Loyalty... in the short term

Everybody loves the new guy. What have you done for me lately? That's how we really value the person who walks in the door vying for our attention or, in some cases, a job. Take, for instance, what just happened with my Chicago Cubs. While Mike Quade did everything in his coaching powers (paying his dues, having the second-best win % over the last 30 something games, making nice with the players), there was something in me that never thought he would actually get the job.

Make no mistake, I don't dislike the hire and hope he performs at the same level; at this point, I'd take the corpse of Casey Stengel if it meant postseason success. But, wasn't that job destined for Ryne Sandberg? A Hall of Famer who, unlike most enshrined, put away any ego and rode the bus in the minor leagues, for four years. Not only that, but he WON. A lot. He could have demanded the managerial job before Sweet Lou Piniella got it, but wanted to prove he could manage a team. What did he do not get the job? Nothing, really.

I don't know if it makes it right or wrong. But, I feel for a guy who spent a significant portion of his life giving everything for the franchise he loves, proving his worth, only to be denied by a man (with great minor league credentials too), who happened to get enough of a shot to woo his employers. What if Sandberg gets called up from Iowa to manage the rest of the season, as a trial?

By all accounts, the players love 'Q,' and that is enough for me, but how tough will it be to see a man who bleeds Cub blue, denied his dream job, and out managing for the Blue Jays or another franchise? I know exactly what Ryno is going through, and I hope he lands the next-best job (in his mind) and ends up in a better place.