I hate Steve Stone.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 1:06 AM CST
140 comments
O.K. maybe "hate" is a strong word, but what exactly is this guy's deal? I think it's become apparent through various radio and tv interviews that he has an axe to grind, but I think it's about time for him to get over it. This guy is the WHITE SOX radio announcer, so why does he get carte blanche to discuss all things Cubs?
Am I the only one that notices how every single interview he does minimizes the Cubs in some kind of way? The only reason he is "Steve Stone baseball god" is because he sat next to Harry for a few years. Yet, ever since he left (particularly since he went to the sox) he rips the Cubs every chance he gets. And whether you agree or disagree you'd have to concur that there's a certain amount of vitriol that he spews whenever he's given the podium.
I personally hate his guts. Maybe that's a bit over the line, but just listen to this crap. I mean, he's so sure of himsef, it makes me want to vomit. Can I PLEASE get some Cub fans to agree with me and say that he has finally run his course as a Cubs hero. The only reason i'm writing this is because it has become apparent to me that he has forgotten the very reason why he is, who he is, and he needs to quit talking about the Cubs in the way that he does.
If someone has a problem with this, please mention it and i would LOVE to have some real discussion about it. Perhaps i'm being paranoid, but I doubt it...
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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uhhhh
I never was aware he was a cubs hero… tinkers, evers, chance, wilson, jenkins, banks, santo, williams, sandberg, dawson, grace, maddux, wood, sosa, caray… dan plesac isn’t a cubs hero, and neither is steve stone.
by scarymonsters85 on Jan 1, 2009 1:18 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Whether you like it or not, he is viewed that way...
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 1:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I think Stone is viewed more like Brickhead
Jack was not really a good broadcaster, but he was there in our living rooms so there was a relationship. Santo is more of a hero——
Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."
by Ivy Walls on Jan 1, 2009 11:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting Observation
Because of my age, I am not an authority on Jack Brickhouse. I only remember his last couple of years announcing for the Cubs. That last year, 1981, was strike-shortened. That cut down on what I saw and heard of Jack. He did some games with Harry and Steve at the end of the 1984 season.
I’ve always thought of Brickhouse as one of the best broadcasters ever in Chicago.
"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray
by memphiscub on Jan 2, 2009 8:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Are you kidding me?
Jack Brickhouse was the best TV announcer (and perhaps all time) the Cubs have ever had. It’s arguable who’s better, him or Vince Lloyd.
He personified the announcing of a baseball game, pure and simple; knowledgable, passionate and very well spoken without coming over like the homer than currently announces on TV nine miles South.
Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.
by blackhawk24 on Jan 2, 2009 12:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
save your breath, blackhawk
Walls called him “Brickhead”. That ought to tell you what you’re dealing with here…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Jan 2, 2009 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Tend to agree...
…and at one time, Chicago had two “great” play by play men with Lloyd in their name – Lloyd Pettit and Vince Lloyd. Neither one were appreciated as much as they should have been until they were gone.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on Jan 2, 2009 1:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
-50
Yes, yes ... winter is indeed a pond upon which all of us must skate, braving frostbite and runny noses in the hopes that our cars will start and we shan't embarass ourselves slipping on a patch of black ice. Spring is more a quagmire of cold mud and slush, and fall is a pile of fallen leaves that may or may not hide a pile of doggy doo-doo. But summer, ah summer is an oasis of endless green that disappears all too quickly beneath our feet as we rush through its warm, glorious bliss.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 2, 2009 1:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I read your comments...
…and then listened to the interview. Ok…
Stone gave his opinion on the acquisitions. Granted he’s an arrogant pud, but I’m at a loss for where he, “(minimized) the Cubs,” or where he “(ripped) the Cubs.” And where was the “vitriol?” Stone is outside the Cubs organization and clearly is speaking his mind on the trades but why should he be a Cubbie cheerleader?
And for all your claims of Stone in this interview of having an “axe to grind,” “rips the Cubs” and that he spewed “vitriol” about the Cubs it seems that your anger closed your ears to many positive comments about the Cubs I heard in the interview, such as:
“Cubs are going to win the division”
“The class of the division”
“Building with an idea to get past the first round of the playoffs.”
“The bullpen looks fairly strong”
“FukU is a much better player than he showed last year”
“They should win the division by 12-14 games.”
Yeah those are clearly the words of a man filled with vitriol, anger, hate & venom for the Cubs.
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 2:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Crawdad! I missed you!
GO WHITE SOX!
Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
by dtpollitt on Jan 1, 2009 2:23 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks!
I’ve never been a big Steve Stone fan. When he was with the Cubs and all you heard was how he was the greatest, the best, the most insightful, blah, blah, blah I said he was an arrogant pud. Now he’s with my favorite team, but I still think he’s an arrogant pud. But he’ll be better than Darren Jackson in the broadcast booth.
Maybe I missed the clear examples of where in that interview he “ripped” the Cubs or spouted “vitriol” and if I missed them I hope that someone posts a few examples.
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 2:32 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
He's really much, much better
during the game than he is during interviews. His arrogance, condescension, and general douchebaggery don’t come through when he’s calling a game- something I think he’s very, very good at.
During interviews, he seems to get paid by the word, and Boers and Bernstein bring out the worst in him, perhaps because they share many of the same (undesirable) attributes.
"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin
by davidalanu on Jan 1, 2009 10:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Stone is smart but has "talking head disease"
Meaning like some of the political talking heads he actually thinks people actually take him seriously instead of offering entertainment/recreational insight to a subject matter that is actually a diversion. Oh I take baseball seriously, as a mental hobby, but unlike politics or business it actually does not effect the lives of anyone—-outside those consumed by the distraction into an obsession.
OKAY—-Stone does have an axe to grind. He got self-important and in doing so he was unable to do what his ego really wanted to do, be part of the ownership of some club because he thinks he really knows. Now he might but he is also ascorbic—-critical to a fault.
As for his statement above he is probably correct—-Cubs win the division by 8-10-12 games right now—-because they have pitching and a fair lineup. Fukudome will improve just like Matsui did with the Yanks.
But the Cubs are still short as a winning playoff roster.
Piniella: "This is a tougher job than I thought it would be, I'm going to be honest with you."
by Ivy Walls on Jan 1, 2009 11:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
He got self-important and in doing so he was unable to do what his ego really wanted to do, be part of the ownership of some club because he thinks he really knows. Now he might but he is also ascorbic—-critical to a fault.
IMHO Stone has been for years an arrogant snob who talks down to people. I remember hearing him on WGN Radio Sports Central years ago and hearing the way he responded when they allowed lowly commoners to approach him with questions. I thought he sounded like a real, “richard.”
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 8:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
outside those consumed by the distraction into an obsession.
Now there’s some irony right freakin’ there…
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on Jan 2, 2009 12:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
He's an arrogant prick
but he knows his shit. Why he’s hated by some here is: 1. he had the balls to call a spade a spade, and 2. he now calls games 9 miles South of Wrigley.
Your fellow fans, some of them, will get PO’d when he rips on a favorite player wearing the black pinstripes. It’s a natural reaction for some but not necessarily right.
Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.
by blackhawk24 on Jan 2, 2009 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It will be interesting...
to see him work with the ultimate suck-up homer in Hawk. Jackson humored Hawk’s quirks, but I can’t see Stone doing so.
by SouthernCub on Jan 4, 2009 8:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
See that;s the beauty of it
he qualifies everything with assumptions. Therefore he can’t be wrong. It’s very easy for him to give faint praise and then rip the team. He’s basically setting the team up for failure, so even if he’s wrong, he’s still right. I don’t doubt that he’s a smart man and that he realizes many of the things i’ve pointed out, so he decides to answer questions in a way that appeases Cubs fans yet still minimalizes them in a way.
For example, when he says the Cubs are the “class of the division” he’s essentially setting them up for failure. If he was right, well then, of course, he thought so from the beginning, but if not then we’re just an organization that is out of touch with the american people. He’s very sneaky in that way. That’s why I dislike him so much.
He’s a very sneaky guy and you can easily see it by just listening to his comments. The problem is, this a top five franchise in all of sports and he couldn’t mess with us if he tried…
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 2:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
"Class of the division"
So are you saying he’s a liar?
But where did he “rip” the Cubs as you claimed? Where did he “spew” “vitriol”?
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 2:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No, we absolutely are, and should be the class of the division
but when he says it, it’s coming from a different place. And I have no doubt about that.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 2:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
CHeck the time/date stamp
"Who's Bob Brenly? The guy that used to be the manager for Arizona?" ~ Alfonso Guilleard Soriano
by JohnM on Jan 1, 2009 4:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
He has gotten the White Sox inferiority complex that plagues so many of you.
It’s the very reason that you are on a Cubs website on New Years Eve. I recommend that you get over it quickly because you’re not gonna feel better tomorrow.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 2:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
When reason and fact elude you...
