Hairston's Harangue

OK, did Jerry Hairston Jr. have a legitimate beef with Dusty Baker's decision to start Neifi Perez over him in Monday's game against the Padres?

Should he even be speaking out? Two different questions. Even if he has a point, I don't think he should be airing it in public. Walk into Dusty's office and face him man to man.

Now, for the original query. Baker said he played the match-ups. Hmmm. Considering that Hairston has never faced Adam Eaton before all he had to go on was Neifi's record and the record shows going in that Perez was hitting 6 for 21 which places him above .300. Score one for Dusty. And Perez did deliver, getting his first hit of the young season, going 1 for 3. Later, he laid down a sac bunt getting Lee in scoring position so no one should question Neifi's presence in the game.

One would have thought that Todd Hollandsworth would have had a blowout game as he has owned Eaton in the past, going 9 for 16 with 2 homers and 2 doubles. The percentages didn't work out this time, however and Todd went 0-2 against Eaton and 0-4 for the game with two strikeouts against the relievers when the game was on the line

By the way, Ryan Dempster is now hitting .500 (1-2) against Eaton so at the very least I expect to see him pinch hitting the next time the Padres and Cubs meet in battle. Shoot, Dusty, you might even want to rearrange your rotation so Ryan can get more than one crack at Adam Eaton.

Let's predict what Dusty might do today in the double-header based on the numbers. In game one Jake Peavy faces our Boys in Blue. Doesn't look too good for Neifi in game one. 0-10 with just a base on balls. In fact few of the Cubs have had any success against this guy. Aramis is 2-5 and Corey is 3-5.

Now don't get too excited, Jerry. Jose Macias is 1-2 but that one is a Home Run! I wouldn't be surprised to see Jose start in game one. Besides, Dusty may just be teaching Jerry a lesson in public griping Again, Mr. Hairston Jr. has never faced the big Jake.

Game two pits Prior against Brian Lawrence. Checking the history shows the Naperville native's best chance of playing before family and friends yet. (One wonders if this has something to do with his remarks) At least he has seen Lawrence in a game. But an 0-3 performance may tip the scales once again for Perez who is 2-7 against the pride of Fort Collins, Colorado.

Look for Lee and Burnitz to get some good cuts at Lawrence. Both have cleared the fence on him before.

Even Prior is 1-2 in past meetings. This twinbill has a make or break feel to it. A sweep for the Cubs could infuse enough confidence to propel them to a strong run. On the other hand, a Padre sweep could deflate the team even further and this could mire them into mediocrity or worse for quite a spell.

And a split would probably keep them in a perpetual state of enigmatic flux.

Ho Hum?

Bottom of the ninth, 1-0 score, one out. Up to the plate strolls Todd Hollandsworth. He has to face no less than Padres ace closer, Trevor Hoffman. It’s a nailbiter for sure and then the camera catches a shot of the Todd Hollandsworth fan club in the stands. Are they cheering wildly for their icon to be a hero? Are they encouraging him with chants of “Let’s Go Todd, Let’s Go Todd?”

Not quite.

They sit there, looking bored. One guy even yawns. Yawns? The announcer is perplexed. I am perplexed, even somewhat agitated. Hey fella, did you get the memo? There’s one outstanding baseball game in progress and it’s coming down to the wire and your guy is up! WAKE UP!

But Todd strikes out as he does in the 7th. Michael Barrett flies out and that’s the ball game. All right, fella. You can go home now and take a nap. An outstanding effort by Ryan Dempster is wasted, shades of the 70’s when Fergie Jenkins and Rick Reuschel lost so many 1-0 deceisions.

Why am I so irritated anyway? Because the Cubs lose? Possibly. Is it because I am jealous that while I am working that guy is enjoying himself within the Friendly Confines? Perhaps.

Is it because Todd Hollandsworth is starting in left instead of Jason Dubois? No, you will have to visit my fellow Cub bloggers for that complaint.

Maybe it has something to do with the first seven games. This team is still somewhat enigmatic and finding itself. A 3-4 record isn’t panic time but aside from a 16-6 blowout to start the season the bats have yet to come alive.

