When the Mike Quade dismissal was announced, the Chicago Cubs director of baseball operations Theo Epstein included this tidbit in the press release:
The next manager ... must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level.
This seemingly eliminated Cubs Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg from consideration. Sandberg was a popular name in discussion of the Cubs' managerial opening, both because of his organizational ties and his current job as the manager of the triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sandberg is going to get consideration for a major-league managerial opening, but it won't be just from the Cubs. From Ken Rosenthal:
Sources: #Cardinals have asked permission to interview Ryne Sandberg for managerial opening.
Well. That's like the Red Sox considering Derek Jeter for an opening, or the Dodgers looking at Barry Bonds to be their hitting coach. It's one of those things that just can't happen in the universe that we know now.
But if the Cubs are going to pass Sandberg over, other teams will be interested. One of them happens to be the Cubs' blood rival. Maybe it's just a way to tease Chicago fans, or maybe it's something that's really going to happen, making Cubs fans ill for the next several years. Should be interesting.