… take the easy road of cheap-shots and insults. I notice though that on NYE you’re on a website talking baseball too.
Is that you have no evidence of your claims and are dodging by resorting to the cheap insults?
“Inferiority complexes?” That’s a bullshit slur spewed often by fans of a team with the longest record of inferiority in the history of American sports.
After the insults, I hope you can get to work providing a bit of substance to your claims.
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 2:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I can't think of a better response than, huh?
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:05 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Again I ask...
… show me examples of where Stone “ripped the cubs” in the interview. Show me examples of where Stone “spewed vitriol” towards the Cubs.
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 3:08 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
This is based on an OPINION that I have.
Hence the FANPOST. There is nothing that will prove my theory, but a multitude of things that I feel are enough to support the fact that Steve Stone is not a good guy.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Wow.
There is nothing that will prove my theory, but a multitude of things that I feel are enough to support the fact that Steve Stone is not a good guy.
That’s Fox Mulder territory there….
Whoever said you can't mix business with pleasure never owned a PuttPutt course---Andy Bernard
by carmen_fanzone on Jan 1, 2009 7:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Totally Agree
Stone is just commenting on moves made and expectations. I didn’t hear anything close to “Ripping” the Cubs on any account.
Might be some kind of inferiority complex? If you really hate Stone that much, just don’t listen to his inverviews…
"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance 1B/Manager 1908 World Champion Chicago Cubs
by imknowdummy on Jan 1, 2009 1:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
uhhh
how does saying the cubs are the class of the division set them up for failure?
by scarymonsters85 on Jan 1, 2009 2:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
do you want me to analyze this objectively?
are you saying that steve stone is jinxing the team? please tell me you’re not…
The Cubs won the division two years in a row… to think they won’t do it again, considering the changes to the team are minimal (assuming gregg is in the setup roll, marmol closing, fontenot and miles platooning), they should win it again.
by scarymonsters85 on Jan 1, 2009 2:45 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I hope you're joking cause that's not what I was saying at all.
I don’t believe in jinxes or curse or whatever else you Cub haters want to throw out.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 2:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm not a cub hater!
by any stretch… but by steve stone saying the cubs are the class of the division is setting up the cubs for failure is preposterous. in as much that if he said, “the cubs will finish dead last” would be setting up the cubs for success.
steve stone is a tool, and it has a lot more to do with knowledge of baseball than it does with homerism. I’m sure he thought Alexei Ramirez is great, yet he couldn’t even walk across a street, let alone first base.
by scarymonsters85 on Jan 1, 2009 2:54 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
uh because...
he hasn’t exactly done anything wrong? I’m not defending him, in as much as i’m disagreeing with you. just because he’s affiliated with our rivals, doesn’t make him evil. he’s stupid, but he’s just as stupid as the royals announcer, or bob brenly for that matter.
I’m defending him because has done nothing wrong.
by scarymonsters85 on Jan 1, 2009 3:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well i'm sorry but you're extremely naive and are better served wrapped in your bubble of happiness.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You're wrong...
and heading out of line.
Free Ronny Cedeno
by Kansas25 on Jan 1, 2009 12:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I would love to know what I said in that statement that is "out of line"?
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 10:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Heading out of line...
because you, with zero evidence to support your claims, are attacking someone else.
Free Ronny Cedeno
by Kansas25 on Jan 1, 2009 11:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Are you kidding?
I need evidence to support not liking someone? Who am I attacking? All i’m saying is that I think Steve Stone is an ass. That hardly qualifies as an attack. Have you been intervening with all of the “attacks” against Milton Bradley as well. I’m not sure if those people had enough “evidence” either.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 2, 2009 12:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
K25 meant that you were attacking scarymonster
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Jan 2, 2009 8:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Shanghai is right...
I was referring to you calling scarymonster naive and something happiness yada yada yada…
Your link provides little evidence of Stone being an ass as he is fairly complimentary of the Cubs.
Free Ronny Cedeno
by Kansas25 on Jan 2, 2009 11:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
White Sox fans need to stop crying.
Enjoy your team. Just feel comfortable in the fact that most people in Chicago don’t care about your the White Sox unless they win a championship or find a cure for cancer.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 2:54 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
How many posts...
… here without a shred of proof of your claims?
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 3:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't need "proof" i'm just stating how I feel. And I guarantee that it won't change.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:08 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Riptide
I read your post about the interview. I thought, “Jeez, Stone must have ripped the Cubs.” But I listened to it and heard what I thought was a relatively reasonable discussion of the trade by a guy I’m not a fan of.
