Just North of Wrigley Field

posted by James - 1:08 PM

From the Chicago Tribune:

"I feel like I'm one of the luckiest guys in the game, to be honest." - Cubs GM Jim Hendry.

And we're the luckiest fans in the world to have him.

And that's assuming this had anything to do with luck at all (us Cubs fans would be due for some of the good variety anyway).

Hendry worked hard to make it to his current position, and he worked hard this offseason to improve a team within a stone's throw of the World Series last year.

He didn't just make moves, because a lot of the moves Hendry made were "unnecessary." He identified players he felt would improve the team and he got them.

For example, everyone knows catcher was an offensive problem last year. And a lot of fans clamored for the Cubs to get into the Ivan Rodriguez bidding to help solve it.

Hendry didn't get the former All-Star, but he did convince Oakland to trade him Michael Barrett just after the Athletics had just acquired him themselves.

Hendry didn't need Barrett. He wanted Barrett. And he didn't give up anything to get him.

Hendry didn't need Derrek Lee. He wanted gold-glove 1B Derrek Lee. And he didn't give up anything to get him.

Hendry didn't need Greg Maddux. The whole Cubs' nation wanted the four-time Cy Young Award winner. And Hendry made it happen.

Maybe it will take luck to make all the moves Hendry made work out, but Hendry also did the work to make luck a little more irrelevant than usual.

And this could mean a season of being "lucky bastards" instead of "lucky losers."

All the while thinking this is the good luck
That stays with us most of the time
It takes time to make these machines work
But he ain't got time while he's riding in black cars and pokes at
The sky to see if he can make stars and
People are so unkind - Counting Crows "Good Luck"