More on Rich Harden's day

by Unique on Jul 12, 2008 11:42 PM CDT

Due to all the dramatics in the latter inning -- the orginal story of the game on Saturday was how well Rich Harden pitched. I've only seen the guy pitch via SportsCenter highlights and I was really, really impressed. Not only that - I love the guys attitude - he doesn't avoid questions, seems like a real stand up guy and really doesn't sugarcoat anything. If the guy stays healthy, he has one hell of a future as a Chicago Cub.

Just my input. Onto the articles:

Harden gets first taste of Cubs (also video post-game press conference of Saturday's win vs. Giants) (Courtesy of ChicagoSports.com)

Harden enjoys Wrigley experience (Courtesy of MLB.com) (Note: some of the quotes are the same as the previous article)

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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i agree

with everything you say – harden’s stuff looked NASTY and he is great w/the media. also love the canadian accent…don’t tell my fiancee but i may be man-crushing!

"I'll play any day. I don't care if I'm 0-for-30, playing baseball is my PASSION. I'll go out and play." - Geo Soto

by CubbyBlues on Jul 13, 2008 12:32 AM CDT reply actions

LOL.

I just hope he stays healthy. And I hope our fellow Cub fans don’t boo him if he has a bad start every once in a while.

My new life, my new world, and my beautiful daughter:
Tamia London Davis: Due date (8-11-08)!

by Unique on Jul 13, 2008 12:47 AM CDT up reply actions

Yea I was gonna say...

Don’t mean to sound gay but is it wierd that i think Harden looks AMAZING in a cubs uni?

by dlee25 on Jul 13, 2008 1:45 AM CDT up reply actions

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

elaine (cue the exasperated tone): “you know, just admitting that a guy is handsome doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gay”
george (cue the whiny, nasal tone): “it doesn’t help…”

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Jul 13, 2008 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions

Crushes

My niece has a new hearthrob. He is very cute. Gaudin aint bad either.

Go Cubs

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 13, 2008 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions

easy 95 mph

I couldn’t believe how easy he makes 95 mph look. I mean it looks effortless. Do you know if his injuries have been a result of his delivery? Or have they been freak occurrences?

by trefrog66 on Jul 13, 2008 12:52 AM CDT reply actions

I don't know if it's from his delievery,

but none of his stints on the DL were freak injuries. Scouts have said that he tries to “overthrow” his pitches which is why he has had so many trips to the DL, but no one has really been able to pinpoint why he tends to get injured so frequently.

My new life, my new world, and my beautiful daughter:
Tamia London Davis: Due date (8-11-08)!

by Unique on Jul 13, 2008 12:58 AM CDT up reply actions

I read

that like you said they weren’t freak injuries and as you know he’s been healthy this year which people are attributing to the A’s coaching staff changing up his off day routines and tweaking his delivery slightly. Looking at old photos I don’t really see any difference but hopefully what ever he changed he sticks with and Rothschild doesn’t change him back to cause injuries.

by CHCOWNTHECENTRAL on Jul 13, 2008 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions

harden

you know everyone is waiting for him to get hurt so they can jump all over hendry.dont think the cubs are looking past this year.this guy is another prior waiting to happen.this was done to match the brewers pickup and to win now.like hendry says if he was,nt hurt so much he,s not in chicago.if he does the job this year good enough.

by NOMAR on Jul 13, 2008 8:34 AM CDT reply actions

Coming off the field

Did you guys see that ear to ear grin on his face as he entered the dugout?

It reminds me of the story of when Luis Gonzalez came here and he talked about when he walked out to left field for the first time and the standing ovation and the welcome to the Cubs signs. And he was a National Leaguer so he knew what Wrigley was like.

Go Cubs

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 13, 2008 8:37 AM CDT reply actions

Saw that just now on Baseball Tonight

I was at the game yesterday and that was honestly the loudest Ive ever heard it for a pitcher coming off the field.

I would have smiled too.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Jul 13, 2008 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions

He deserved it.

