posted without comment

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/redS...g?articleid=474

This has to be a misprint/someone's idea of comedy/really early April Fools joke. Doesn't it? The man infamous for allegedly ignoring the meticulous scouting reports put together by Sabremetric U is now responsible for reviewing them somewhere else? Maybe the Cubs really are cursed. I'd kill to actually have seen/heard Theo and Co. reaction. I mean this can't be true can it?

Yeah, when I picked up my paper early this morning and flipped to the sports section and read this, I almost burned my lap with my cup of coffee. I can't believe someone would hire Hunch Little to scout. I guess this means another year the curse of the Billy Goat will strike down its wrath on the people of Chicago. Hopefully they don't ask his opinion on how long Prior and Wood should pitch in game 7 of the NLCS.

With 'Burn-em Out Baker' at the helm I don't imagine they needs Grady's input on overpitching the starters . I fear for Priors well being. The best thing that happened to his arm last year was the DL stint that let him rest for a month. Dusty don't believe in pitch counts, probably feels the same about OBP or anything else remotely 'new age'. Grady is actually a good fit for the Cubs

Grady who? Never heard of him....

it is now official

Cubs hire Grady Little as assistant to GM
The Associated Press

January 16, 2004, 12:37 PM CST

Grady Little has a new job.

The Chicago Cubs hired Little as a scouting consultant and assistant to general manager Jim Hendry on Friday. He'll scout, help evaluate trades and the Cubs' minor league system, and assist with coaching duties during spring training.

Little managed the Red Sox the last two seasons, but he was dismissed in October, two weeks after Boston unraveled in the AL championship series. Pedro Martinez couldn't hold a lead in Game 7, and Little was blamed for leaving his ace in too long.

Little, 54, managed 16 seasons in the minors from 1980 to 1995 and was San Diego's bullpen coach in 1996. He spent the next three seasons as Jimy Williams' bench coach in Boston, then had the same job the next two seasons with Jerry Manuel in Cleveland.

He became the Red Sox manager in spring training of 2002 after Joe Kerrigan was fired.

Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

This is just hilarious. As if Cubs fans hadn't suffered along with us enough, now they have to deal with Grady, although he won't be making any decisions during the games at least, which seems like a wise idea. In fact, having him completely removed from any decision making would seem like a wise idea.

I can see it now.

Scouting Report to Little:
Has good stuff, struggles in late innings. Project as middle reliever at best, probably better at set-up or closer.

Grady Little's report passed on to GM:
The kid's a workhorse, chews up innings. Projected as a starter.

I read this in amazement and am truly astonished at the level of idiocy the Cubs are showing.

I think the two years in Boston effectively killed Grady's career. He can't ever be taken seriously as a managerial candidate anymore...and I wouldn't even trust him as a bullpen coach.

Its amazing that he is going to be scouting and evaluating...considering that he refused to hold a hitters meeting to go over scouting reports and data. The Cubs would be wise to disregard any "reports" Grady might give.

Grady's evaluations:

On Pedro Martinez: A pretty good pitcher who should be allowed to finish every game even though he has had a history of arms issues...and tires after 100 pitches. But hes got gumption and spirit.

rsb

This would be like the Red Sox hiring Steve Bartman to be the new fan ambassador in the third-base grandstand at Fenway ... :eek

JD

These 4 statements are all true but,putting them together like this is a bit misleading. Grady wasn't "dismissed" for leaving Pedro in too long. His contract was not extended because after evaluating his complete body of work, the Red Sox realized he was a bad match for them as a manager. The ones who blamed him for leaving Pedro in too long were the fans. RS management NEVER put any blame on Grady for losing the ALCS, at least publicly.

From numerous sources, Grady was lucky he was allowed on the team plane back from NY after Game 7. JWH wanted to fire him that night and was talked out of it.

Ironic that Grady will be looking at scouting reports with the Cubs, when he ignored them here.

Billygoat orders a plate of cheeseborgers.

Well then shame on John Henry.

He also wanted to fire him on the spot after St. Louis series when Tony LaRussa outmanaged.

For all his mild-mannered demeanor and for all his (mostly) carefully chosen words in public, John Henry has more than a small amount of George Steinbrenner's bad side in him.

The Cubs didn't have to spend money on a salary to get access into Grady's keen baseball intellect. Its all out there already.

1- lefty/lefty...righty/righty
2- Always send the runner on a 3-2 pitch.
3- don't score too much...it'll make the other team mad
4- manage players based on reputations. if you have a "great" pitcher in the game...no matter how badly he struggles....let him stay in to lose it.
5- always refer to yourself in third person to validate your idiocy

rsb

"Plus he likes to ask to stay in games and never really wants to be pulled. That's all you really want out of a pitcher anyway."

Further proof that the salary structure in MLB is way out of whack
with the ability levels. Some of these guys couldn't make 20 grand
a year in a real job.

[

Brain-

#6A - After one of your Golden Boy starters, whether it be Derek Lowe, Casey Fossum, John Burkett, or Ramiro Mendoza, struggles mightily in a start, refer to how 'outstanding' of a pitcher he is, how many 'outstanding ballgames' he has pitched for the team, and how 'outstanding' you know he will be next time out.

#6B - Repeat the word "outstanding" more and more times after each putrid start. This will help numb the fans' brain cells and eventually lower their all-too-lofty expectations of what the word 'outstanding' actually means. i.e. those who thought Frank Castillo was 'outstanding' obviously never saw John Burkett pitch!

Baker has been a real playoff disappointment with two teams-
the Giants and the Cubs.
The Cubs are spending money like the big market team they are,
but I get the impression the management upstairs has little smarts.
Did I say Little?

Little, by the way, usually underpitched the starters last year, with one notable exception, so maybe he was hired to "neutralize" Baker.