Perez wasn’t a bad back-up infielder and his occasional bursts of productivity show that. However, he never should have played as much as he did and his name should have automatically been penciled into the 8th spot when he played not the top of the lineup.

I will despise him for the rest of my life.

For his time in Colorado. Specifically 9/27/98. I recall running out of a bar and down to Wrigley to buy tickets for the one game playoff. Even though I already had tickets. It seemed like the thing to do.

I dunno if it will get any worse than Neifi-as-a-starter.

Elgato pointed this out, but Neifi and Hawkins are the two prime examples of how bad a manager Dusty was. These two players, if used correctly, could have made fine editions to those Cubs teams. As it stands, they are two of the Cubs Can of Worms All-Stars.

I don’t think it is possible for me to dislike a Cubs player as much as I dislike Neifi. Everytime his name was in the lineup, I cringed.

But I hate looking back on the lineup Dusty sent out everyday:

Patterson CF
Neifi SS
Lee 1b
and so forth

It always meant Lee came up with no one on base. I just kept thinking then, what do we have to do to tell Dusty this doesn’t work??

…Hilarious in reminding me how Neifi came in to being with the Cubs and his teammates’ promotion of him for the All-Star game. Looking at his 2004 numbers and his career numbers then it was was pretty clear he was a guy who was an anti-base clogger. He’s actually a decent back-up so long as you don’t carry too many pitchers (forget that, Dusty) and you can thus add another backup infielder who can get on base a little.

But the teammates’ comments and Dusty’s support, and Hendrys contract just illustrate how repeatedly stupid Hendry has been in paying for past performance and this is even worse because the greater body of historical work y Neifi screamed that he sucked. No, this was more of Hendry giving Dusty too much latitude with the roster, although it was arguably not a risk because Neifi would never be cast as a starter by his Manager?

I am so thankful hta Hendry was not GM, and Dusty not the manager when Tuffy Rhodes had that career day off Gooden. He’d still be on the roster tday after the 20+ year contract they would have given him after that game.

Now the PED fiasco—he wasn’t a big name but if Neifi was using then a reasonable assumption is that 99% of all players were using. A guy who’s offensive prowess was the bunt was using PED—that’s hilarious

Neifi was an okay backup, especially for fielding, but he had to be managed properly—OOps, baker knows all-start talent when he sees it but apparently the disastrous slump is to be ignored with equal vigor.

One of the worst players in the history of baseball, yet Dusty kept running him out there day after day.

It was a joyous day when he was finally traded.

i was a fan if neifi, if i remember correctly, he ahd a walk off grandslam or home run in his last year as a cub…someone correct me if im wrong or can remember the exact situation

I actually didn’t mind Neifi. Sure, he was no superstar, but he was put in a horrible position (thanks again, Dusty!) of trying to replace an all-star who we brought in hoping to be the savior. Yes, his bottom of the 9th bunt attempt was a top 10 bonehead of the decade moment, but he also came up with some clutch hits with all of Cubs Nation watching him. Anybody remember the game winning 2 run bases loaded single in the bottom of the 8th against the previous can-of-worms nominee LaTroy Hawkins as a Giant? How about the grand slam in the top of the 10th at St. Louis? He was a guy who wasn’t blessed with a ton of natural ability but made the most of his obvious shortcomins, albeit with the help of some banned substances. I’m still waiting for the Dusty can of worms, he deserves it more than Neifi!

Though I don’t hate Dusty, I do wonder if he had problems with games like these while he was an infant.

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Shape-Sorting-Cube/dp/B00005RF5G/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1228585077&sr=8-2

I state this because this seems to be the type of manager he is concerning certain players like Neifi Perez.

We were all excited because if I remember right the Cubs had a chance to tie it up. That was my second game ever in the bleachers and our entire group stood up to brace ourselves for the excitement…even if it was Neifi. I will always remember standing there for 15 minutes after the game trying to figure out what just happened. Did he bunt? Why would we bunt? I think that summed up that season quite well. Yikes.

Best – the grand slam Neifi launched against the Cardinals in 2006 that got wedged between Busch Stadium crossbracing on ESPN that crushed the Redturds and gave me one of the few rays of pleasure in an otherwise classically horrid Cubs season ..

Worst – the failed attempt by our hero to cut off an Atlanta runner off at the plate with a throw that probably ended up beaning the bouncer at the Cubby Bear’s northern gate, a bizarre effort that prompted Len Kasper’s infamous “Play the game” snarl .. the same year

As a purely personal side note:

One of my fondest Wrigley visit memories was two years ago when Mrs Cubnational and I slipped in to the lounge just to use the rest room before going to the game. I will never forget walking in and barely hearing my wife’s aggrieved cries behind me over the smell of the crowd and the roar of the greasepaint .. “rafael! … rafael !!”

I whirled thinking some goon was molesting her and thought I was going to have to defend her virture when I found she’d been stopped by the lounge guy checking ID’s. I was carrying her driver’s license since she wanted to go to the game purse and wallet less. Need I say that my mature wife is an exceedingly beautiful and young looking thing? My wife was pushing 40 at that time and after we produced the needed proof and she walked in, we had a heck of a laugh. That guy actually made her day .. and the Cubs foul ball right into my mitt from home plate off of Jason Kendall did too, even though we lost to the Mets that day.

And, uh, Neifi wasn’t in the picture ..