Don't Mess With DeJesus

As excited as I was about the prospect of a Cubs coaching staff devoid of ex-Cubs, Uncle Lou went out and hired Ivan DeJesus as a "special assistant". Whatever that means.

I remember DeJesus as the slick-fielding shortstop. His were the moves I tried to imitate as a kid before his departure, the "dance of the middle infielder" I like to call it. Just by watching him on TV I learned how to go to the hole and make a decent throw off the wrong foot. Ironically, my first Cub game was one of the five he missed in 1980. But I digress...

DeJesus came over with Bill Buckner and got us Larry Bowa AND Ryne Sandberg when he left, so there will always be a couple of fond memories there. Without that trade, the Cubs might have gone another 14 years before reaching the postseason. But he's still one of the players associated with some bad Cub ballclubs at the end of the Wrigley era.

Maybe DeJesus will be different. He's yet another new Cub coach with managerial experience, contrary to Clines, Matthews, etc., and he had some success managing on the minor league level with the Astros organization, so maybe he'll be good for the Ronny Cedenos and Ryan Theriots of the Cub system. But it sure would be nice to go in with a clean slate.