If someone has a problem with this, please mention it and i would LOVE to have some real discussion about it.
I believe I honestly tried. Stone can certainly be discussed and criticized and if he rips the Cubs or spews vitriol then by all means let him have it. You won’t find me defending him in that case. On the other hand, I think your hate for him completely skewed what was actually said in this interview. There was no vitriol, no hate in this interview, as apparently you seem to admit now.
Perhaps i’m being paranoid, but I doubt it…
Yes and perhaps an “Inferiority complex?”
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 3:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
How so?
I have no reason to hate Steve Stone. I used to love the guy. I apologize if what i’ve said has bothered you, but I absolutely feel he has slighted the Cubs. If not in that interview, than definately in others. I’ve felt that in various interviews he has said things that were less than complimentary about the very team that made him who he is. And I can totally understand why you would feel differently, but I disagree. Sorry.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You SAID you hate Stoney...
that is the most coherent comment you have made here. THAT, is your opinion, the rest was just you arguing with a White Sox fan. Trust me…I have done this a lot in the past…hate to say it though, he is right here.
Kwa...Ki...Sur...Pee...Nee...Ku?
by Kinky Reggae on Jan 1, 2009 11:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I just didn't hear it...
… and wanted examples. Heck I only listened to it once and I could have glossed over the things he mentioned.
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 8:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hey
Stone is, as you put it gracefully, and arrogant pud, he simply brings that to ev erything he does. It’s a shame really cause the guy has a lot of baseball smarts IMO.
Kwa...Ki...Sur...Pee...Nee...Ku?
by Kinky Reggae on Jan 2, 2009 7:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
As much as you have bothered me in the past Crawdad...
this guy is clearly sippin as he’s typin. None of these comments make any sense except that he hates Steve Stone. This is the case and this was a fanpost to sinply tell the world what a douchebag he is. While I agree, I don’t think you or Stoney are in the wrong here.
Kwa...Ki...Sur...Pee...Nee...Ku?
by Kinky Reggae on Jan 1, 2009 11:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
No problemo.
Kwa...Ki...Sur...Pee...Nee...Ku?
by Kinky Reggae on Jan 2, 2009 7:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
In other words, this is a completely justified...
Yes, yes ... winter is indeed a pond upon which all of us must skate, braving frostbite and runny noses in the hopes that our cars will start and we shan't embarass ourselves slipping on a patch of black ice. Spring is more a quagmire of cold mud and slush, and fall is a pile of fallen leaves that may or may not hide a pile of doggy doo-doo. But summer, ah summer is an oasis of endless green that disappears all too quickly beneath our feet as we rush through its warm, glorious bliss.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 2, 2009 1:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Arrogance and condescending tone...
If I understand you correctly what really gets your “goat” is Stone’s arrogance and snotty condescending tone. That’s nothing new for him though. He’s been like that in the broadcast booth for ages. I think though that some Cub fans were oblivious to that while Stone was “on their side.” Now since he’s no longer sneering with you, you find it offensive.
Stone was a pud then and a now an older one. All that’s really changed is that he’s gotten older. His attitude is the same.
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 3:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hey,m you might be right. That actually sounds fairly accurate but it doesn't change the fact that I hink he's a sleeze.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks!
Good night and happy festivus!
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 3:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
How can you call Stone a sleaze?
It’s not like he’s ever posed naked in a magazine or anything.
Yes, yes ... winter is indeed a pond upon which all of us must skate, braving frostbite and runny noses in the hopes that our cars will start and we shan't embarass ourselves slipping on a patch of black ice. Spring is more a quagmire of cold mud and slush, and fall is a pile of fallen leaves that may or may not hide a pile of doggy doo-doo. But summer, ah summer is an oasis of endless green that disappears all too quickly beneath our feet as we rush through its warm, glorious bliss.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 2, 2009 1:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
THANKS FOR THAT IMAGE.
NOT.
Bleed Cubbie Blue: Like Drāno for your internet tubes.
by znohitter on Jan 2, 2009 1:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yes, yes ... winter is indeed a pond upon which all of us must skate, braving frostbite and runny noses in the hopes that our cars will start and we shan't embarass ourselves slipping on a patch of black ice. Spring is more a quagmire of cold mud and slush, and fall is a pile of fallen leaves that may or may not hide a pile of doggy doo-doo. But summer, ah summer is an oasis of endless green that disappears all too quickly beneath our feet as we rush through its warm, glorious bliss.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 2, 2009 1:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, someone has a problem with this....
