Hendry concentrating on job at hand

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry didn't seem concerned Thursday about the tepid vote of confidence he got Sunday from new team owner Tom Ricketts.

Ricketts told writers that Hendry does a great job but he would not commit to him beyond this year even though Hendry has a contract that runs through 2012.

"I don't worry about that and never have," Hendry said Thursday as the unofficial second half of the season began. "I've been here 15 years and been on both sides of it, where we're doing real well in the standings and when we're not doing so well.

"I really don't put much stock in that."

One player who did give Hendry a vote of confidence was first baseman Derrek Lee, whom Hendry brought to Chicago in a November 2003 trade. Hendry has kept Lee a Cub through contract extensions.

"It's the first day of the second half, so let's try and be positive," said Lee, who has suffered through a poor year at the plate. "Who knows what can happen? Turn this around, and we can make Jim Hendry look like a genius. I've got a lot of respect for Jim. He's a class act. I couldn't ask for any more from a general manager."

Lee said no one has approached him about waiving either his 10-and-5 rights or his no-trade protection. Hendry, who is likely to start looking to sell before the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline, would not get into trade speculation with the media.

"I don't ever get into what might happen about trades or our players or acquiring somebody else's," Hendry said. "It's not the right thing to do. It's not right for the players. No matter where we're at in the standings, I'll never get into that. It's just the wrong thing to do."