Prospect homecoming overwhelms Cubs manager
It's not often that new Cubs manager Mike Quade is left speechless, but for a second there Wednesday afternoon that was the case as the Prospect High School grad (Class of '75) was introduced to an all-school assembly by principal Kurt Laakso.
“Are you kidding me?' Quade said, smiling and shaking his head at the warm reception from the student body, many of whom were decked out in Cubs gear.
Then it kicked in.
“It's been 35 years,” Quade began. “Some of your parents don't even know who I am.”
Badup bah!
He wasn't finished.
“I gotta be honest,” continued Quade, who's been bald nearly his entire life, “the last time I was in an assembly like this I got the award for best hair.”
Hi-ooo!
That, in a nutshell, is Mike Quade for you.
If the assembled masses were expecting one of the school's most high profile alums to take himself too seriously, they had the wrong guy at the microphone. Because for Quade, it's always been about team first and individual accomplishments way down the list.
In other words, the same characteristics he exhibited as a three-sport star at Prospect many moons ago.
“He showed a lot of those same qualities back then as you can see from him now,” said retired Prospect baseball and football coach Larry Pohlman. “The hard work, the determination, the positives that if things don't work out all the time you keep working at it and things are going to be all right.”
Quade made a point of spreading around the credit for his success, with much of it going to Prospect itself.
“I got a great foundation right here,” he said. “Without that foundation, I'm nothing. You can never take the experience of this community and this school away from me.
“I hope you understand how fortunate you are.”
The stop at Prospect was the third of four on the day for Quade and a handful of players including Andrew Cashner, Sean Marshall and Koyie Hill, along with assistant general manager Randy Bush. Former Cubs pitcher and part-time radio analyst Dave Otto, an Elk Grove High School alum, served as emcee.
The 2,000-strong student body arrived in the gym to the strains “Go Cubs Go” playing on the speakers. After a brief address from Quade, Prospect journalism students got their turn to ask him some tough questions, with one exchange in particular sticking out.
Q: “What has been the highlight of your career?”
Quade: “You're looking at it.”
That Quade was named the 51st manager in Cubs history after the 2010 season came as absolutely no surprise to Pohlman because it was something that's been in him for a long time.
“He was like another coach on the team in all three sports here,” Pohlman said. “The coaches always counted on him to help get over the bumps and to be the liaison between the other players and the coaches. He has those type of leadership skills that not everybody has.
“I think he's a pretty special guy.”