Memo to Jim Hendry: Time to Grow Up and Act Like Kenny Williams

Let me begin this piece by stating the obvious: I am not on the Jim Hendry Bandwagon.

Hendry is the absentee General Manager of the Chicago Cubs, who now gets the privilege of answering harder questions that end with the word "Peavy" than the those he answered in March.

He failed in an over-publicized attempt to land the ace of the San Diego Padres, and decided to instead sign or trade for a bunch of players that have successfully made the team less competitive than they've been in four seasons.

Jake Peavy? Nope. But Hendry was able to bring in Milton Bradley, Aaron Heilman, and Kevin Gregg.

Nice.

Back in March, Hendry was asked daily not if, but when, Peavy would be starting for the Cubs. Would it be Opening Day, or would he defer to in-house ace Carlos Zambrano? And what number would Peavy wear for the Cubs?

Now, the questions will likely have a little more of an edge.

One suggested question for Hendry: How much do you now wish you had traded an apparently over rated Jeff Samardzija and his "one major league pitch" in a package for a legit big league ace?

Despite the devastating refusal to become a White Sox, Kenny Williams should be applauded for having the "onions" to offer enough of a package for Padres' GM Kevin Towers to accept. Atlanta didn't do it, and neither did Hendry. But Williams did, and should be commended for the effort.

Not only will the questions from the Chicago media likely have more of an edge now, but Hendry will have to deal with a more cynical fan base that has already boo'd each of Hendry's winter acquisitions.

Hendry has added to his "across-the-board" failure this winter the fact that the Cubs cross-town, market-sharing rival on the South Side were able to do what he was not: put together a deal for a stud.

Williams has a history loaded with finding jewels in other team's recycle bins and underpaying for solid veterans. Hendry, meanwhile, gave Bradley a deal with bigger numbers than Williams gave Jermaine Dye.

Dye, of course, would end up with a World Series MVP Trophy; Bradley has only been successful in talking himself down from a two-game suspension to one.

I'm going to suggest that the Ricketts Family, whenever they finalize their purchase of the Cubs, pay for Hendry to take an internship on the South Side to learn the elementary art of talent evaluation.