I don’t care if it only April. I don’t care if we are a generation where “chicks dig the long ball.” If ever there was a time in this fledgling of a season that called for excitement, even hysteria, this is it. The game is on the line. Man, give me something. Give me frustration over the Jeromy Burnitz error that leads to the game’s only run. Give me vitriolic apoplectic rage over the team’s best hitter, Todd Walker, going on the DL because yesterday Carlos Lee chose to gun for him with his spikes up.

The point is, for the love of everything that is sacred about Cub Baseball, feel something, anything.

Even Bartman did more than just sit there.

Thru Cub Eyes: Ernie Banks

Fridays often follow an off day so this is an excellent opportunity to look back at some Cub history. Carrie Muskat compiled anecdotes from 60 different players and team officials in her book BANKS TO SANDBERG TO GRACE. Look for this feature every Friday and buy the book at your finest bookstore featuring Chicago Cub literature.

ERNIE BANKS
Many of the players didn't quite understand my own philosophy. I believe in forgive and forget, and keep your mouth shut and listen to whatever somebody is trying to tell you and you can learn something. I tell my children that. But it was just misinterpreted that Leo disliked me. He made my life better, he made me a better player.

I remember in St. Louis, I hit two home runs and drove in seven runs one time against Steve Carlton. I mean, there's many things I was proud of. I was the oldest player on the team at 39 years old. Most people wouldn't have even been on the team at that time. But [Leo] inspired me to reach inside of myself and do more. And that's what I did....It was just inspiration to let somebody know that somebody in your life -- it could be a wife, it could be a manager, it could be a coach -- could light your fire, that would stimulate your life and that's what happened to me when Leo came here from '66 to '72.

Anoher time, one of the most touching things that ever happened to me, in New York, we were losing the game and Leo sent up Jim Hickman to pinch-hit for me. As we were passing Jim said ""Ernie, I'm sorry for doing this." He apologized for pinch-hitting for me. Leo didn't hear it, nobody else heard it. I didn't want to embarrass him. I just looked up and said "You can do it." And I went on back to the dugout. It didn't bother me. What I'm saying is, embarrassment and unkind things that we must all learn from really can make us better -- better people, better individuals.

"Let's Play Two." That started in '69. Like most things, it just kind of come out. It was July and over 100 degrees and everybody was kind of down a little bit. I came in the locker room and Jimmy Enright was there and alot of writers were around, and I said "Boy, this is a great day. Let's play two."

They all woke up and looked around and it stayed with me for a long while. Then we played a double-header in Houston, and me and Lou Brock fell out in the firs game of the double-header. It was about 120 degrees in Houston. I hit a double and faintedand Lou Brock hit a triple and fainted. They took us out and ever since then, most of my friends around the league always remember that. "You always want to play two, but what happened that day in Houston?"

The great joy in my life is to come out to Wrigley Field now. Coming out here is better than going to a psychiatrist. It's real therapy for me. The other parks are OK, but it's special coming here. The people are enthusiastic. They really love this park and they love the players and they love everything about it. It's the epicenter of all our lives and that's why I enjoy coming here so much.

I wasn't around when they talked about the money part of the game. You approach playing at Wrigley Field for the love of it, and the other part is the friendship you can build when you're here. The friendships you make while you are here are much greater than all the money you will make in your life.

So now, I want my ashes to be spread over Wrigley Field with the wind blowing out.

G-Man Force to be reckoned with

The Astros had the Killer B's. Arizona has their own version of it. Call them the G-men, Gonzales, always a Cub killer has this year been joined by Glaus and Green. The G-Force combined in the series for a .364 clip with 12 hits (half of which were extra base), 9 rbi's and 11 runs.

Yea, I think they can top last year's win total of 51. If their pitching is anything to speak of, they will improve at least by 30 games, putting them even at 81-81.

Of course I may be overstating it a bit. After all, I seem to recall several occasions when the Cubs faced a kid in his first start in the Bigs and looked like Cy Young himself only to return to normalcy in his next start. So, take this with a grain of salt.

Anyone want to venture a guess as to what the ERA of Cub starting pitching is thus far?

10.12

And their WHIP? If my calculations are correct, it stands at 2.34.

I know, I know, it's only 3 games.

Still....

At least I didn't have to listen to any more stories about Ron Santo giving shots to his diabetic cat. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against cats nor am I insensitive about diabetes. My wife is diabetic and the first link I ever featured was This Old Cub, the movie that features Ron Santo's courageous struggle to overcome juvenile diabetes in his life.

