Love Letters From Pronk is an ongoing series where Pronk shares his love for somebody connected to the Cubs. Sometimes funny, sometimes weird, Pronk likes to make 100% sure people know that they are loved, and best expresses that through gushing letters. Today's pick: Cubs General manager Jed Hoyer
Jed Hoyer does not get enough respect. He's often stuck in Theo Epstein's shadow. Watching Sunday night baseball, the typically 100% accurate Alex Rodriguez called Epstein the General Manager, later correcting himself and apologizing to Jed. It got me thinking, that Jed Hoyer deserves more of our respect and thanks. He's a key cog in the machine that brought some big wins to the north side. Do you think that Theo Epstein does everything himself? Hoyer's learned and grown, and became a great front office guy.
Here's the deal. If you look at a list of Cubs GMs, Jed Hoyer is arguably the most successful General Manager in franchise history. He's overseen 4 Cubs playoff teams. Next up on the list is Jim Hendry with 3. He's the only Cubs GM with a World Series ring. Somehow he's been with the team 9 years, in a tie with Hendry for second longest tenure.
Dear Jed,
Thank you for being part of the best Cubs regime we've ever seen. Thank you for all the good trades you've made, all the solid deals you've signed and for all the great players you've drafted. No front office ever bats 1.000 on moves, but you've been right more often than not. Thank you for trading for Anthony Rizzo a second time. Thank you for drafting Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. Thank you for the gutsy move of bring in Yu Darvish to replace Jake Arrieta. And thank you for trading for Jake Arrieta back in the day.
People love to assume that it's the Theo Epstein show, not realizing that it's a team effort. Theo isn't a genius who just says the right things all the time. He's got great people backing him up. Team players who work well together and keep the gears turning. You guys have obviously worked very well together, as you kept the gears turning in Boston after he left. He wanted you for the Cubs job quickly, and it's been a move that hasn't gotten enough credit.
You don't often notice good umpires, because they make the game flow smoothly. A bad umpire stands out like a sore thumb. The same concept goes for the front office. Make a few bad moves, and you sink the team for years. Poorly evaluate players, and the fans won't ever forget it. But keep things going smoothly, and you become invisible. It's a compliment for me to say that the front office for the last 9 years has been one of the smoothest in baseball. Not every deal has worked out, but there have been so few mis-evaluations that the team has maintained strong success despite a whole host of injuries and circumstances. You've always been ahead of the curve and put the team in the best possible spots for long term success.
Way to go!
XOXO
Pronk