Cubs Change “Head Coaches”

June 14, 1965 - The Chicago Cubs today played that old familiar tune — out with the old, in with the new — when they stripped “head coach” Bob Kennedy of his uniform and reached far down to tap Lou Klein as their field leader of the hour.

Kennedy, a late arrival in owner Phil Wrigley’s revolutionary concept that managers are passé, will don a business suit and help the stumbling Cubs as an administrative assistant to John Holland, the club’s vice president and architect of its future since 1957.

Kennedy, whose 17 playing seasons were with the White Sox and Indians, received the demotion with the Cubs bumbling along in ninth place in the National League race with a 24-32 record.

Klein, who joined the Cubs’ coaching staff in 1961 and was one of three head coaches the following year when Wrigley instituted his non-manager system, has spent just a few days this season with the team.

Advance speculation on changes had been concentrated on Al Dark, deposed manager of the Giants who led that team to a pennant in 1962.

In a belated announcement of Dark’s agreement with the Cubs, Holland said the stipulations in Dark’s 1965 contract were that he would not succeed to the Cubs’ managership this year or accept the head field job on any other major league team.

It is widely believed that Dark will be introduced as manager of the Cubs in 1966.

Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s