CHICAGO -- General manager Jim Hendry made a series of solid moves to transform the Chicago Cubs from perennial losers to a team on the cusp of reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945.\nHendry got his early education in professional ball from the Florida Marlins, the team Chicago is trying to get past in the NLCS.\nAfter a successful stint as a college baseball coach at Creighton, Hendry joined the fledgling Marlins before they even played their first game.\nIn three years with Florida, he served as a special assistant to then GM Dave Dombrowski, as a scout and minor league manager. He joined the Cubs in 1994, initially as the director of player development.\nHe'll never forget his early days in Florida.\n"The Marlins' situation when I left Creighton was unique. I don't know if I could have been on the same path if I had gone with another club," Hendry said Monday, the day before Game 6 of the best-of-seven NLCS that the Cubs lead 3-2.\n"I got a tremendous foundation in my entrance into professional baseball. ... I think I got hired two months after Dave did. And we didn't play a game for 18 months. In those 18 months those guys included me in a lot of committees, expansion committees, a lot of scouting that I really didn't have any right being involved in with my background.\n"I learned so much in those first couple of years that they gave me the feeling I could possibly be successful at the professional level in what I wanted to do."\nHendry was promoted to assistant GM by the Cubs in 2000. And, on July 5, 2002, he was appointed GM when CEO Andy MacPhail handed over one of his two jobs.\nHendry aggressively pursued Dusty Baker in the offseason and landed him as manager. He also made a major offseason trade, sending the unpopular Todd Hundley to Los Angeles for two key players, Mark Grudzielanek and Eric Karros.\nHis best deals were made after the All-Star break when he twice traded with the Pirates and got Kenny Lofton, Aramis Ramirez and Randall Simon -- catalysts in the Cubs winning the NL Central.
THE PREZ SAYS:\nThe former owner of the Texas Rangers says the Chicago Cubs' strong pitching gives them a chance at advancing to the World Series.\nPresident Bush said "the two good young arms" like Mark Prior and Kerry Wood gives the Cubs "as good a shot as anyone."\n"A lot of time if your pitchers get hot you can do it. We'll see," Bush told Tribune Broadcasting on Monday as the president conducted a series of interviews with regional television outlets. The Tribune Co. owns the Cubs.\nBush also paid tribute to the famously loyal Cubs fans.\n"Packing the stadium on the road ... is exciting for the town," he said. "I'm excited for the Cubs fans."
DAY AFTER:\nJosh Beckett, who won Game 5 with a two-hit shutout, jogged around Wrigley Field on Monday. Mark Redman, who hopes to start Game 7, threw on the side in the bullpen.\nMost players took the day off, but it's obvious the Marlins are loose headed into Tuesday night's Game 6 of the NLCS.\n"There's still going to be a Game 6 -- and a Game 7," Beckett said Sunday after overpowering the Cubs.\n"Our guys realize that we're the underdogs, we're not supposed to be here," Florida manager Jack McKeon said Monday. "And they are full of confidence. I know they'd be very happy to get to Game 7."\nInstead of Brad Penny, McKeon decided to use Carl Pavano in Game 6.\nHow does McKeon come up with some of his personnel decisions after decades in baseball? It's a combination of methods.\n"You rely on gut feelings, you look at the stats and see how guys match up," McKeon said.\n"You look at different players and look in their eyes and they can tell you sometimes whether they're scared or struggling and putting too much pressure on themselves and maybe need a day off. You may be better off switching someone else that has less pressure on them."\nGLUED TO THE TUBE:\nFox's coverage of Game 3 between the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins was rated higher than any LCS game a year ago.\nThe Friday night broadcast recorded a 9.3/18 national rating/share, with an average audience of 14.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. That's a 45 percent improvement over last year's comparable Friday night telecast between Minnesota and Anaheim.
