The Cub Can Of Worms: Fred McGriff
by Al on Nov 22, 2008 8:00 AM CST
in The Cub Can Of Worms
64 comments
This FanPost titled "Fred McGriff to the Cubs?" from a few days ago, in which digitalbenjamin asked everyone to post what they thought were the Cubs' worst acquisitions, inspired me to open the Can of Worms about Fred McGriff himself -- a player who put up significant numbers, yet in some ways it seemed he was never even here.
photo via thediamondangle.com
In 2001, the Cubs decided to cut ties with Mark Grace after, supposedly, Grace refused to take a lesser role and mentor Hee Seop Choi, the organization's top first base prospect at the time. Choi clearly had talent, but at the end of the 2000 season was only 21 years old and had played only 36 games above A ball -- probably at least a year, maybe two, from being major league ready. He had only 13 spring training at-bats before being reassigned back to the minor league camp.
To hedge their bets, the Cubs acquired Matt Stairs and Ron Coomer in the 2000-2001 offseason, and both saw time at first base during the first half of the 2001 season, along with Julio Zuleta, whose biggest contribution was lightening up the atmosphere in the clubhouse. After a 4-0 loss to Arizona on May 18, Zuleta decided to take a page from the movie "Major League":
"It worked," Zuleta said. "I put the bat bone (rubbed on bats to smoothen them) in the middle of a plate and put a banana and apple and orange around it. Then I got some Flexall from the trainers and ... some newspaper and burned it. I made it up as I went along. The bats got hot and everyone started hitting."
Whatever the reason, the Cubs won 12 in a row after Zuleta's "ritual" -- their longest winning streak since 1945. And Zuleta's own bat went cold, resulting in him being sent back to the minors -- for good -- on June 26.
Still, even though they were in first place all of June and into July, GM Andy MacPhail insisted they needed to upgrade at 1B. Stairs and Coomer were doing a good job, but Good Ol' Andy set his sights on Fred McGriff, then playing for his hometown team in Tampa.
The deal took more than three weeks to finish. McGriff had a no-trade clause and let it be known that he didn't want to leave his family in Tampa, thus giving rise to a nickname among some of us in the bleachers: "The Family Man". Then we heard he didn't want to play in all the day games at Wrigley Field... new nickname: "The Prince of Darkness".
Finally, on July 27 the deal was done (maybe this was a precursor of how hard MacPhail would be to trade with once he became Baltimore's GM). The Cubs sent Manny Aybar and a PTBNL (who turned out to be Jason Smith) to the then-Devil Rays for McGriff, whose first Cub game was a nationally-televised ESPN game on Sunday night, July 29. He took the field to a huge ovation and walked, singled and scored a run in 7-5 Cub win.
And... the team fell right into the tank. Standing 60-43, 3.5 games in first place when The Family Man took the field for the first time, the Cubs went 28-31 the rest of the way and finished third, even though McGriff's numbers with the Cubs were almost identical to what he had put up in Tampa (lower BA, but higher SLG).
The next year, McGriff again hit reasonably well, but the Cubs were awful, losing 95 games and finishing last, and rather than put Choi, who had been recalled in September, in the lineup every day to see what he could do, interim manager Bruce Kimm left The Prince of Darkness in the lineup. Why? To give him a shot at his 10th 30-homer season. After Fred finally hit this milestone blast (in a 5-4 loss at Pittsburgh on September 22, nine days after hitting his 29th and a full month after his 28th), he made only one token PH appearance the rest of the year, closing a sorry chapter in Cubs history. The Cubs were 95-126 with McGriff on the roster.
Oh, and The Family Man? Where did he go after leaving the Cubs via free agency after the 2002 season?
Los Angeles, more than 2,500 miles from home. He left the Cubs with 478 career homers, at age 38. But he slumped in LA, was benched and finished 2003 with 13 HR. Going home again to Tampa, where he hoped to reach 500 HR with his hometown team, he hit .181 with 2 homers in 27 games and was released on July 28, 2004, seven homers short of 500 and probably forever short of the Hall of Fame induction he thought he would clinch with that milestone homer that never happened.
Good, I say. McGriff's lackadaisical attitude with the Cubs makes most of us wish he had never been one. He did play in five postseasons and has a ring from the 1995 Braves, and put up good postseason numbers (.303/.385/.532 with 10 homers in 188 AB) -- but I'd be hard-pressed if you asked me to remember any one of them..
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I was so excited by this aquisition when it happened
It was another sad chapter.
Favorite Game - 'The Sandberg game" June 23, 1984
by Cub Fan Mike on Nov 22, 2008 9:00 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
After 13 seasons
of agile gold glover Grace at first base, fans gave McGriff yet another nickname: The Statue.
by Clark Addison on Nov 22, 2008 9:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
He also had a few other nicknames
Including “McWhiff” And “McStiff”.
I never liked the guy.
by tedinSoCal on Nov 22, 2008 10:26 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Too kind
“Lackadaisical” is too kind. Not that I wouldn’t classify McGriff’s tenure with the Cubs at anything less than that, McGriff was flat out lazy while in Chicago. His numbers don’t even matter as he was the poster boy for a guy that was playing only to get paid. His walk from the 1B dugout to his position at 1B was the slowest and most disinterested of all time. The acquisition itself was probably good in theory but the reality was that even giving up the minor league roster fodder to acquire him was more than he was worth.
Who needs a stinkin' tag line? What are they for anyway?
by krummy12 on Nov 22, 2008 9:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
If Grace hadn't been such a homer
McFail wouldn’t have been put in such a precarious situation, forcing him to sign The Crime Dog for He Seop Choi training.
And I can’t believe Crime Dog ended with 493 homers, that is NUTS. I for one don’t question his roid use, he was the king of consistency throughout his career. He only had two seasons (his last 2, when he turned 40) with an OPS+ below 106, and even that year he hit .277/22/97.
Dan
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
by dtpollitt on Nov 22, 2008 9:43 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I have one nice memory of the McGriff "era" at Wrigley..
….He hit the only HR I have ever caught during a game, HR number 471.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN200208030.shtml
I have plenty of HR balls from BP over the years, including one from Bonds, but Fred’s 471st sits on the mantle in my office.
Other than that a very forgettable Cub….
"When I got to Chicago, fans came to Wrigley Field just to have fun, now they come to see us win. The expectations have changed, for the players and for the fans. It’s about winning." Kerry Wood, 7/14/08
by JB 23 on Nov 22, 2008 10:11 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Fred
I wanted to be excited for CrimeDog coming to the Cubs, but he made it impossible. He really did seem like he just didn’t care anymore…. I think he’ll get into the HOF eventually, but does he deserve it? I don’t know…. I hope to see Andre Dawson in first.
by TheHawkRules on Nov 22, 2008 10:12 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think you will.
McGriff, despite his career HR total, didn’t really do anything else. He was a good player for a long time, nothing more, and by the time he came to the Cubs, as you said, he really looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 22, 2008 10:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You'd better
McGriff gets in before Dawson, they should take a wrecking ball to the Hall of Fame.
With the writers in it.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Nov 22, 2008 11:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks
Worf, I think many people already wish that would happen.
Hawk should already be in.
Honestly, nothing surprises me. I have a feeling Fred will eventually get in… I may be wrong though. I think it just depends upon how the writers view the whole steriod-era. Fred doesn’t come across as a ’roid player….I think that may mean a lot to the writers. But who knows….
Personally, I think he shouldn’t be in.
by TheHawkRules on Nov 22, 2008 1:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Neither does Dawson
I take your point. I think the steroid thing will eventually be overblown. I think as more pitchers get nailed, the theory will be that players on both sides of the ball were using, so it kinda evens out.
And really, a huge chunk of the steroid users are guys who were struggling to break into the majors, or struggling to stay in. They could have had the entire East German medical team helping them and not sniffed the Hall.
