Blago Taint Spreads to 'Jim Hendry Way'

Cubs GM Jim Hendry, for his stellar work making the old Lovable Losers less embarrassing than usual, has been honored in Chicago with that old American tribute: a street named "Honorary Jim Hendry Way." Yes, that's actually less of a tribute than usual, being that it only the street's honorary name. But couching it in said fashion allowed the officials responsible to not run it by the people who usually make public works decisions.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, no one in the local public works administration knew about the declaration until signs had been installed on Prospect Avenue in the Park Ridge area. Who made the unilateral decision to give the honor? Why, disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, of course!

[A local public works dude] said a [state transportation] representative said crews were ordered to install the signs based on an ''executive order from the governor's office.'' Zingsheim said the city never was informed of this order and learned about it only after making calls to [the state transportation folks] this week.

Blagojevich is accused of trying to selling a U.S. Senate. How much did Hendry have to pay for his honorary street, or how soon can Kosuke Fukudome get one of his own?

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.