The actual firing was done July 22, but Hendry wanted to help the team by staying on through the July 31 trading deadline.

"[Team chairman] Tom Ricketts told me July 22," Hendry said during a news conference Friday. "He's a very honest guy and a very classy guy. At that time, we decided it was best for me to stay on. We had a deadline coming up and a lot of draft choices that needed to be signed. I think we both felt that possibly me staying through that gave us the best chance to sign the rest of the players.

"I apologize for not telling anybody sooner, but it may be one of the best-kept secrets in Cubs history. It was a little tough at the end. I was glad we got through and signed all the picks we wanted to. That was good. Those scouts deserved that."

Assistant general manager Randy Bush was named interim general manager, the team announced, but Ricketts said the search will be focused on candidates outside of the organization.

"We didn't win enough games," Ricketts said Friday, before praising Hendry as a baseball man and person. "In a culture of accountability, we need to look at these kinds of results. Secondly, our goal is to win the World Series, and to do that, we have to get better. I just believe that by bringing in new leadership for the baseball organization, we'll get some different perspectives and maybe some different ideas on where to go in the future.

"Nothing that happens today should diminish Jim's great legacy as general manager of the Chicago Cubs. Three division titles during his tenure, and a winning record. We would like to thank him for his great service to the organization during his many, many years."

The Cubs went into the All-Star break 18 games under .500 and that's where they were Friday morning, 18½ games out of the National League Central lead. Much of the attention has focused on Mike Quade, who got the manager's job last October after leading the Cubs to a 24-13 record late last season on an interim basis after Lou Piniella abruptly retired.

"Real tough day," Quade said. "As good a guy as I've worked for in the game and I've worked for a lot of them. I'll miss him a lot, that's for sure."

Asked if he'd thought about his own future, Quade responded: "Nothing. This day is not about me. It's the furthest thing from my mind. Everybody lost a good friend today."

Cubs reliever Kerry Wood, who signed his first major league contract with Hendry and came back to the Cubs before this season, was one of many players who enjoyed a personal relationship with Hendry.

"He's not your prototypical GM," Wood said. "Players respect him and enjoy talking to him, and we feel like we could have gone and talked to him about anything at any time.

"He was that kind of a person. He's a great person, he did a lot of great things for this organization and helped turn this organization around. I owe a lot to him."

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said that Hendry's dismissal was mostly a result of underperforming players.

"We didn't play the way we should have played," Ramirez said. "A lot of veteran guys making a lot of money did not perform like they should have. Somebody has to pay the price. Jim doesn't play, but the bottom line is players have to get it done between the lines and we didn't do it."

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen tweeted that he'll miss Hendry.

"I will miss you," Guillen tweeted. "Go spend time with ur family enjoy them and I hope you come back sir.

"A great baseball man leave today. Always classy Jim. One of the good guys."

Guillen also credited Hendry for sticking around through the trade deadline and signing draft picks.

"He showed how much class he has to stay with the organization, to help them get better and [help] the organization move on without him," Guillen said. "He's a better man than me. If that happens to me, I get fired, I leave the same day."

Hendry was hired in 1994 as director of player development. He was promoted to scouting director the next season. The 56-year-old Florida native was promoted to general manager in 2002 after serving as assistant to then-president Andy MacPhail.