Now that Quade is officially out as the Cubs skipper, the question that follows is, "then who?" A popular answer for many Cubs fans has been Ryne Sandberg, who looks to be ready for a shot.
Well you can count the Cubs out of the Ryno Sweepstakes, as Theo Epstein has reiterated that he's looking for experience for his club's managerial positon (Muskat | Muskat Ramblings):
Ryne Sandberg is not a candidate for the Cubs’ managerial vacancy. Theo Epstein said he wants someone who has managerial or coaching experience at the Major League level. Sandberg has managed in the Minor Leagues for five seasons, including four with the Cubs. This season, he left the Cubs to manage the Phillies’ Triple-A team.
So where's the next most logical landing spot for a lifelong Cubbie to go? To fill the still-warm seat of hall-of-fame-to-be Tony Larussa at the hated Cardinals, of course!
"Report: Cardinals to interview Ryno for managing job."
Uh-oh. None of that headline makes sense, unless you're imagining a future which includes a rookie manager running the most hated rival you could imagine, taking over for one of the most famous managers in history on the tail of an improbable World Series run (and the increasingly likely exit of one of the top 3 or 4 players of all time).
Someone wake me when we're dealing with the real world again.