Why hasn't this albatross been fired yet???

alot of people should be fired, we just have to wait and see.

Because Ricketts wants to change things.

Because all of the other very good GM's who built playoff caliber teams and made it to the post season in 3 of the last 7 seasons are taken.

When is the last time a Jim Hendry team won a playoff game despite having a top 4 NL payroll the entire time?

When was the last time Jim Hendry played in a playoff game?

This conversation will be going on 12 months from now as well.

Of course it will. This same thread gets posted every single time the Cubs lose a game.

Is he on the field? Nope.

Is it his fault when injuries occur? Nope.

He put the team together, it's on the players to perform.

Totally agree with you. However, a couple of his moves were questionable under pressure from Lou of course to make the team more "balanced" at the plate.

++He put the team together++

YEs he did.

Dead farm system, worst contracts in baseball, getting older, etc.

I meant this discussion will be going on a year from now after a similar year to the one that just passed.

Maybe last offseason can be duplicated

Yeah, he took a few gambles. With every gamble, you run the risk of losing.

Fontenot not living up to expectations hurt, injuries hurt worse, and the unknown ownership situation probably didn't help.

"Dead farm system"

Some of the best prospects in the lower levels makes it dead? Wilkins' picks have been panning out pretty well. Strike one.

" worst contracts in baseball"

Alex Rios, Barry Zito, Dice-K. The worst one on the Cubs (Soriano) wasn't even negotiated by him, McDonough went over his head and behind his back to add the full NTC, 3 extra years, and $35+ million. Strike two.

"getting older,"

Yeah, those geezers Soto (26), Theriot (29), Ramirez (31), Hoffpauir (29), Fox (26), Baker (28), Blanco (25), Fuld (27), Zambrano (28), Wells (26), Marshall (26), Marmol (26), Guzman (27), Gorzelanny (26), Samarzidja (24), and up-and-comers like Colvin (23), Berg (25), Stevens (25), Caridad (25), Atkins (23), Camp (25), Clevnger (23) Gaub (24), Patton (25), Adduci (24), Carpenter (23), Cashner (22), Castro (19) et al are really about ready for the retirement home aren't they?
Strike three clown. Go away.

Truck, why can't Jim Hendry win a playoff game with a top 4 NL payroll?

It all boils down to the players now.....Soriano, Bradley, and Zambrano are all guys who seem to lack that killer instinct character. It seems as though, a player should always compete to get better, and ripen as a player with age. Some of our crew has gone sour. But what is gonna really make this team get back on track, to me, is a number one starter. Zambrano isn't it, even though he's supposed to be. I just think the entire rotation relaxes, and Big Z can calm down a bit. Ship Bradley off if possible....or just see what Rudy can do for a year. Soriano and Bradley both excelled with him in the fold.

I did fail to mention that all will be held accountable soon enough. Hopefully.

We can only hope.

++Is it his fault when injuries occur? Nope.
He put the team together, it's on the players to perform.++

WOW...where to begin dissecting this warped logic....

OK, first off..were the Cubs the only team in baseball that had an injured player this year? No? Thought not. ALL teams have injuries, you have to plug in those spots with good players and move on.

Secondly... well, it's so idiotic, I don't know where to begin. You say JH puts the team together, and it's up to them to perform? Thanks for that revelation.
Mike Rizzo put the Nationals together, and it's up to them to perform
Neal Huntington put the Pirates together, and it's up to them to perform

See, when you have bad players (or lazy, unmotivated players), they're NOT going to perform. So maybe it IS the GM's fault...for bringing in bad or lazy players....ya think?