He had a hell of a game (although I wish he went deeper into the game) and he’s one hell of a pitcher.

My new life, my new world, and my beautiful daughter:
Tamia London Davis: Due date (8-11-08)!

by Unique on Jul 13, 2008 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions

youre right

throwing bee bees out there.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Jul 13, 2008 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions

throwing bee bees? does that make him Buzzkill?

Hmm… do I smell a new nickname?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Jul 13, 2008 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions

ill give credit

to my budy Pat. I was at the game and he called me and I asked him what his stuff looked like on tv and he said his fastball was explosive and it looked like he was throwing bee bees.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Jul 13, 2008 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I believe the expression is BBs

as in a BB gun. Bee bees is more interesting however

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

by californiachicagoan on Jul 13, 2008 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions

i heard harden

was on baseball tonight last night.
anyone know anything about that?

by china423 on Jul 13, 2008 9:05 AM CDT reply actions

Yea i stayed up for it

Just quetions of how it felt to play on one of the best stages in the world and if he liked the way the game ended.

I was actually alittle dissapointed because he didnt say much about it being “so great”, he was very humble about the experience though and said it was a great walk off win.

OH YEA :D

the most important thing i think he said “I really wish I coulda went further into the game and in the future I would like to def. do, I walked a few and i gave up a few 2 strike hits which i really dont like to do (apparently with 2 strikes hes going for the kill :D) hopefully my next outing is better.

Great guy!

My 08 Cubs record 7-0
Updated June 01

by Rudey on Jul 13, 2008 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions

Umm

Is anyone concerned that he only went 5.1 innings? I am. I watched his last AL start against the White Sox and it was the same thing. No doubt that yesterday was a good start, but if he’s the #1/#2 type of pitcher, he’s got to complete 7 or 8 innings with the stuff that he had yesterday. It worries me a little that he only got 16 outs on 96 pitches with the stuff he had.

Formerly NO100

by jerry morales rules on Jul 13, 2008 10:43 AM CDT reply actions

hes a strikeout pitcher

fact is he will throw a lot more pitches. Fortunately he threw 66 of his 96 pitches for strikes. Also, out of those 16 outs he struck out 10. 10!!!

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Jul 13, 2008 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions

Well

I guess that means that Harden will put a lot of stress on the bullpen then.

Formerly NO100

by jerry morales rules on Jul 13, 2008 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions

Well right now

Piniella is carrying 13 pitchers so it doesn’t matter. Relax, he looked good and healthy.

by rlpete on Jul 13, 2008 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions

or 12

by rlpete on Jul 13, 2008 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm not saying I'm nervous

but I do think it’s a point of concern to watch for over his starts. Like I wrote, I did think it was a good start.

Formerly NO100

by jerry morales rules on Jul 13, 2008 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions

No

I’m not overanalyzing it. He pitched very well. He struck out a lot of guys. Strikeout pitchers have a higher pitch count. If it was a must win, Pinialla might have gone longer with him.

by rlpete on Jul 13, 2008 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Lou, Hendry and Rothschild

all were very impressed by his start yesterday, but he has an injury history. That said they all are going to keep him on a short leash as long as we continue to win games and we are in first place. There is no reason to push this guy too hard and send him to the DL. I don’t know about anybody else but I would be satisfied with the minimum 5 innings that a starter must throw for the win in every one of his starts if that means that come playoff time this guy is at 100% because at that point there is no holding back and this guy will throw 7+ innings of great baseball. Lou and crew no what they’re doing so please let them do it.

by CHCOWNTHECENTRAL on Jul 13, 2008 11:28 AM CDT reply actions

IMO

and I first guessed this. Marshall should have pitched the 7th 8th and 9th innings. No way should Howry or Marmol pitched at all yesterday. I was dissapointment in the mismanagement yesterday.

They won, but the game was a loss IMO——probably burned Marmols confidence a bit.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Jul 13, 2008 11:36 AM CDT reply actions