St. Louis columnist on Edmonds -- "Enemy"

by DaBard on Jul 5, 2008 8:52 AM CDT

I joined Cub nation in the mid-1980s. I had just moved to Central Illinois and I found myself captivated by a certain slugger with the largest arms I'd ever seen outside of a wrestling ring.

Fans bowed to him as he strode to the plate. I bowed with them.

That was a simpler time. The Cubs -- save 1989 -- were too harmless to be anybody's enemy. The Cards and Mets and Bonds Pirates traded the division back and forth around us. The beer was cold and the women were hot. There was little talk radio and no Internet and the hate wasn't flowing.

Sure, we had 1998, but that was harmless too. Sosa and McGwire hugged and clapped and practically gave each other steroid injections. It was just so...pretty.

Back to mediocrity we went, while the Cardinals and Astros dominated the division. But now we hear the evil things Cardinals really say, on their message boards and talk radio.

Then 2003 -- and the world changed.

Dusty Baker has a lot of faults, but he got one thing right. He told us winning was better than having a good time. Winning WAS the good time. He couldn't live up to it, but he at least got the fans pointed in the right direction.

Cardinal fans were already there. Yes, sometimes they did good things, like cheering Edmonds.

But you see in this article just how much contempt those people are greeted with. Edmonds will not be cheered today, nor should he be, anymore than we should have cheered Sosa if he ended up in red.

This is a rivalry. There is bad blood. There is hatred. And yes, there can be mutual respect and moments of sportsmanship.

But we are a lot closer to Red Sox-Yankees than any of us want to admit

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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Comments

Who is Bernie Miklasz to dictate to the fans?

His previous column is even more stupid (“BOOOOO Jim Edmonds” 7/4/2008). If Cardinal fans want to show Jimmy some respect for one minute (see Toronto and Reed Johnson), that is their choice. Clearly they do not take marching orders from a 350-lb. blowhard who takes baseball WAYYY too seriously. (In Miklasz’s defense, he hates Chris Berman and Around the Horn, and thinks LaRussa is a thin-skinned prima donna who can’t take any criticism from local media. Then again, who doesn’t?)

"Whoo, boy! Next time around, bring me back my stomach!" -Jack Brickhouse

by Goodie1969 on Jul 5, 2008 9:48 AM CDT reply actions

I think Bernie hates ATH

because he’s never been asked to be on it. He sees Whitlock, just as fat and ugly, getting TV gigs and he doesn’t.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 5, 2008 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions

+1

Just read the previous column and this one, and the guy just doesn’t get it. Yes, Cardinal fans cheering Edmonds makes them Cub fans. Yup. And us cheering Edmonds in a Cubs jersey makes us fickle and willing to cheer anyone. Insane.

In addition, I live in St Louis and have spoke with several Cardinal fans who know the writer as a moron. Not even worth reading his drivel.

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 5, 2008 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions

Forget to mention

this is the guy who wrote the scatching piece about the Cubs last year (or the year before…can’t remember) and was called out publicly by La Russa.

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 5, 2008 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions

He didn't write the article I think you are talking about.

At the beginning of the 2007 season the Post-Disgrace came out with a HUGE feature on how the Cubs would never win the World Series. It wasn’t wriiten by Miklasz, but in the press room that day LaRussa said he was no longer answering questions from the Post-Dispatch because they were unfairly attacking other major league teams, and he didn’t want to be part of it.

Miklask asked a question to LaRussa after a game that same day, then this happened.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=g64Ae58SvEk

Missouri Tigers 2008 Cotton Bowl Champs

by nji232 on Jul 5, 2008 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions

Wow

I think LaRussa showed admirable self-control when Miklasz stood up and got right in his face, then followed him to the door. What media chutzpah! As Albert Brooks said in Broadcast News, “Yes, let’s never forget, we’re the real story.”

"Whoo, boy! Next time around, bring me back my stomach!" -Jack Brickhouse

by Goodie1969 on Jul 5, 2008 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions

Brilliant.

As Lenny says in the greatest movie ever, “Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They’re just an interpretation, they’re not a record, and they’re irrelevant if you have the facts.”

I'm thinking you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling, so why don't we just ignore each other til we go away.

by neverAcquiesce on Jul 5, 2008 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions

Miklasz Is A

fat (rhymes with “puck”). I have no love for TLR but that guy was just a smug shit-stirrer looking to be the story and just begging for a punch in the nose so he could play “Martyr of the Fourth Estate”.