Bonds, Sosa, McGwire and their ilk will eventually all get in, which mitigates the need for “makeup” calls like McGriff.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Nov 22, 2008 2:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah.
Time will tell… I can’t picture Bonds, Sosa, McGwire not ever getting in. The only way I can picture that happening is if MLB does a Pete Rose thing on them. I just hope that Hawk can get in before those guys so he doesn’t have to deal with their garbage ruining his day.
by TheHawkRules on Nov 22, 2008 4:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Don't get me wrong
I wouldn’t be horrified if McGriff eventually gets in. His home runs, relative to his era, are impressive.
I just don’t want him in before Dawson. Dawson was far superior in every way.
Fun fact about McGriff: He was originally in the Yankees organization. He got traded during one of Steinbrenner’s psychotic episodes in the 80s.
If you’ve never read “Damned Yankees” you should. It’s a chronicle of the Yankees from their glory run in the 1970s through their collapse in the 80s. It is absolutely hysterical.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Nov 23, 2008 10:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I forgot about that.
The Yankees got Dale Murray and Tom Dodd for McGriff (and a couple of others, including Mike Morgan). Murray saved exactly one game for the Yankees.
McGriff’s uppercutting LH hitting style would have been perfectly suited for Yankee Stadium. If he had come up with them in the mid 80’s and stayed there as 1B or DH, he might have hit 600 homers.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 23, 2008 11:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Mattingly
Yeah, but I can understand them them trading him because they had Mattingly at 1st. While I don’t know for sure, this probably all happened before Mattingly’s back got bad….so I can understand them letting him go.
Of course, there is the DH…
by TheHawkRules on Nov 23, 2008 2:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
McGriff...
… was traded only a year and a half after he was drafted, so sure, maybe the Yankees didn’t quite know what they had yet.
But let’s say they keep him. In 1987, which was McGriff’s first full year in the majors, the three primary DH’s for the Yankees were: Ron Kittle, Gary Ward and Mike Easler. 1988: Jack Clark. 1989: Steve Balboni and Ken Phelps. 1990: Balboni, Mel Hall and Matt Nokes.
McGriff could have outdone all of them — or they could have moved Mattingly to DH, put McGriff at 1B (when he was younger, he was at least decent), and maybe Mattingly’s back would have held up longer.
The Yankees were an awful team in that era… they lost 95 games in 1990.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 23, 2008 2:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hawk
“I just don’t want him in before Dawson. Dawson was far superior in every way.”
Hawk was…. I cannot think of any player from the 70’s-80’s who was as complete a player as Andre Dawson. I am talking about year in and year out.
Its a shame Hawk is not already in the HOF. A true travesty…
by TheHawkRules on Nov 23, 2008 2:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Dawson
I’m hoping for a double whammy in Cooperstown this summer both Andre and Ron.
With the humongous Cubs contigent that would go I’d almost feel sorry for anyone else.
But part of me would like to see them go in seperate years so they get all the local glory to themselves.
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 23, 2008 6:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed on "Damned Yankees"
I read it several years ago, then re-read it earlier this year. It’s the definition of a page turner. I think it’s out of print now, but I would definately suggest tracking down a used copy.
"In an ocean or in a glass, cool water is such a gas."
by markleonette on Nov 23, 2008 8:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I found it in the public library
Bill Madden & Moss Klein wrote it. It has some great stuff on Pinella as well.
Quick story. He was the interim manager one year when Billy Martin was ill or suspended or something. Martin got hammered and kept calling the dugout mid-game to suggest changes. He’d suggest pinch-hitting guys that had already pinch-hit, or putting in relievers that had already come and gone.
I also didn’t realize that Lou was such a drama queen about threatening to retire. He’d have a bad game, decide to retire and go home and tell his wife, who told him in no uncertain terms she didn’t want him underfoot all the time. Reporters constantly had to retract “retirement” stories, to the point where they called Anita first.
Seriously, you guys need to read this.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Nov 23, 2008 8:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Dawson
I think he might have a chance this year. Wouldn’t it be great if both he and Santo get in the same year? I’m going to both would love to see it happen the same year.
