Cubs sign hothead to play outfield (and I don't mean Gameboard)

I was just mucking around on some other baseball sites and came across this 2006 MLB.com article detailing a spring training dustup between Cubs recent signee Joey Gathright and then-Red-Sox-reliever Julian Tavarez.

Quoth Slappy Joe, "Yeah, [his punch] just kind of glazed. [sic] He hits like a woman." What I don't understand is why Joey didn't just leap over Tavarez and then nail him with a mulekick to the backside.

6 months ago dat cubfan daver Comment 24 comments 0 recs |

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I blame Tavarez. Never liked him.

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by dtpollitt on Jan 6, 2009 1:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Joey G - the enforcer

Maybe Hendry, inspired by the Winter Classic, is taking notes on how NHL rosters are set up.

On a side note; How high is the basket at Wrigley, and could we see Joey leap up to rob someone of a HR?

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Jan 6, 2009 1:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nope.

Walls are 12 feet high. If he can leap that high, he should be in the NBA.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jan 6, 2009 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Or a WR in the NFL lol

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by BigJohnAZ on Jan 6, 2009 3:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If we keep bringing up these

guys with “attitudes”…. we’ll be making the White Sox jealous! ;-)

by Fonzie2178 on Jan 6, 2009 3:39 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

...or we will relive the 2004 Cubs

Mercker ranting about Steve Stone, Alou yelling at umpires after most of his strikeouts, Farnsworth going on the DL after kicking an electric fan, Barrett taunting Oswalt five days after a HBP, etc. I have no desire to go through that again as a fan. Gathright and Bradley had better be told that they are on short leashes.

by Qixotl on Jan 6, 2009 4:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

so what? find another team to watch.

by cubswin on Jan 6, 2009 8:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Um

Do you really think, after reading that story, that Gathright is a hothead?

"Who's Bob Brenly? The guy that used to be the manager for Arizona?" ~ Alfonso Guilleard Soriano

by JohnM on Jan 7, 2009 4:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If so someone should have a word with DLee

I mean he did swing at Chris Young

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Jan 7, 2009 8:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

After being provoked.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Jan 7, 2009 8:40 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Why is he excused?

So Bradley should have been a bigger man for walking away but DLee is excused because he was provoked. Do I have that right?

by VaJaMan on Jan 7, 2009 9:10 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That should read:

Bradley should have been a bigger and walked away but Dlee gets excused because he was provoked.

by VaJaMan on Jan 7, 2009 9:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I don't want to speak for Al...

…but my response would be that DLee gets a pass because that incident really appears to be aberration. Derrek really doesn’t have any discernible history of picking fights with other players – provoked or otherwise. And, as has been detailed ad nauseum at this point, we can’t really say that about Milton Bradley.

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by dat cubfan daver on Jan 7, 2009 9:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

how many fights?

Which fights with other players have been detailed? I don’t really recall any event that involved him fighting with another player. He called Jeff Kent a racist and has yelled at umpires and fans before but I’ve never seen him throw a punch. You can’t say that about DLee or Zambrano.
Facts should never get in the way of a good story.

by VaJaMan on Jan 7, 2009 9:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, perhaps "fights with other players" is putting too fine a point on it.

Milton Bradley has a history of – use whatever word you want – unstable behavior. Derrek Lee does not. That’s not to excuse DLee’s reaction to Chris Young – I think Derrek should have let it go and gotten on with the game. But it’s simply undeniable that Milton Bradley has a reputation that will precede him anywhere he goes.

by dat cubfan daver on Jan 7, 2009 10:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

the reputation precedes him because people get their panties all in a wad when he signs in their town

Lou Piniella has a history of on-field crazy that lead to suspensions. Why is no one sweating bullets about him going apeshit and getting suspended again?

The media and fans get all nervous, talking about all these unstable behaviors as if the team is their children playing in a playground. Does anyone on this site know Milton Bradley or Derek Lee personally? or any other player for that matter? Then please stop speculating about their characters and personalities.

by philadelphiacub on Jan 7, 2009 10:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Um, actually, when Piniella was signed...

…I believe many people WERE concerned about him going apeshit and getting suspended. No one is particularly worried about it now because, the ‘07 hat-throwing outburst aside, he’s apparently mellowed out a great deal.

And I would say that speculating about players characters and personalities is a pretty common and perfectly acceptable activity on sites like this. Sure, it’s not serious baseball analysis, but it’s part of what makes the game fun. Do you know Bradley personally? If not, why are you taking all this talk so personally?

To be honest, I’m not particularly concerned about his behavior. If he freaks out about something, it’ll make for good copy, and I have a certain amount of faith in Lou Piniella’s ability to minimize the damage. I just hope no one gets hurt – particularly Bradley himself.

by dat cubfan daver on Jan 7, 2009 11:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I should have used the sarcasm button

I don’t think that some one should “have a word” with DLee about the Chris Young incident. in fact, I don’t have an issue with the occasional confrontation when a pitch comes in high and tight or a particularily hard slide coming in spikes first.

Both sides of that coin are part of the game, play tough and once and a while someone is going to stand up to make you accountable.

With Bradley, I’m more concerned with him staying healthy and one the field than any confrontations on the field or off.

"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella

by El Borto on Jan 7, 2009 12:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

New and improved (thanks to znohitter)!

by dat cubfan daver on Jan 7, 2009 12:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Pinella, Z, Bradley, a fine trio

It may be common and normal behavior, but it is still flawed and incorrect. An objective review of the behaviors of Pinella, Z, and Bradley without the media spin would have them roughly equivalent. The difference is that Lou and Z are much better with the media and Bradley mostly wishes they would just leave him alone.

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by californiachicagoan on Jan 7, 2009 1:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs