It should come as no surprise to anyone that Chicago Cubs Manager Mike Quade will not be returning to manage the club next season. The announcement came from Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein.
In his statement Epstein said that he met all day Thursday with Quade at Wrigley Field and that he and Quade had also communicated via telephone. The new boss later flew to Florida to inform Quade in person that the Cubs have decided not to bring him back in 2012.
Epstein said he knew Quade had a “reputation as an outstanding baseball guy, as a tireless worker and as a first-rate 
human being”.
“While Mike is clearly an asset to any organization and any major league staff, [we] believe that the Cubs would benefit long-term from bringing in a manager for 2012 who can come in with a clean slate and offer new direction,” Epstein said.
So now that the process to find a new manager has begun, what type of manager are the Cubs looking for?
“We are looking for someone with whom and around whom we can build a foundation for sustained success,” Epstein said. “The next manager must have leadership and communication skills; he must place an emphasis on preparation and accountability; he must establish high standards and a winning culture; he must have integrity and an open mind; and he must have managerial or coaching experience at the major league level.”
Does this rule out fan favorite Ryne Sandberg?
Perhaps. But it may not rule him out as a bench coach to another choice unless another team approaches him about a managerial job; which appears to be the case.
Used with permission of the author.
Miriam Romain is a Chicago-based sportswriter and national columnist covering the Chicago Cubs for Examiner.com. The Windy City native is also the Associate Editor for SBNation Chicago and has been published in the Maple Street Press Cubs annuals. In her free time, Romain is working on a book titled “Summers At Wrigley With My Dad.”
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