But the cat stuff is kinda out there. That was Tuesday.

All day yesterday I kept hearing how the game time was was going to be altered for ESPN2. So naturally I assumed I would get to see the action. After the Braves outlasted the Marlins (13 innings!) I watched expectantly only to see the Dodgers/Giants game. What's with that? I live 3 hours from Wrigley Field and I have to endure two west coast teams?

Back to the Cubs. I did enjoy listening to Michael Barrett cracking that 3 run homer. It was the one time the Cubs did not choke in a run producing situation.

Nice going, MB.

Dusty, for the sake of the team...

Repeat after me. Must walk Gonzo. Must walk Gonzo. Must walk Gonzo. Bases full of Diamondbacks? Irrelevant.
Walk Luis!

Turning History on its Head

What does the Cubs' 16-6 blowout of the Diamondbacks have in common with 100 lawyers at the bottom of the sea

A good start.

Especially for Derrek Lee, 4-6, one dinger and 5, count em, 5 runs batted in. Let's put this into perspective. A year ago, Derrek didn't get his 5th rbi until game 13 on April 19. He did pick up 4 that day but finished the month .233 2 11.

Two years ago, while still a Florida Marlin, Lee knockd in # 5 in game 10 vs. Atlanta, a particularly great series for Derrek, who had 3 rbi's for the day and a day later added 5 more. But at month's end, his totals were a bit better at .272 4 16.

In 2002, Lee started off strong in a series with the Montreal Expos and collected rbi # 5 during game 2. He got 4 that day. That was the year he cleard the fences in each of the first three games, all against Expo pitching. He faltered after that, ending up hitting just .221 for the month of April.

Fascinating that whenever Lee got his 5th rbi he always gets at least 2, and often 3 more the same day. More importantly, however, Derrek Lee has a chance to turn around his usual anemic start and yesterday's pasting of Arizona was just the ooomph he needed. Now, keep it going Big D. You are a star.

I apologize to all the lawyers out there for the opening jibe. Please don't sue me!

The other Fantasy game in town

Some may see us Cub fans as engaging in a fantasy. Let them think what they want. We are who we are and I will always believe.

Now, I do enjoy a good Fantasy Baseball League and hopefully I have found one within our little family here of Cub Bloggers. Last Sunday was the Draft and after enjoying a good dinner with friends from our church, I hit the books, cramming for the 5:00 p.m. deadline, hoping for another Easter miracle in the form of an early draft pick. I don’t think the Lord was amused. 7th out of nine teams is what I got. Oh well.

Nobody but my mother likes to play Scrabble with me. It takes me sometimes 10 or 15 minutes to form just the right word for the maximum score. In the draft we got 90 seconds to make the perfect choice. 90 seconds? My nerves won’t take it.

A plethora of potential pratfalls threaten to unravel me but I somehow hang in there and only miss the deadline once, which means the computer chooses for me, using the list of pre-ranked players I submitted before the drafting begins.

And that is how Matt Clement is on my team. Which is fine with me. Really, I know it’s April Fools Day but I am serious. I like Matt. Of the fab 5 starters the Cubs had in 2004, Matt received the least amount of run support and he never whined about it. Class act all the way. Now he should have plenty of run support with the world champs in Beantown so I have high hopes for my fantasy team. Matt deserved a better fate in Chicago.

Oh, by the way my wife wants to know why a Cub Blog Fantasy League is drafting from the American League. I do not have an answer for her. I missed the owners’ meeting.

Speaking of ex-Cubs, I drafted Mark Bellhorn at second base. Another example of a player who flourished outside of the Friendly Confines. Fingers are crossed that he can produce another solid performance. His OBP was .384 in 2004 so go, Mark, go!

Every draft has to lay a goose egg. I think it’s in the by-laws of inevitable occurrences. Anyone ever hear of Dallas McPherson? He plays for the Anah – excuse me, the Angels from Los Angeles (sheesh!) but a disc problem sent him to the minors. A risky pick I grant you from the start, the Yahoo baseball gurus ranked him somewhere in the 900’s but the fantasy mag I was using to do my homework with touted him as a rising star so I took a shot. Granted, I may have been influenced by the fact that Dallas was my father’s name.