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 22, 2008 3:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Nice post Al
I think you said it perfectly. It’s always sad when a guy with so much talent doesn’t act like he cares. I remember when the rumors first started about him coming over, I was pumped. By the end of the 3 week ordeal, I was apathetic.
OT: The first thing I think about when it comes to the Crimedog is the same day he was aquired by the Braves, was the same day Turner Field (I believe) caught on fire. This was a metaphor for what he would do for the Braves, as he helped them “catch fire.”
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Nov 22, 2008 10:47 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
The annoying thing about that was
It was a fire sale . . . before they became commonplace. The Braves got him for nothing.
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Nov 22, 2008 10:51 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You're right
I had a feeling I was wrong
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Nov 24, 2008 9:11 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I remember the excitement...
just like the Nomar deal – and then McGriff’s better days were well behind him.
Just a suggestion here, but if you are going to post these kinds of failures, why not the 100 worst Cub moments, too? You have the 100 best Cubs, or I believe you did the 100 most memorable Cub HR’s? And, why not, the 50 most bizarre Cub plays? Like LaTroy Hawkin’s helmet-bouncer? Of course “Bartman” anchored in the #1 slot. I am out of time, but could easily come up with 50 moments since 1968, the year it all started for me.
by The E-Man on Nov 22, 2008 10:52 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Are you trying to induce suicide?
But I’m all for lists. Let’s see it!
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Nov 22, 2008 11:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No offense
I do not want to talk about the worst Cubs moments. This season was bad enough.
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
by dtpollitt on Nov 22, 2008 11:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
How do you define "moment"?
For instance, would you consider the entire 2006 season to be “a bad moment”?
"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007
by DeRoMyHero on Nov 22, 2008 12:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Dusty Baker's
alarm clock not failing to go off every morning could be classified as a bad moment.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Nov 22, 2008 12:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That was 162 bad moments.
Well…. I could do this, but some of the bad moments are captured in posts like this.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 22, 2008 1:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
This is funny...
I remember on July 27th I think it was, driving with my buddy after picking him up from work to head to his going away party – and hearing the deal was done on the Crime Dog.
Good ’ol Kaplan – who was just a spot sports reporter I think at the time on ’GN, was so excited to report the story, he was in his non-usual glory by using descriptive adjectives like “OUTSTANDING” player and “PHENOMENAL” acquisition and “your WORLD SERIES BOUND Chicago Cubs”.
My buddy and I were on the fence about the rumor in the previous weeks, but were so charged by Kap’s over-zealous reporting of the acquisition (which I think his style was still relatively “new” at the time), that we got ourselves so fired up we were literally high-fiving the skin off our hands on the way to the party. We proceeded to party like it was 1999 – and completely ignored the entire going-away party group by talking Cubs baseball in a corner by ourselves the rest of the night.
I think it was about a week later I began to sense that something was not right. It just didn’t FEEL right for whatever reason.
"Just win tonight" - derv
by derv on Nov 22, 2008 11:22 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
non-usual = now-usual
when is the edit feature coming, Al?
"Just win tonight" - derv
by derv on Nov 22, 2008 11:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
McGriff WAS an upgrade.
“Still, even though they were in first place all of June and into July, GM Andy MacPhail insisted they needed to upgrade at 1B. Stairs and Coomer were doing a good job, but Good Ol’ Andy set his sights on Fred McGriff, then playing for his hometown team in Tampa.”
.282 /.383/.559 OPS+ 145
Compared to :
.261 /.316 /.390 OPS+ 86 for Coomer
.250 /.358/ .462 OPS+ 115 for Stairs
Cubs fans love a scapegoat, don’t they? Yeah, McGriff’s defense was shit and he wasn’t a leader. He was brought over to do exactly what he did, hit 30 HRs and drive in 100 rbi’s.
Look at the roster for that 2001 team, it had no business being in 1st place to begin with. It was another year of the Sammy Sosa/Kerry Wood show and ownership was fine with that.
by salparadise23 on Nov 22, 2008 11:28 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I'm guessing that...