…and clearly it’s you. Here’s hoping you get some help with it in the new year.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Jan 1, 2009 3:05 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Steve Stone hates the Cubs.
I absolutely feel that way. I’m not trying to be bombastic, i’m just stating how I feel. Why is it that every time the Cubs get a player it has to be viewed through this prizm of greed yet when the White Sox get a player it’s because they’re just filling a need?
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I agree with Juicebox
Stone is just an arrogant jerk. He’s no more an expert than anyone here.
He always talks about the Cubs, because no one really wants to talk about the Sox. LOL!!
I’m really glad both he and the moron Chip are gone.
by cubswin on Jan 1, 2009 1:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
uhhh
that’s not true. at all. are you a cubs fan living in bridgeport or something? The Sox had a higher payroll than the cubs in 08, FYI, even though that doesn’t affect the argument in question.
by scarymonsters85 on Jan 1, 2009 3:30 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
What does that mean?
BTW as far as talent on the field goes the Cubs had more expensive players, it’s just that the Cubs chose to defer their contracts which gave th Sox the edge in that regard. I think you’ll find that the Cubs payroll is higher than the Sox this year.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 3:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Juice, you said Stone needs to get over it. I think you need to get over it.
When Stone was with the Cubs I thought he did a good job. But I also thought he was a pompous ass. He hasn’t changed. And he is not going away. So when you hear him come on the radio, do what I do. Turn to another channel.
by Rick B on Jan 1, 2009 6:55 AM CST reply actions 8 recs
He's a pompous ass
bc he knows what he’s talking about.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Jan 1, 2009 12:43 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Listen, if everyone would just take a peak at when I wrote this, most of you
would realize or already have realized that there was a better than good chance that I was impaired slightly. All it was, was a rant, and not a very good one at that. There is still no doubt about my feelings for the guy though. I really dislike him, and he bothers me to no end. His arrogance really gets to me and last night I decided to let it out a little. As for you saying I should “get over it” and “turn to another channel”, I have and I will. I don’t see anything wrong with stirring things up a bit and I don’t think I wrote anything that was SO over the top, so there’s no need for people to get so bothered about it.
by Juiceboxjerry on Jan 1, 2009 10:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Rants are good
WUI is bad
(Writing under the influence)
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy."
- Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's & Angels pitcher Don Sutton
by CubFreak on Jan 2, 2009 10:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
So is dressing while under the influence
Good lord that is an awful shirt
"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella
by El Borto on Jan 2, 2009 10:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Stone...
… gets carte blanche to discuss the Cubs because he’s also WSCR’s baseball analyst, which includes providing his opinion on the Cubs.
Steve Stone is a critical guy. He has always been a critical guy. That is what, in my opinion, makes him great at what he does. He provides a strong opinion, which is sometimes wrong, but its a hell of a lot better than the milquetoast analysts or the homers who haven’t had an original thought since the Ronald Reagan administration. Does Stone have a big ego? Probably, but I’d venture to guess that the vast majority of baseball personalities and front office execs have egos to.
Stone is providing his opinion and what makes me laugh is that often he’s saying the same thing that people on here are saying. He’s questioning the DeRosa trade and has concern about the potential Bradley signing. Why does he have less of a right to do this than people here?
But man, he sure was wrong when he made waves and questioned Mark Prior and Kerry Wood’s mechanics when no one else had the balls to do so.
by dmlichte on Jan 1, 2009 9:09 AM CST reply actions 4 recs
Stone also questioned Hendry when he signed DeRosa.
Stone said he was paying a guy too much who could only put up those numbers in Texas.
by Rick B on Jan 1, 2009 11:12 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well, I guess he was proven correct because that's why Hendry dumped DeRosa's
salary with a year remaining in the contract.
"I'm not much of a chemistry guy, you know. Chemistry to me is a pinch-hit double with the bases loaded"--Jim Frey, Chicago Tribune, 1985.
by zevkalman on Jan 1, 2009 4:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Stone also said...
…the Cubs should have signed Barrett to a $10mil per year extension about a month before he was launched. As with many people who have been ordained a genious, he tends to get a free pass on the dumb stuff that he says.
I will not deny that the man is smart and knows baseball, but the average fan who adores him does not know just how shitty he treates people behind the scenes, and how happy long time Cub employees (not talking about the players) where to see him go.