My biggest miscalculation could have been timing as I grabbed him in the 10th round, 10 out of 20! Nobody else was probably going to even consider him so I should have waited. Hindsight is 20/20 but I could have had the likes of Bartolo Colon or Kevin Brown or even Richard Hidalgo. Oh well. By then my nerves were spaghetti so one bonehead move out of 20 ain’t so bad, is it?

Besides, I am ecstatic that my centerfielder is none other than Coco Crisp! What a great name! Plus, he is an exciting player to watch.

Five days later, I have just crunched the numbers as I am curious to see if draft position was a significant factor in the strength of the team. The results are inconclusive. I mean it seems that way at the top and bottom of the League but the middle is muddled. Check it out. I calculated points that the team would produce if everyone performed exactly as they did a year ago.
Pos Points
1 18,236
2 18.974
3 17,097
4 16,202
5 17,915
6 18,707
7 17,965
8 16,045
9 14,897

Most of my fellow GMs have tweaked their rosters so the above totals may be misleading and for the bottom two teams, they drafted players with no points a year ago because they were either injured or playing in Japan so their apparent weakness may be just an illusion.

Now word has come down that Bobby Crosby, my one and only drafted shortstop, got hit in the wrist by a Brewer pitcher in the final exhibition game. Ouch! X-ray results should be out today but just in case the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year is sidelined for a spell I need another SS so I pick up Pokey Reese. Who needs A-Rod and the Big Unit when I have Coco and Pokey!

Ok, you can stop laughing now.

Also, I waas a bit thin pitching wise (all my drafted bench players were on offense) so I drop Trot Nixon and pick up Ryan Drese.

Hallelujah! Bobby Crosby’s wrist is not broken. The A’s just posted the good news on their web site so I breathe a sigh of relief. I better keep Pokey around just in case, however.
Quoting the story “Oakland trainer Larry Davis said Crosby is day-to-day and may be on the field for Opening Day on Monday. "It's a contusion, no fracture," said Davis, who added Crosby was still scheduled for an MRI Thursday evening "because we're paranoid."
"This is just being extra careful on our part because it's so close to the season," Davis said.”

So, heading into the weekend before opening pitch, here’s how my roster stacks up. And if things don’t work out, maybe I can find a Fantasy Scrabble game somewhere!
C I. Rodriguez Det best choice among backstops
1B D. Ortiz Bos My # 1 pick. See the smile on my face?
2B M. Bellhorn Bos Too many K’s but gets on base.
3B S. Hillenbrand Tor 80 rbi’s and doesn’t strike out.
SS B. Crosby Oak Rookie of the Year; promising
OF H. Matsui NYY Over 100 runs & rbi’s, over 300 TBs.
OF C. Crisp Cle Needs to mature in SB dept
OF M. Kotsay Oak plucked his 190 hits in rnd 14
DH G. Anderson LAA can still produces
BN K. Mench Tex Productive when healthy
BN B. Broussard Cle Came on strong second half of 2004.
BN T. Martinez NYY Overshadowed by his teammates still dependable.
BN P. Reese Sea Hope I won’t need him.
SP F. Garcia CWS Avg ERA, better than avg. WHIP
SP M. Clement Bos Good K total, should have more W’s this year.
RP J. Nathan Min One of the top closers in the game
RP M. Timlin Bos 1.23 WHIP is his best stat
P G. Meche Sea Dubbed a Spring stud by Yahoo’s analysts.
P R. Drese Tex Poised for great year
BN K. Rogers Tex Most think he is a gamble but 18 wins in 2004.

