BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Chicago Cubs hire Cleveland Guardians executive Carter Hawkins as their new general manager

Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Chicago Cubs hire Cleveland Guardians executive Carter Hawkins as their new general manager

The Indians over the last several years have done a good job at two things—grooming starting pitchers and front office executives for other teams.

The latest example of that is Carter Hawkins, who has been hired as the Chicago Cubs new general manager. Hawkins just finished his 14th season with the Indians, the last five as an assistant general manager to GM Mike Chernoff.

Hawkins, 37, and James Harris, the Indians vice president of player development, were finalists for the Cubs job. Other finalist included Carlos Rodriguez, Tampa Bay’s director of player development and international scouting and Jeremy Zoll, the Twins assistant GM.

Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, has been looking for a GM since he replaced Theo Epstein as Chicago’s top baseball decision maker. Epstein, who delivered the Cubs first World Series title since 1908 at the expense of the Indians in 2016, left the team following the 2020 season.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: October 13, 2021 at 08:39 PM | 22 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: cubs, cy slapnicka, guardians

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

1. Starring Bradley Scotchman as RMc Posted: October 14, 2021 at 08:30 AM (#6046221)

Did they start being the Guardians when the season ended? I thought they were going to wait til next year.

2. Moses Taylor loves a good maim Posted: October 14, 2021 at 09:08 AM (#6046228)

Ok.

Hard to really have a strong opinion on this honestly. Though it does seem like coming from the Rays is a better background than the Cleve. Though both of those orgs have plenty of experience being cheap, which also has to be a draw for the current Cubs org.

3. Charles S. is pretty fast for an old guy Posted: October 14, 2021 at 09:43 AM (#6046238)

This was posted in the Cleveland newspaper more than 12 hours ago. Search Carter Hawkins name on the Chicago Tribune website, and it's crickets. You might think the second most popular professional sports team in town hiring a new GM would be worthy of at least a blurb even if you're too cheap to have a reporter actually cover the story.

4. Brian C Posted: October 14, 2021 at 02:30 PM (#6046320)

In their defense, 1) it's not official yet, and 2) it's not clear how this is really news anyway. A GM in baseball used to be a really big deal, but nowadays, title inflation has basically made the GM job equivalent to an old assistant GM job. The Cubs' actual front office leadership is exactly the same as it was last week.

Maybe it'll turn out to be an important hire, but on its face, it's such an unimportant role that Hoyer didn't even bother to fill it for a year.

5. Walks Clog Up the Bases Posted: October 14, 2021 at 03:08 PM (#6046325)

I already forgot about the Guardians name and thought the Cubs were going extra cheap by hiring some random Cleveland business executive as their new GM.

6. Walt Davis Posted: October 14, 2021 at 04:39 PM (#6046360)

#2: Yep, TB's director of player development and international scouting sounds like exactly who the Cubs have needed for the last 5 years and perhaps especially now after trading everybody for (mostly international) 18-year-olds. Or maybe we should just offer that guy crazy money to take the same job.

7. Walt Davis Posted: October 14, 2021 at 04:43 PM (#6046363)

Did they start being the Guardians when the season ended?

Some writers, maybe some papers, made the perfectly sensible decision to start using the new name immediately. If one were concerned that the old name caused offense, why keep using it? They could have dropped the team name altogether ... not many people are going to seriously wonder "from the MLB team?"

8. JJ1986 Posted: October 14, 2021 at 04:59 PM (#6046367)

But the first line says "Indians."

9. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: October 14, 2021 at 05:17 PM (#6046373)

it's such an unimportant role that Hoyer didn't even bother to fill it for a year.

And look how well that turned out!

10. bartap74 Posted: October 15, 2021 at 03:53 PM (#6046701)

Odd that the headline says Guardians but the article says Indians.

11. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: October 15, 2021 at 04:38 PM (#6046707)

Cleveland Baseball Team.

12. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: October 15, 2021 at 05:30 PM (#6046717)

The team website still says Indians. I don’t know when they’ll officially make the changeover.

13. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: October 15, 2021 at 07:23 PM (#6046734)

Guardians is still a dumb name. Not that I was a big fan of Indians, but Guardians is dumb. I don't care if the Spiders sucked a zillion years ago, it's a way better team name with some actual local roots. Plus, think of the Halloween promotions when they make the playoffs!

(And don't talk to me about statues near freeways. Also very dumb.)

14. SoSH U at work Posted: October 15, 2021 at 07:49 PM (#6046740)

it's a way better team name with some actual local roots.

So, when you say roots, you mean, a separate franchise 120 years ago used that generic non, even thought it doesn't really have any more connection to the city of Cleveland than anywhere else. As opposed to the name of the figures 300 yards outside Jacobs Field.

Guardians is an excellent name.

15. Jose is Absurdly Correct but not Helpful Posted: October 16, 2021 at 11:50 AM (#6046858)

I find the exuberance for "Spiders" perplexing. The name itself is good but the ONLY reason it's remembered is because they were historically terrible in 1899. It's like saying "we need to name a fielding award after a player with a memorable defensive record, I know, the Dick Stuart Award!"

Plus, I think Guardians is just a really good name. It's different, it has a local connection and hell the namesake is the opening shot of one of the best baseball movies ever.

16. Mellow Mouse, Benevolent Space Tyrant Posted: October 16, 2021 at 12:30 PM (#6046865)

I like both Spiders and Guardians. Either works for me.

17. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: October 16, 2021 at 01:37 PM (#6046881)

Cleveland Guardians sounds more like a life insurance company than a baseball team. Just don't change the names of the Yankees or the Orioles.

18. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: October 16, 2021 at 02:56 PM (#6046904)

Cleveland Guardians sounds more like a life insurance company than a baseball team.

this

19. Adam Starblind Posted: October 16, 2021 at 03:19 PM (#6046916)

Guardians is still a dumb name. Not that I was a big fan of Indians, but Guardians is dumb. I don't care if the Spiders sucked a zillion years ago, it's a way better team name with some actual local roots.

I thought it was slightly less awful when I learned that there was a local connection--the Guardians are a local landmark. Not the greatest, but non-arbitrary.

20. SoSH U at work Posted: October 16, 2021 at 03:52 PM (#6046933)

I thought it was slightly less awful when I learned that there was a local connection--the Guardians are a local landmark. Not the greatest, but non-arbitrary.

They're not just a local landmark. They're located just outside the ballpark.

It's an excellent name. I'm not saying they couldn't have done better (I would have loved to see them break from the place name/nickname convention that every single franchise in the four traditional NA team sports employs*), but it's vastly better than going the uninspired route of recycling Spiders.

* Although I recognize that's a (Hope Memorial) Bridge too far for most everyone else.

21. Ron J Posted: October 16, 2021 at 06:53 PM (#6046976)

#20 I wanted the Naps. Recycled but so different.

22. bobm Posted: October 17, 2021 at 08:50 PM (#6047030)

Cleveland Guardians sounds more like a life insurance company than a baseball team.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your 2022 Cleveland Progressives!

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

<< Back to main

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Chicago Cubs hire Cleveland Guardians executive Carter Hawkins as their new general manager

Reader Comments and Retorts

BBTF Partner

Support BBTF

Hot Topics