Chicago Cubs Rumors: Terry Francona Wants to Manage the Cubs, so What Gives?

Terry Francona "badly wants to manage the Chicago Cubs" in 2012. That is according to the Chicago Tribune's Dave Van Dyck, and he believes Francona is the guy the Cubs should hire if they want to win. So why has the former Boston Red Sox's two-time World Series champion manager's name hardly been mentioned at all throughout this process? Honestly, nobody knows.

New Cubs president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have only stated their expectations for their manager, and Francona fulfills all those roles. Not only that, he is the only manager who the Cubs are looking at who has a proven record, especially winning World Series. He did so with the team that is in place in Chicago of Epstein and Hoyer.

This raises the question, why does Epstein seem uninterested in Francona? Is it because of the fallout they each had with Boston, which led to both men leaving their winning posts? Perhaps. Epstein wasn't dismissed like Francona was, but he was likely feeling the heat considering the locker room fallout that revolved around the team he built. It was Epstein who put Francona in charge of that locker room, and perhaps he feels that he has lost trust in his manager of the last eight years.

Another factor could be that Epstein wants to prove that he can do this without Francona. Like Francona, many potential managers are courting Epstein, and many of those candidates have the chance to be great. There is no doubt that guys like Mike Maddux or Sandy Alomar Jr. are ready to take the helm of a team, and the Cubs would have been fools to not look at them. The absence of Francona throughout this process just doesn't seem right.

There is no doubt that those other guys could succeed in the Cubs' managerial position, but none of these men should be put above Francona. Managing the Red Sox for eight seasons, he never once had a record below .500. The Cubs' main focus should be on winning, and they would be best to make the move for the manager who has proved he can win.

The Cubs have seen more success with proven managers than fresh talent. While the end of their tenures were not pretty, the Cubs were still extremely successful in the early years of Lou Piniella and Dusty Baker. From the way things went with Mike Quade this last season, the Cubs should be hesitant on giving the position to someone that they have no idea about as a leader. With Francona, they at least would know what they are getting.

If Francona wants to manage the Cubs, Epstein should bring him into the interview process. He obviously has the credentials, and if he really wants to enter this position on a team that has been this horrid, it really shows the passion he has. Francona has interviewed with the St. Louis Cardinals, and obviously that situation stands out as a much better one then the one in Chicago. Still, Francona wants the Cubs job.

Maybe Epstein doesn't see Francona as the right guy, and that is OK. The least he can do, and what he must do, is bring him in for the interview process. Let Francona talk to Epstein and Hoyer and let him go through the interview and media process that the other potential candidates have gone through. Then determine what their position is on the potential of Francona joining the Cubs. 

In the end, the Cubs may realize that their best guy for the job is the one who they all knew the best.

Jeff Chase is from Chicago and is an undergrad at Arizona State University. He currently is interning with B/R and is in process of becoming a Featured Columnist for Arizona State football.

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