Stoney is what he is, and even though the media knows the behind the scenes Stoney, they have given him a free pass for the most part. Also, there is no question in my mind, if those that adore him were ever exposed to how he treates people, they would have a completely different opinion of him.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on Jan 2, 2009 9:30 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
I appreciate the behind the scenes info.....
and this does change my opinion of Stone………and he recommended a 10 mil per year extension for Barrett???….Yikes!!
Hey Lou, we're long overdue.
by deadcatbounce on Jan 2, 2009 10:34 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
There is a difference between those cubs fans who adore Stone
…and those who enjoy a critical mind and voice in the booth. No one on this board, the booth or the Cubs front office is right in their decisions 100% of the time, but I want to hear someone question the the team when it is warranted v. being pals with the players and management.
I doubt that I would approve or admire/respect the personal habits and traits of many MLB players off the field and Steve Stone is no different.
by DudeVf11 on Jan 2, 2009 8:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
indeed
but reading people here when it comes to Stone, he’s the only person ever with an ego, the only announcer/former player who wanted to become a coach/manager/GM/Owner.
by dmlichte on Jan 2, 2009 8:55 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
I don't know too many other...
… announcers who became coaches/managers/GMs/Owners/etc… who were successful at it.
Can you name any?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 2, 2009 9:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Larry Dierker
but the thing is that some people seem to think that its ridiculous that Stone aspires (or aspired) to be a GM, coach, etc (which he has often denied). Why is it ridiculous?
by dmlichte on Jan 2, 2009 9:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
OK, Dierker.
That’s one out of how many?
And whether Stone has denied it or not, he’s clearly been aiming at that, or was (I doubt that at his age, he’s going anywhere but a broadcast booth for the rest of his career).
I’ll repeat what I’ve said many times before: the skillsets of being a glib announcer talking about baseball on radio or TV, and being a management person negotiating contracts and making deals, are two very different things.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 3, 2009 8:15 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The only problem I had with the interview
Was the point he kept bringing about Bradley’s batting average and the Texas park being a hitters park, how Derosa’s kept the same numbers coming from that hitters park. Well maybe that could be because Wrigley field is also a hitters park.
A good day for me is a cubs win and a sox loss.
by diehardmark on Jan 1, 2009 6:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Steve Stone
has forgotten more about baseball than you could learn if you quit your job at Burger King, sold your comics and used the savings to study baseball 24/7
He is better than you. He looks better, smells better, has a better family and his farts smell better than yours.
Your rant was pathetic, but it could be forgiven. Most of us have ranted before, especially when the egg nog is flowing.
But let it go.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Jan 1, 2009 11:05 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Was that necessary at all? Who are you to judge anyone like that?
by aramis on Jan 1, 2009 1:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I am Worf
Son of Mogh!
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Jan 1, 2009 2:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Are you sure you're not Bob Costas?
Bleed Cubbie Blue: Like Drāno for your internet tubes.
by znohitter on Jan 1, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hey Worf! Hope you don't mind - I gave your number to a couple of cuties who were asking about you...
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Jan 2, 2009 12:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I am Worf...
These are the chicks I’m knocking back:
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Jan 2, 2009 5:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Bob Brenly......
……makes me miss Steve Stone. I HATE BOB BRENLY! haha okay I’m not trying to start that discussion again.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Jan 1, 2009 12:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Steve Stone did a fantastic job as an announcer for the Cubs for many years.
He was canned because the piss=poor manager couldn’t take being criticized for his team’s choke and his poor managing. I am sure that Steve Stone has gone easy on many players and decided to be friends with them when it could benefit him, but it took some self confidence and backbone to not go easy on Baker during the 2004 choke. I enjoyed Stone as an announcer and I respect him for risking his Cub’s announcing career, it’s far more than most ex-players who are brain dead chums with their pals, would do.
Yes, I think you are ridiculously misplaced in your claimed hatred for Steve Stone.
by DudeVf11 on Jan 1, 2009 3:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
But I will say that I can identify with your emotion...
…I used to feel the same towards Dusty.
by DudeVf11 on Jan 1, 2009 3:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Good point....
I agree with your comments on Stone, and honesty compels me to say, that Dusty is the guy that really galled me as well.
Hey Lou, we're long overdue.
by deadcatbounce on Jan 1, 2009 4:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
DudeVf11 is incorrect.