Sure are some real scumbags in the media.

Eat More Katsui

by CaliCub on Jul 5, 2008 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions

I hate to do this but...

Edmonds will not be cheered today, nor should he be, anymore than we should have cheered Sosa if he ended up in red.

Sometimes the best way to build your credibility is to admit it when you’re wrong.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by daver on Jul 5, 2008 1:04 PM CDT reply actions

I really thought he wouldn't be...but the rest

Is opinion. He shouldn’t be cheered. He isn’t a member of their team any longer.

Think of how stupid the average person is, and remember, half of them are stupider than that!

by DaBard on Jul 5, 2008 6:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Of course it's opinion.

I just thought, if you’re going to make a bold prediction like that, you should own up to the fact that it didn’t come true. And I disagree about whether he should be cheered – as cyborgian (cyborgesque?) as Jedmonds sometimes appears, he’s a human being who was a central character in the St. Louis baseball community (if you will) for many years. He helped bring a world championship to their town. It was a gracious, classy move to cheer him. And, what’s more, now that it’s out of the way, he’s more of a Cub than ever.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by daver on Jul 5, 2008 8:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Goofy

I call this goofy at best.

Edmonds had a lot of great games and did a lot for the Cardinals. I didn’t see or hear most of the game last night was at a party but I thought I heard he got cheered.

If we win the series this year and one of the guys goes elsewhere he will get a rousing ovation his first at bat back at Wrigley no matter what his uniform is. Especially if its a star of that team and even if its the Cardinals or Sox.

Go Cubs

by puckishcubsfan on Jul 5, 2008 1:27 PM CDT reply actions

It is amazing to me how much ink has been squeezed out this...

...ridiculous non-story. When I was little and there were more newspapers competing for B.S. to get customers then you could expect this stuff to go on for weeks and it would even get into the crossword puzzle in baseball digest, but there’s nothing interesting or informative or even entertaining about it, especially given how money has changed the game and the loyalties. Players get paid a ton and they are able to change teams more so on their terms than 30 years ago. I hope Edmunds keeps producing, he’s been well worth the minimum to the Cubs.

by DudeVf11 on Jul 5, 2008 6:23 PM CDT reply actions

Second Rate Newspaper = Second Rate Columnist

If you have crappy newspaper it servers to reason that you have a crappy talent. There was no need for that 7/4 column. He only wrote that column to sell newspapers. All he did was make a mountain out of a mole hill. Likewise, anytime you start referring to your competition in terms of War (Enemy) that is just juvenile. This sports folks…not war.

I think what infuriated me the most was that he called Edmonds Mr Cub. That was just totally uncalled for. He insults arguably the most revered member of the Cubs family…that is just classless This was the same guy who railed on Cardinal Fans for calling Pujols El Hombre saying that it was disrespectful to Musial.

Freaking Douche Bag….hope he chokes on a toasted ravoli…

"Aw, how could he (Jorge Orta) lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico." -- Harry Carey

by TheRiot Police on Jul 5, 2008 11:17 PM CDT reply actions

Um..Jay Mariotti?

Every market has a columnist that is an ‘agent of provocation..’ I’ll say this again. (I’ve said this countless times before.) Newspapers are going down the tubes, so quickly—it’s almost unbelievable. Writers are now being ordered to do ‘whatever it takes’ to get readers. (Like sports talk radio, and ratings. Say and do whatever, just get ratings. I’m sure you’ve noticed the new, breathless, out-of-control Headline page the Chicago Sun-Times is now featuring….)

If anybody caught the last season of “The Wire,” there is a fictionalized example of what I’m referring to, as a dying newspaper fabricated a story in order to get attention. And—when it was proven that the story was false…..nobody cared. Papers were sold. Jobs were saved. Survival, was more important than the truth.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jul 6, 2008 10:36 AM CDT reply actions

Sounds Like A Good Episode

I would also recommend a song called “Admiral Mike” from the Monkees’ “Justus” album.

/pauses for laughter to die down/

The song is about a member of the armed forces who hanged himself in full regalia after being smeared by the tabloids. It’s an attack on the press with the refrain “You’re selling ads” – and folks, that’s what the media has descended into. It truly makes me sick how Making Money has become as obsession in this society.

At least do yourselves a favor when it comes to Cub coverage – stick with Bruce Miles and Al. Two guys who still can’t be bought.

Eat More Katsui

by CaliCub on Jul 6, 2008 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions