Hendry undergoes angioplasty

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) -Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was too busy at the baseball winter meetings to worry about his health.

He didn't feel right from the moment he arrived. But there were trades to make and free agents such as Ted Lilly to sign, so Hendry ignored pleas from manager Lou Piniella and special assistant Gary Hughes to see a doctor.

"Piniella and myself, we were the first of many," Hughes said Thursday after revealing that Hendry had undergone an angioplasty. "It took him a while to get to the hospital because he thought it was more important to worry about the Rule 5 draft, Lilly, whatever. His priorities were skewed."

Team physician Stephen Adams sent the 51-year-old GM to an Orlando-area hospital for tests. Piniella drove him there, and doctors performed an angioplasty. But Hendry kept closing deals, finishing up a $40 million, four-year agreement with Lilly on Wednesday night while undergoing a procedure at the hospital.

"Ted had no idea where (Hendry) was, or anything," Hughes said. "It was business as usual."

Hendry is expected to be released from the hospital Friday, a day after baseball's winter meetings conclude near Disney World.

"He's in good spirits," Hughes said. "Was he shook up about it? No. Should he have been? Yes. Will he learn a lesson? Hopefully. He's doing great. I spoke to him late last night. He's already working the phones."

Other GMs were not surprised to hear Hendry was making deals from the hospital.

"That's Jimmy," Brian Sabean of the San Francisco Giants said. "I know Jimmy very well. I think he's fine."

Hendry has been one of baseball's busiest GMs this offseason, starting when he chose not to renew manager Dusty Baker's contract and brought in Piniella to replace him.

Hendry signed Aramis Ramirez to a $75 million, five-year contract that was the biggest deal in club history - for about a week. Then the Cubs signed Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136 million contract that is the fifth-richest in baseball history.

The Cubs also acquired lefty reliever Neal Cotts in a trade with the White Sox and added second baseman Mark DeRosa ($13 million over three years). Chicago re-signed pitchers Kerry Wood ($1.75 million) and Wade Miller ($1.5 million), and backup catcher Henry Blanco ($5.25 million over two years).

The Cubs finished 66-96 this year, the worst record in the National League.