… if they had stuck with Stairs, they might have won a few more games. Stairs doesn’t really look like an athlete, but he seem to do well wherever he goes. The Cubs should have hung on to him.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 22, 2008 1:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
OT - but reminds me of...
…in 2002 when Stairs returned to Wrigley for the first time with Milw, the camera crew was having a blast filming shots of every caution sign that read “Stairs” in and around Wrigley. I laughed at that one, they kept the joke going for a while.
"Just win tonight" - derv
by derv on Nov 22, 2008 9:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That's funny.
Being at most every home game, I never saw that. Clever!
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 23, 2008 4:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
They seriously kept it going for 15 minutes between pitches.
Chip and Steve were just having an absolute blast with it.
"Just win tonight" - derv
by derv on Nov 23, 2008 10:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Sometimes
We can miss some good stuff being at all or most of the games but I don’t know about you Al I’d rather be at the game :).
One of the funniest thing Chip ever did was show the BE ALERT FOR FOUL BALLS. He said “Yes be a lert. The world needs more lerts”
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 23, 2008 6:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Thoughts on the Crime Dog
McGriff didn’t doom the 2001 Cubs. That honor went to strong finishes by the Cardinals and Astros. The Cubs won 88 games that year, the same number they won in 2003 (enough to win the Central) and three more than in 2007 (another division winning team).
I didn’t watch much of the 2002 season, but the struggles of that team always sort of amazed me, considering the 3-4-5 was Sosa-McGriff-Alou, Mark Bellhorn had a breakout year, Alex Gonzalez was decent, and the rotation had full seasons out of Clement and Wood.
Yeah, Lieber got hurt, Prior and Z were rookies and Alfonseca was horrid as a closer, but 95 losses? My guess is that a lot of the blame falls on McGriff and an off year from Alou.
Am I wrong? Like I said, I was MIA for a lot of that year.
by elgato on Nov 22, 2008 12:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
2002
2002 was kind of a weird year wasn’t it?
I remember all the excitement over Prior’s arrival.
I remember Bruce Kimm and the firing of Baylor.
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 22, 2008 12:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah!
The team looked like it was on the upswing in 2001 (after awful 1999 and 2000). Then, it took a big step backward, DESPITE the emergence of two potential quality starters.
All of the other really bad years in recent years kind of make sense (1999: old after the 1998 run), (2000, rebuilding with few pieces), (2006, injured and still reeling from the 2004 collapse).
But 2002? So weird, especially because the team didn’t spend a lot to make a big improvement in 2003 (like they did to improve between 2006 and 2007).
by elgato on Nov 22, 2008 12:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
My biggest memories
My biggest memories are the Prior debut and the Baylor firing.
Also Sosa ending with 49 homers and 499 homeruns for his career the only thing to look forward to by the end of the season.
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 22, 2008 1:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Prior Won Me 1st Place in Fantasy Baseball That Year.
IT was the first, and last time, I ever finished 1st. It was close with several teams going for first. The Cubs brought up Prior and noticed how good he looked as a pitcher. So, I brought him on board and it didn’t cost me anything. His numbers where good and actually took me to number 1.
I owe him on that one….
by TheHawkRules on Nov 22, 2008 1:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Moves
Moves made while Trixiecamp is happening always are exciting but turn into disappointments.
2001 this move was finalized at the time of camp and in 2004 the Nomar deal happened (In fact I came home early to be at his first game/Maddx’s attempt at 300 the game that the most significant thing may have been who came in the 7th inning as his Cubs debut)
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 22, 2008 12:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I really enjoyed the stuff about Zuleta. McGriff? Bad decision on the Cubs part.
Did the Cubs have to pay him more to get him to waive the no trade?
I liked Stairs and was happy to see him belt that HR in the playoffs this year.
McGriff has to be one of the most forgettable players given his overall numbers. If he had never come to Chicago I would have positive memories in terms of Boomer’s nickname for him.
