Captain Quade Takes the Helm

    

MIKE QUADE

     When Mike Quade signed on as the Cubs' third-base coach in 2007, he became the third Prospect High School alumnus to suit up for the North Siders, joining catcher Tom Lundstedt (1973-1974) and outfielder Dave Kingman (1978-1980).
     Quade has now joined a somewhat less exclusive club, having been appointed the Cubs' manager. Fifty-six men preceded him in that often-thankless role, starting with Al Spalding (founder of the famous sporting-goods company) in 1876, when the team was known as the White Stockings. Only four (Cap Anson, Charlie Grimm, Frank Chance, and Leo Durocher) lasted more than five years in the job, and only one (Chance) won the World Series.
     Quade's predecessors have finished in first place 21 times, in last place 13 times. The Cubs never finished last until 1925, their 50th season in the league, but they have done so a dozen times since their most recent pennant in 1945. Durocher, who famously said, "Nice guys finish last," was not generally regarded as a nice guy. Nonetheless, he was among the Cub skippers who finished in the cellar.
     Quade is a nice guy, which doesn't mean he can't also be a winner. He has earned his shot, having managed 2,378 games in the minor leagues before landing a coaching job at the major-league level. He is one of those rare and fortunate people who can honestly say that there is no job in the world he'd rather have than the one he has. Best of luck to him.

World Series champions
1907 - Frank Chance
1908 - Frank Chance

National League champions
1876 - Al Spalding
1880 - Cap Anson
1881 - Cap Anson
1882 - Cap Anson
1885 - Cap Anson
1886 - Cap Anson
1906 - Frank Chance
1907 - Frank Chance
1908 - Frank Chance
1910 - Frank Chance
1918 - Fred Mitchell
1929 - Joe McCarthy
1932 - Charlie Grimm
1935 - Charlie Grimm
1938 - Gabby Hartnett
1945 - Charlie Grimm

Division champions
1984 - Jim Frey
1989 - Don Zimmer
2003 - Dusty Baker
2007 - Lou Piniella
2008 - Lou Piniella

Won National League wild card
1998 - Jim Riggleman

Finished exactly .500
1878 - Bob Ferguson
1952 - Phil Cavarretta
1977 - Herman Franks

Finished in last place
1925 - Bill Killefer, Rabbit Maranville, George Gibson
1948 - Charlie Grimm
1949 - Charlie Grimm, Frankie Frisch
1951 - Frankie Frisch, Phil Cavarretta
1956 - Stan Hack
1966 - Leo Durocher
1974 - Whitey Lockman, Jim Marshall
1980 - Preston Gomez, Joey Amalfitano
1981 - Joey Amalfitano
1987 - Gene Michael, Frank Lucchesi
1999 - Jim Riggleman
2000 - Don Baylor
2006 - Dusty Baker