You've got to do it unexpectedly.
"Gosh darn it, the foundation of all those years and the good people that I've worked for had me prepared. I still need to do it. We can talk all day long about being prepared. You get up there and do it and find out what the speed of the game is and the things you have to deal with, whether it's on the field or whether it's these guys personality wise or it's you guys (media). Once you finally do it and get through it, you go, 'Yeah, I am prepared. I'm comfortable.' That's what I've learned about this job."
Of course, with the Cubs job comes lots of media scrutiny and lots of advice from the paying customers. Quade has heard it on the field as a third-base coach. He's also noted an increase in the cards, letters, voice messages and texts.
"Of all the things I was prepared for and the few that I probably wasn't, that has been the most amazing thing," he said. "Letters for, 'Please sign this card and do this and that.' That's become more prevalent than it was when I was coaching third. But yeah, the advice letters and the advice phone calls, it's unbelievable, and the texts. So yeah, it has surprised me a little bit.
"The best advice from my end of it has probably been, 'Relax, do it your way.' Probably most of it has come from people who know me and maybe watched me before. They're always concerned. 'You're here. Now you're here. This is what got you here so don't change that.' And that's good advice for all of us. You've got to be who you are."
As far as media-relations go, Quade seems relaxed with reporters and in front of the cameras. The sheer number of media members has grown since Quade's days in the minors, where maybe one writer was present on game days.
Quade also got a bit of advice from Piniella about the media, with whom he enjoyed a mostly friendly relationship in Chicago.
"You guys are direct," Quade said. "It's nothing I didn't expect. The numbers are huge. I learned that I know a lot more of you now than when I was coaching third. I enjoy this part of it. I know it's not always great. It's a huge, huge part of this job. The last thing Lou told me when he left, and he was so good to me for the four years here, was about you guys. Just be prepared to deal with you guys.
"It wasn't a negative thing. When you do this at the minor-league level, you might see one of these (voice recorders). That's the newness of it. The managing of the game, the managing of people, is something you've done, still getting better at, still working on. This onslaught every day is something that you need to get through. I like it."
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<li><a href="/story/?id=410681">Selig talks playoff expansion, other issues<span class="date"> [9/25/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=410632">Quade: No yellow-brick road ahead for Cubs' offense<span class="date"> [9/24/10]</span></a></li>
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