Cubs brass shares in triumph
Cubs chairman Crane Kenney joined in the clubhouse frivolity Saturday after the Cubs clinched the National League Central with a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
But Kenney turned serious when asked if there was a better management team to take Cubs forward into the next few years, no matter who owns the team.
"No," Kenney said, referring to general manager Jim Hendry and his staff and field manager Lou Piniella and his coaches.
Kenney started with farm director Oneri Fleita and also heaped credit on assistant GM Randy Bush.
"Look at Oneri Fleita and what we've done," Kenney said. "(Reliever) Carlos Marmol was a catcher, and Oneri said, 'Let's see what you can do on the mound,' and conversely, Geo Soto, we drafted him as a third baseman-first baseman, and again, it was Oneri in the minor leagues who said, 'I really think the kid can catch.' It turns out to be what I think should be the Rookie of the Year.
"It's Jim, it's me, it's the front office."
That raised the continuing question of whether Hendry and Piniella could get long-term contract extensions, even as the team is in the process of being sold by the Tribune Co. Piniella is signed through next year with a team option for 2010.
"My thought is, for both Lou and Jim, they're here for next year," Kenney said. "I'm going to keep teeing up good decisions for the organization long term, whether it's re-signing (Carlos) Zambrano, getting (pitcher Rich) Harden. Really, Lou and Jim are no different than players. They're talent for the organization. We should do smart, long-term arrangements for them.
"Ultimately, it will be me teeing it up and a new owner possibly saying yes or no. Jimmy deserves an extension, and so does Lou, in my opinion."
Kenney cited Hendry's work this year in obtaining center fielder Reed Johnson in spring training, center fielder Jim Edmonds in May and pitcher Rich Harden in July.
In the end, Kenney credited the players for getting it done.
"Jim and I do our thing, and we work as hard as we can do it, and then you turn it over to Lou and say, 'Now, you've got to make sense out of this whole thing,'" Kenney said. "Really, the credit all belongs to Piniella, the coaching staff and the players."
Hendry echoed that.
"What a team they are," Hendry said. "They did everything together all year. They got off the mat a few times when thing weren't going good. They pretty much felt all year they were going to end up here today and get the first step done. You can see how they're handling themselves. They're proud of themselves and should be enjoying it, but you can tell they've got some other business on their minds to take care of this year.
"I just felt good about them as a group all year. You never heard any selfishness, never any Cy Young or All-Star Game, batting titles, nothing. They just want to win and felt they left some things behind last year. Great bunch of guys. They really are a team."
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