When you go through these articles and see names like Bruce Kim, it’s a reminder of how deeply steeped this organization has been in B.S. management and losing. The Twins have done without McPhail, and the Cubs have been better without him, too.
by DudeVf11 on Nov 22, 2008 12:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Agreed.
I don’t recall whether they had to pay him extra to waive the no-trade, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 22, 2008 1:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
99
Im about 99.99999999999999999999999999999999999 percent sure there was something worked out Al. As I said before I was out of town when it happened at Trixiecamp but I seem to recall that.
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 22, 2008 3:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You know...
…there’s always that 00.00000000000000000000000000000000001 chance.
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
by dtpollitt on Nov 22, 2008 4:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
that she'll tell us what Trixiecamp is?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Nov 22, 2008 5:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oops
I thought I’d explained it before.
Trixiecamp is the annual convention of one of my non sports internet groups. NOTHING TO DO WITH LINCOLN PARK TRIXIES!
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 23, 2008 6:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Matt Stairs
Yeah, I was really pissed when I saw that the Phillies have him locked up for 2009.
You want to talk about a fun-loving guy who could hit left-handed. He would have been perfect. Alas.
by IllinoisCubs on Nov 23, 2008 11:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Never liked him.
He just seemed aloof in general. Played hard enough to get paid.
How do you leave the game with 493 homeruns when a couple of months DH’ing would get you to the magic number of 500? His entrance to the Hall Of Fame will be the same as yours or mine-with a paid admission.
Also he was one of the slowest baserunners of all time. In an 800 meter race Sid Bream would lap him.
Not exactly a magnet for endorsements, either. With apologies to Tom Emanski: “These Are The Videos That Get Results!”
by roost66 on Nov 22, 2008 1:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
He didn't leave the game.
It left him. He was released. The Rays didn’t want him any more. He hit only 2 homers in 27 games… it would have taken a lot more time to get the seven more he needed. He was done.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Nov 22, 2008 1:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The problem with McGriff for me was
it took so long for the deal to be worked out-I remember going from being excited and charged up over getting him to becoming increasingly frustrated and annoyed over his total lack of desire to play here.
It seems pretty obvious to me that if you have to beg somebody to come to your team, he’s not going to be in the right frame of mind to really contribute and, unfortunately, Crime Dog was the perfect example of that.
by bluekoolaide on Nov 22, 2008 2:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
My favorite Fred McGriff moment...
My favorite Fred McGriff moment was watching him and Sosa get waved off during a routine pop fly to the first-base side foul territory by Augie Ojeda…who was playing shortstop. I still chuckle to think that our first baseman and right fielder had so little range that our shortstop had a better play on a ball to their side of the field :)
(I don’t remember the exact game, sadly, but I know I was watching it with my brother and we found it hysterical)
by MarchHare on Nov 22, 2008 2:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Al
Also Al thank you for this. It’s been great. Mind if we borrow it in the coming offseason on a Bears forum? Of course the biggest can of worms will be it’s too soon now but in about 10 years the Grossman worms.
It's a boy. My new nephew William Oliver born 11/14/2008 256 am. Thank you to all who offered best wishes when I mentioned it a few times over this summer and fall.
That's not my nephew in the picture. Don't have one to upload yet.
by cubstoseriesby100 on Nov 22, 2008 4:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I vividly remember the day...
he signed. I was so excited. I had just bought my first NEW car. An awesome Kia Sophia! As I’m driving off the lot I turn on the Score and hear the McGriff news. I’m thinking what a great day!
Turns out it was a horrible day on both accounts! :(
Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand. - Homer J Simpson
by MikeOxbyg on Nov 24, 2008 1:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I have to say it.
Since Al brought up the story of my favorite short-term Cub, Julio Zuleta, I am required to state my personal theory.
If the Cubs hadn’t sent him down to the minors that year, they would have made the playoffs. They failed because nobody was feeding the bats.
Before each game, please remember to feed the bats.
by Cool Hand on Nov 24, 2008 4:57 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
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