NEW YORK - He didn't get to the World Series, but Jim Hendry still came a long way.
In his first full season as the Cubs general manager, the Dunedin native helped turn the franchise known most for losing into one that was within one win, and maybe one fan's hand, of getting to the World Series.
His boss, team president Andy MacPhail, said, "He's really done a terrific job" and should be considered for Executive of the Year honors.
His manager, Dusty Baker, said: "He's been great. He's been honest. You know, he asks our opinions on things. We know he's the boss, but at the same time he doesn't try to micromanage and tell you what to do. He hired us here to do a job. He kept his word on everything that was within his power to do. He's gone to bat for different guys."
Hendry took a team that won 67 games in 2003 and remade it into a team that won 88 games and a Central division championship. More impressive, he did it through hard work, making a bevy of trades and signings and raising his payroll by only about $18-million in the process. Then he made some key in-season acquisitions.
"Jim Hendry wants to win, wants to win badly, he loves to win. He goes crazy not winning. So I don't know how he went last year. I know he won this year, and he's still kind of crazy," Baker said.
"So it's nice to be around a guy like that. He reminds me a lot of (Giants GM) Brian Sabean. He wants to win. He does his homework. He works fiercely. He never sleeps. I don't know when he sleeps, four or five hours a day, trying to make us better and trying to win. Jim Hendry has a lot to do with this."
Pretty good for a guy who grew up playing in the Dunedin National Little League and then for Greg Nichols at Dunedin High, was a bat boy for the Phillies during spring training, went to Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., tried to get into TV sportscasting and ended up a high school coach in Miami. He went from there to Creighton University in Omaha and became an extremely successful college coach, then got another huge break when the expansion Marlins hired him in their player development department and let him learn the pro game as the franchise was built. He then went to the Cubs and worked his way up and under MacPhail's wing, getting promoted to the GM job in July 2002.
"It was not," Hendry said, "your typical GM background."
SEEING RED: Boston manager Grady Little is being criticized extensively for his decision to leave Pedro Martinez in Thursday's game, to the point where Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan said he has "become the managerial (Bill) Buckner" and the Sox have no choice but to let him go.
Speaking at length Saturday for the first time since Thursday's game, Little defended the decision, saying he felt his ace was throwing as well in the eighth inning as throughout the game. "A lot of people have the answers after the results come in," he said.
General manager Theo Epstein says a decision will be made in the next few days on whether to pick up Little's $500,000 option for next season.
RAYS RUMBLINGS: The Mariners have interest in talking to Hal McRae about their vacant hitting coach job. McRae, who has another year on his deal as a special assistant to GM Chuck LaMar, is likely to listen.
Stan Williams, hired last week as advance scout, was the sixth person the Rays hired from the Mariners. Williams has been manager Lou Piniella's pitching coach on three occasions but is expected to stick to advance scouting.
Rays officials are talking internally about a two- or three-year deal for Aubrey Huff, whose tremendous season will make him a rich man, probably $2.5-million to $3-million per year. ... In what is not a particularly attractive home schedule anyway, the Rays designated all games with the Yankees, Red Sox and Giants as "premium" games, which means tickets cost $3 to $15 more per game. ... LaMar and Piniella are expected at the World Series games in Miami this week.
MISCELLANY: There is some talk Mike Port is the choice for the GM job in Seattle. ... The Reds are down to Omar Minaya, Wayne Krivsky and Dan O'Brien for their GM post. ... The Mets also are talking to Minaya, who could end up in a tandem GM situation with Jim Duquette. The Mets also are interested in Oakland pitching coach Rick Peterson. ... The White Sox still are waiting to talk to Marlins third-base coach Ozzie Guillen about the manager's job. ... Frank Robinson is likely to be back as Expos manager. ... The A's now say they will make an offer to retain shortstop Miguel Tejada.
- Information from Times wires was used in this report.
