Legend of the Fall

It's not even the middle of May and the Cubs are already pretty much out of it.  If they continue to imitate a dumpster fire, I can't imagine why in the blue hell Sweet Lou would be back next year.  Whether he just gets fed up with it or whether Tom Ricketts decides it's time for a change, chances are good that we'll see someone new patrolling the dugout at Wrigley.  Do they go after another big-name manager with a good deal of major league experience, as they have the past couple go-rounds with Dusty and Lou?  Or do they go with a totally random choice?  The most popular choice at this point is Ryne Sandberg, the HOF-er who's been cutting his managerial teeth in the Cubs farm system for the past several years. 
Most guys with Ryno's pedigree would never even consider heading back to A ball to babysit prospects and shuttle between small midwest towns on a bus.  They'd sit back in the Arizona sun or take a job calling games for the 4-letter network and wait for some team to come calling.  Or, in the case of Alan Trammell, they'd be welcomed back to their old team as a savior before promptly leading said team to pretty much the worst record ever.  And where is ye old Tiger hero now?  That's right, he's the bench coach for the Cubs.  Ironic in a way, ain't it?
So Sandberg spent a year in A ball managing the Peoria Chiefs, then 2 years in Tennessee and now he's running the show for the AAA I-Cubs.  Now I'm all for paying your dues and I'm also all for repaying a man's commitment to his team.  Ryno is a Cub, through and through, and I'm of the opinion that the Cubs job should be his for the taking when Lou is done.  Sure, you've got to conduct interviews with due diligence, but who are you gonna find out there better suited to the job?  Unlike the Tigers, the Cubs don't need to lean on a legend to try to sell tickets or to revive some long-lost sense of pride.  But they also don't need to make s hire based simply on the merits of a guy's name.
Sandberg has proven that he can manage at the minor league level and he's also shown sides of himself that were never really on display during his playing days.  As a Cub, Ryno was reserved and workmanlike, he just went out and did his job and kept his mouth shut.  As a manager, he's shown fire and passion unlike anything we saw from him in the past.  He's been more open with the media too.  And who could be better at teaching young ballplayers about the fundamentals of the game?  The guy was incredibly consistent, a trait that has been noticeably missing from the Cubs team in recent seasons.  At this point, the question is not whether he should be the Cubs manager, but when.  I say the sooner the better.
Now, am I biased?  I sure as hell am.  Ryne Sandberg was my idol as a kid growing up in Northwest IN, so much so that I named my son Ryne.  So I'd say I qualify as a truly biased judge.  But even so, I can't see any way that the man doesn't become the next skipper on the North Side.  I'd welcome other opinions on the subject, though I'm reasonably sure only 1 or 2 people will read this.