Mesmerized by the Macabre

A week has passed. Time for some reflection.
March 17. Sipping on a virgin grasshopper, I am absolutely giddy with excitement as is every true blue Hoosier. Today is Day One, opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Though no school from the state is in the field for the first time since ’72, I am nonetheless hooked on The Big Dance so I am poised to salivate like Pavlov’s dogs at the first reference to buzzer beaters and other announcer pabulum.
And yet, not all is well in my universe. I can’t shake this feeling deep in the pit of my gut. It gnaws at me to the point I almost wish my grasshopper wasn’t so virgin. The Borg has invaded. Resistance is futile. I grab the remote and switch from the madness of March to the insanity in Washington. The Steroid Hearings have begun!
As I am drawn in, I cannot help but identify with those who find themselves gawking out the window as they pass by a roadside accident. Perhaps if they are lucky, their passing glance will catch a severed limb or two. Now I join them as one who is mesmerized by the macabre.
There they sit, all in a row like cutout ducks in a carnival shooting gallery. Canseco, Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro, Schilling and via satellite, Frank Thomas. But these icons are not alone. Interspersed are a smattering of lawyers and one translator wearing a stunning red dress. She’s with Sammy.
The ping-pong match begins. Basketball, baseball, basketball, baseball. My head begins to spin. So this is how Linda Blair felt.
Not capturing the entire experience of Waxman, et al. I submit an abbreviated interpretation of the proceedings with possible thoughts of those involved in parenthesis. I dedicate this to all those who possess the discipline to refrain from gawking out the window.
Congress: Thank you all for being here today (and not forcing us to issue a subpoena). Mr. Canseco, let’s begin with you (since you are the catalyst for this charade). Read your opening statement (but keep it short, we want to get to McGwire as quickly as possible.)
Canseco: I was the only one who wanted to be here today so I should have been granted immunity from prosecution (I sure hope this exposure quadruples the sales of my book) I want to do everything possible to keep kids from taking steroids (even though I endorse the juice throughout my book).
Congress: Mr. Sosa, your turn. (This oughta be good.)
Sosa’s lawyer: I will read Mr. Sosa’s opening statement. I Sammy Sosa grew up without a father and we shined shoes and sold oranges to get by. (Sammy: I sure hope they buy this stuff. I used to have an image to protect. Hmmm, I wonder.. It just might work. Like the great Ali, I will engage a rope-a-dope strategy with a Latin twist and I will prevail! After all, I am Sammy Sosa!)
Congress: Mr. Sosa do you have anything to add?
Sosa: I was shocked when I watched the families of the children who died. My sympathy to them in this situation. (Now sit back and watch a real pro at work.)
Congress: Mr. Sosa, what do you think is the solution to the steroid problem?
Sosa: I don’t know (I will mumble now and they will move on to McGwire. See? It worked!)
Congress: Mr. McGwire, do you have an opening statement? (What am I saying? They ALL have opening statements.)
McGwire: I have played baseball since I was nine and it has been my passion. I will help out all I can but will not discuss the past.(So you better not ask. What am I saying? They ALL want to ask me that question. I’m toast. And I really wanted to enter the Hall of Fame with Tony and Cal, too)
Congress: Come now, sir, we have to know how widespread the problem is. (Squirm you worm. You are in MY house now, you drug induced bloated freak)
McGwire: I am following the advice of my lawyer. (I won’t even tell you what I had for breakfast you wretched political swine. Put that in your briefcase you miserable excuse for a cockroach!)
Congress: Whenever you are ready Mr. Palmeiro. (I wonder what the Senate is doing on C-SPAN 2?)
Palmeiro: I fled the tyranny of Cuba to come to America and work hard and be free. I have played for three outstanding organizations; the Cubs, the Rangers and the Orioles. (Why does Sammy keep following me wherever I go?) I am pointing my finger at you, the panel, to drive home my point. I am clean, I have always been clean and I will always be clean. I will take any test at any time. In fact, does anyone have a specimen cup? I will pee in it right here right now so everyone can see that I am clean! (except perhaps for the Viagra but no one cares about that).
Congress: all right, Mr. Schilling, what have you to say for yourself?
Schilling: I visited Walter Reed recently and was proud to visit with the young men and women who are sacrificing to defend this country against terrorism. (Let me wrap myself up in the flag, win the hearts of all the kids in the red states where my boy, George W. kicked serious liberal booty. Then I will sell out my convictions to cover for Mark, Sammy and whoever else has ever been on the juice. But not Todd Helton. He was and is a very good boy. Woody Paige said so.)
Congress: That is wonderful Mr. Schilling, but what do you think about the steroid problem in the major leagues?
Schilling: Problem? What problem? Canseco is a lying piece of weasel snot. We have the situation under control. (forget that just three years ago I told a reporter from SI “You sit there and look at some of these players and you know what’s going on. Guys out there look like Mr. Potato Head with the head and arms and 6 or 7 body parts that just don’t look right. They don’t fit. I’m not sure how steroid use snuck in so quickly but it’s become a prominent thing very quietly. It’s widely known in the game.”)
Congress: Mr. Sosa, what do you think?
Sosa: I’m sorry, I don’t know [more unintelligible mumbling]. (Like taking candy from a baby).
And so it goes for 2 hours. What saves the fiasco for me is Jose Serrano, the honorable Congressman from New York. Yea, I know he’s a Yankee fan but nobody’s perfect. His brief yet eloquent plea to the panel is seamless, however.
(And this is for real, ladies and gentlemen.)
Jose Serrano: For me, baseball is not a game, it’s a passion. Some in the media may see us as just as politicians having another hearing, but we’re concerned about a game we love.
When Mr. McGwire and Mr. Sosa took us on that ride that summer, that wasn’t just hitting home runs. It was a country hanging onto heroes.
When Mr. Palmeiro, I will watch you this summer as you become only the fourth player, joining Aaron and Murray and Mays, to get 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, as a Latino I feel proud and as an American I will be excited.
Mr. Canseco, I wish I could have helped you get those 38 home runs to get to 500. You stopped at 462. Perhaps Baseball stopped you, you claim at times.
And Mr. Schilling, even though you did it to my Yankees, you are still my hero.
That’s who you are. You are not just normal, regular people. It’s not the kids who look at you alone. That’s the excuse we use. “The autograph is for my son.” It’s for me. I already signed up for Major League Game Day Audio for my computer. I already bought my first 25 packs of baseball cards for the year to add to the closet full of baseball cards that I have.
Mr. McGwire, I will never sell your rookie card. I will leave it to my children and grandchildren. Because you’re heroes. There’s no price on my love of this game.
And so I hope when you leave here today and think about it tomorrow or the next day, that you won’t think of us as another legislative committee. You’ll think of us as no different than the people you see in the stands. We’re baseball fans who love this game and we’re terrified of what could happen to it.
I don’t like the fact that you are here. I don’t like to see the break-up of the Bash Brothers in front of me. I don’t like the fact that Mr. Sosa hasn’t smiled that famous smile. I don’t like the uneasiness of all of you today. You shouldn’t be here. Circumstances put you here.
Please save the game. Without the game this country is in deep trouble.

