Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry Part 2: The Bad

(Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images)

The reason for passing on Rodriguez was Hendry had only so much money to spend, so he wanted to spend it on bringing back an icon to Chicago, who unfortunately had his best days in Atlanta.

Whether it was for marketing reasons or trying to help the team win, Greg Maddux again took the mound at Wrigley.

While he did win thirty-eight games over the next three seasons before Hendry traded him to the Dodgers, he wasn’t the same pitcher that left to go to Atlanta.

The Cubs already had Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, and Matt Clement at the time and didn’t really need Maddux.

I said before the season that I would like both of them, but if I could only have one, my pick would be Rodriguez.

Maddux pitches every fifth day while “Pudge” gives the team a chance to win every day. Maybe with him behind the plate, the Cubs make the playoffs in 2004 with the team that Sports Illustrated picked to win the World Series.

The Cubs traded a couple of relief pitchers over the years that could have helped a bereft bullpen.

Juan Cruz was traded for a minor league pitcher named Andy Pratt, whose father was working for the organization. I’m not sure if it was a favor to him, but after a short stay and a beat down by opposing batters, he disappeared and was never to be seen again.

I think he went into the witness protection program and his story is due to be seen on a future episode of In Plain Sight.

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