Theo Epstein: Is He Really the Answer for the Chicago Cubs?

Jim Hendry was booted from the Cubs earlier this year.  A change was in order according to new owner Tom Ricketts.  While most Cubs fans agreed with this notion, many seem to be clamoring for current Red Sox GM Theo Epstein to take the perch left by Hendry.  While I won't exactly bemoan the hiring of a guy who ended the second worst "curse" in MLB history, I can't say that I'll be saving up to buy World Series tickets to Wrigley Field next year either. 

Can it be that years of futility have blinded the most faithful Cubs fans to the obvious?  Theo Epstein would be Jim Hendry 2.0.  In fact, let's look at the track records here.  Both guys have a great track record and both have their failures, too.  Epstein took over the GM role near the end of 2002.  He brought guys in like Bill Mueller, David Ortiz, Curt Schilling and Kevin Millar.  Boston doesn't break their World Series drought without these guys... especially Schilling and Ortiz. 

Also in 2002, the Cubs promoted Hendry to become their GM.  Hendry was an assistant GM with Chicago, and had been with the organization since 1995 as Director of Player Development.  So, Hendry was there bringing along Kerry Wood, Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano. 

Obviously injuries and mental issues ultimately derailed what could have been a very historic pitching rotation.  But, in 2003, Wood and Prior were on top of their games and lead the Cubs to the postseason.  Hendry is also the man who brought in Aramis Ramirez, Randall Simon and Kenny Lofton in a trade with the Pirates.  Ramirez became the franchise's best third baseman since Ron Santo while Lofton and Simon ended up being huge additions to the team that year. 

The 2003 Cubs were a championship caliber team, and Jim Hendry was an architect of that squad simply based on his positions with the organization in years prior.  He also was able to trade for Derrek Lee the following year.   

In 2004, the Red Sox came back from a 3-0 series deficit against the Yankees to win the deciding Game 7 and ultimately sweep the Cardinals in the World Series.  The "Curse of the Bambino" was over!  Theo Epstein had somewhat built this world championship team.  Yes, Epstein brought Ortiz and Schilling to Boston.  He even swung a deadline deal to get Dave Roberts to Boston.  Roberts had a key steal to keep the Sox alive in Game 4. 

But, let's not forget he already had Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, Tim Wakefield, Derek Lowe, Jason Varitek and some guy named Pedro Martinez, who were already fixtures in Boston before he arrived.

Now, let's alter the course of history just for hypothetical sake.  In 2003, the Cubs famously were five outs away from advancing to their first World Series since 1945.  Everyone reading this is probably aware of what happened next.  Is Hendry to blame for that?  If Moises Alou happens to catch that foul ball, do the Cubs go on to the World Series and-gasp!-actually win?  If Alex Gonalez fields a routine ground ball and turns a double play, do the Cubs reverse their own curse?  Does Jim Hendry become a worshiped icon in the Windy City like Epstein was in Beantown?

What if Dave Roberts gets thrown out stealing in Game 4?  What if the Red Sox lost just one of those next three games?  What if the Yankees didn't flat out choke?  Is Theo Epstein able to walk into any New England restaurant and eat for free?  Are new parents naming their sons after him?  Does he even last to 2007 to bring another World Series to Boston?  Yes, I understand that none of this happened and history won't be altered.  But in the case of the Cubs and the Sox, both histories were altered by mere inches and luck... both good and bad. 

Of course, after the early success of both Hendry and Epstein, failures did begin to mount.  Dusty Baker was fired.  Lou Piniella was hired and walked away midseason in 2010.  Cubs Nation was begging for Ryne Sandberg to be hired as the next manager and Hendry chose Mike Quade to take over. 

Many felt that this was a huge slap in the face to a Cubs icon and many fans have not forgiven the organization for this complete lack of respect for a guy who was supposed to pay his dues and take over for Piniella down the road.  There's also the infamous contracts given to guys like Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Milton Bradley, etc.

Epstein's track record of late hasn't been a good sign, either.  John Lackey and Carl Crawford have mega contracts as well, but have performed nowhere near expectations.  Julio Lugo?  Mike Cameron?  Daisuke Matsuzaka?  Do you remember what they had to spend just for the rights to TALK to Dice-K?  Like Hendry, Theo had some money to play with from ownership and many believe he ended up just outbidding himself to make a splash.  Hendry did the same things with Soriano and Bradley.  This isn't the NFL.  You can't just get rid of someone and watch the money disappear, too. 

So, if you really look at things, does Epstein really seem like a major improvement over Hendry?  A bounce here, a catch there, would we be talking about the Red Sox asking the Cubs to speak to Hendry?  We'll never know.  But, let's wait before we crown Theo the King of Chicago.  He's not here... yet.