Genesis of a Love Affair

Recent estimates indicate that there are presently 8 million bloggers or so. Today, make that 8,000,001.
That should keep me sufficiently humble enough in all future offerings.
The summer of 1970 is rife with conflict politically, socially and culturally. And yet, a ray of optimism is born in the heart of one 12 year-old-boy. For that is when I become a Cubs’ fan.
A local TV station issues a contest. Three lucky lads are to have the opportunity of a lifetime. They will receive a uniform, travel by limo to Chicago, see a game, receive the honor of being “honorary bat-boy” (with no actual duties) and the best yet, be ushered onto the playing field during batting practice and meet real life ballplayers. All we have to do is write in 25 words or less why we want to win and then our vignettes will be judged by a panel from the TV station.
I decide the sympathy route is the way to go. “Even though I’m 4’ 5” and 12 years old, I want to prove to the opponent that I can do something and am not helpless.”
Finally, my lack of stature pays off. I win!
I’ll never forget walking into Wrigley for the very first time and taking it all in; the scoreboard, the ivy, the field.
And then my eye catches that little brick wall winding around the perimeter of the first and third base lines. Dozens of kids huddle in a mass of hope and anticipation, screaming in a cacophony of pleadings, “Ernie, come here! Ronny, sign my program! Hey, Billy!!”
I will never forget the feeling when the usher openes the door in that wall and I stroll through out towards home plate. I turn and smile at the throng of dismayed wannabes.
The first man I meet is Don Kessinger, then Glenn Beckert and finally Jim Hickman. All gracious gentlemen, it is more than one boy can take in.
But I do not get to meet Ernie or Billy that year. Randy, either. There is but one recourse; enter next year’s contest, which I do (with a different little ditty) and lo and behold, I win again!! As a matter of fact, I keep entering and keep winning. In total, I get to go to three games and eventually meet Banks, Williams and Hundley, among others. for some reason I never get to meet Ron Santo and of course pitchers do not take bp Barney, the club photographer, gets it all on film for posterity.



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Life, as they say, is very good.