Stone wasn’t fired. He quit.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 1, 2009 5:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes and no
The Cubs were not willing to do anything about the hostile work environment. He had players threatening him and nothing was done about it. Yes, Stone technically made the decision to not return however Hendry and Baker didn’t want him around.
by dmlichte on Jan 1, 2009 5:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Your point is taken.
That era in Cub history is best left in the past.
I do think Hendry would have been fine with Stone staying. Baker is another story.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 1, 2009 5:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well said
It was a very tough team to like
by dmlichte on Jan 1, 2009 6:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I refused to like it
I rooted entirely for laundry that year. I didn’t look at any single player’s face.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Jan 2, 2009 5:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
what about the married ones?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Jan 2, 2009 6:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh that's SO going in the bookmarks.
I’m gonna pull that out every time somebody gets riled up.
Bleed Cubbie Blue: Like Drāno for your internet tubes.
by znohitter on Jan 2, 2009 11:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
exactly what I did
wish I could take credit for finding that gem, but it wasn’t me. I did get it from someone here on BCB, though. Probably around two years ago. Anyone want to step up and thump on their chest a bit?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Jan 3, 2009 11:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't hate Steve Stone...
but I’ve definitely taken a dislike to the hair.
"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible." ~Arthur C. Clarke
by Goodie1969 on Jan 1, 2009 7:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
How about the mustache?
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 1, 2009 7:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
helLO
MISTAH KOTTAH!
"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella
by drewishdrewid on Jan 2, 2009 12:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Steve Stone is one of the best and insightful baseball guys around
He might be a windbag, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Steve Stone knows his stuff and is usually right on the money with the big majority of his observations.
by BLou on Jan 1, 2009 8:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Al, this should be the post of the day ..
for the frequent usage of the word “pud” and it’s association with Steve Stone. This is just brilliant.
Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!
by cubnational on Jan 1, 2009 8:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Kudos to me...
“I have so many people to thank. Mom & Dad (music starts to play me off)…”
by DrCrawdad on Jan 1, 2009 11:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Settle Down Francis
I’m not a psychologist, but I play one on TV and to me you’re clearly projecting your own insecurities about the Cubs onto Steve.
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
by WayneCampbell08 on Jan 1, 2009 9:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Agree on 12-14 Game Margin Predicted
Okay, I don’t think the Cubs are going to win as many as 97 games next season. I think the Cubs’ roster is weaker than it was in 2008. However, I have been less than impressed with what the other teams have done in the offseason in the division. The Cubs could very well win “just” 92 games and beat out a 78 or 80 win second-place team in the division. We’ve got a lot of offseason left. As it stands now, I see the Central being much weaker next season.
Who knows? The Cubs could actually be worse next season, win the division, get hot at the right time, and go far in postseason.
"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray
by memphiscub on Jan 2, 2009 7:51 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Steve Stone WISHES he was still in the Cubs booth
and wants to be close to Cubdom.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy."
- Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's & Angels pitcher Don Sutton
by CubFreak on Jan 2, 2009 9:24 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
No...
he wishes he could have been part of an ownership group that took over the Cubs. When that wasn’t going to happen, he gladly signed on the dotted line to take some of Jerry R’s money for the next 6 years so he can stay in Chi-town.
Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.
by blackhawk24 on Jan 2, 2009 12:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Few realize...
…how hard Stone lobbied (for the last 20 years) to either become a GM/VP of baseball operations and or become part of an ownership group. The fact that he never was hired or accepted for either, is the single biggest clue about how he is viewed by those who have been behind the curtain.
Smart yes, big ego yes, but many would rather stick needles in their eyes, than to deal with him on a day to day basis.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on Jan 2, 2009 1:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Stone was never qualified to be management.
Sitting in a broadcast booth analyzing baseball games and sitting in an office making trades and negotiating contracts are two very different skills.
The broadcaster in town who tried becoming a GM failed miserably (Harrelson).
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 2, 2009 2:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Some might say he fails at broadcasting, too.
Yes, yes ... winter is indeed a pond upon which all of us must skate, braving frostbite and runny noses in the hopes that our cars will start and we shan't embarass ourselves slipping on a patch of black ice. Spring is more a quagmire of cold mud and slush, and fall is a pile of fallen leaves that may or may not hide a pile of doggy doo-doo. But summer, ah summer is an oasis of endless green that disappears all too quickly beneath our feet as we rush through its warm, glorious bliss.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 2, 2009 2:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
almost anyone should say that
He’s awful, just putrid. Even Danny Mac a diehard Sox fan thinks Hawk is a horrible announcer.
Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.
by blackhawk24 on Jan 2, 2009 3:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Hawk is just horrible
He was a horrible GM, is a horrible broadcaster. If you made him a ditch digger, he would suck at that too.
The worst beer I had was pretty good.
by Worf on Jan 2, 2009 5:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Don't tell that to Stoney...
…he thought (thinks) he is more than qualified. Considering some clubs have hired others that did not appear qualified, it does reek of other reasons why no one wanted the so called “baseball genious” making baseball decisions for them.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on Jan 2, 2009 2:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
...and in his one and only on year as a GM
in 1987 he fired Tony LaRussa. Tony’s not my favourite guy out there mostly because he’s been at the helm of the hated red birds for so long but he is a successful manager.
Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.
by blackhawk24 on Jan 2, 2009 3:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
How did you "realize" this?
Did we all miss something or do you have “insider” knowledge? or maybe your just projecting your opinion of Steve Stone into what might’ve happened and then tell everyone that it did.
"I'm petrified of nipple chafing. Once it starts, it's a vicious circle." Andy Bernard
by TXCub on Jan 2, 2009 2:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I am friends with...
…a former player who has shared “stuff” the public does not know, and a former employer of mine worked closely with the Cubs medical people, and it allowed me opportunity to hear things most wouldn’t.
"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel
by MPH73 on Jan 2, 2009 3:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Like I said he wants to stay close to the Cubdom
Even if it means doing games with the worse announcer EVER!
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy."
- Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's & Angels pitcher Don Sutton
by CubFreak on Jan 2, 2009 7:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It's simple.
Stone tried to insinuate himself into the Cubs dugout in ‘04, and Baker, (in my opinion), rightfully wanted no part of it. Stone has tried, (as many have pointed out here), to get into management or ownership for many years, and no one would give him the time of day. That’s because of his attitude & ego- it’s like being with someone who corrects you all the time. Now, I learned much of what I know by listening to Stone in the 80s, but somewhere along the line Stone began to think that he was the show, and knew more than everybody else. 2004 was the last straw- he basically ran himself and Chip out of the booth. If he just could have kept his mouth shut- but that’s too hard for him… Oh well. I’m happy with Bob & Len.
Jimmyeatworld
by Jimmyeatworld on Jan 2, 2009 5:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Al
I think you should just make a permanent sidebar item so people can go and stomp on Steve Stone. Its amazing to me how many people seem to know Stone intimately, can attest to his monster sized ego, and have seen him drowning fuzzy kittens in Lake Michigan.So why not just make a sidebar link so we don’t have to have a new thread every month when someone takes offense to Steve Stone’s opinion.
by dmlichte on Jan 2, 2009 6:35 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
Well...
… there is at least one person here who DOES know all those things from personal experience.
I wouldn’t have started this thread — Stone’s kind of ancient history as far as I’m concerned — and I’ll be happy when it drops off the list.
Your sarcasm is noted.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 2, 2009 9:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm just saying...
… that it seems like every time Stone comes up it becomes another opportunity for people to throw him under the bus. People tend to forget the excellent job he did as Cubs broadcaster.
As I’ve said numerous times baseball and sports in general are filled with egotistical people. Its pretty hard to rise to positions of power, to be a top level athlete, and not be egotistical. And the fact of the matter is that even the nicest athletes and other public officials have people who encountered them that can tell you horror stories.
by dmlichte on Jan 2, 2009 9:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That's true, but...
… there are plenty of people with egos in the broadcasting business, who also treat people around them well. I work with many such people. Stone, apparently, doesn’t.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 3, 2009 8:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
so because...
… someone here knows “a guy”, Stone treats people around him poorly. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. But I find it funny that a blog, years after he’s been done with the Cubs, indicts Stone. There are a ton of columnists in Chicago, some of which I am sure would have no problem telling the truth about Stone, but this “treating people poorly” crap has never been in print. Stone has been a big story over the years so excuse me if I question the wisdom of anonymous blog posters with anonymous sources.
As for Stone being glib and your questioning his skill set, you call him a glib announcer and that’s certainly your right. I (and many others) call him an announcer who has been able to break the game down and explain it in a way that few others can. Calling Stone glib and moving on fails to acknowledge Stone’s full breadth and depth of knowledge and talent. Yes, I can see why he hasn’t been hired. You point out fair criticisms. What I don’t get is why people take Stone to task for wanting more and for (allegedly) wanting to advance into a different direction in the sport.
by dmlichte on Jan 3, 2009 8:53 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
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