Whatever happened to hustle?

by dagwood on May 21, 2009 11:19 AM CDT

As Cubs fans and baseball fans, we always fall in love with someone who hustles. Bobby Scales, last year's Fontenot, Reed Johnson, etc. It ignites the team and the crowd. It seems to me, we repeatedly get beat because the Cubs get out-hustled. Pujols hustles. That is one of the many reasons he is MVP. Can you say the same for D. Lee, Soriano, Ramirez, Bradley? When was the last time you saw one of the Cubs superstars squeeze a single into a double or make an outstanding play? Sure, they can do wonderful things with their bats on occasion but why don't they hustle more? That's my opinion. 'Nuff said.

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I can say that the Cubs superstars hustle

I haven’t seen your accused not hustling this year at all. Actually, Alfonso Soriano has been exemplary this season. That’s my opinion.

One day I hope to come up with something worthy of this space.

by chilango2 on May 21, 2009 11:27 AM CDT reply actions

When Ramirez hustles

He tears things.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on May 21, 2009 11:34 AM CDT reply actions

When Bradley Hustles...

…he pulls things. Then he gets mad at the media.

by TheHawkRules on May 21, 2009 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions

When Zambrano hustles

he strains things. Then people get mad at him.

"It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway,' but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies." - Mike Royko

by DTJchris on May 21, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions

When Theriot hustles

He hits 5 homers at the beginning of the season and everyone accuses him of taking ’riods.

by TheHawkRules on May 22, 2009 1:56 AM CDT up reply actions

When Fontenot hustles

Everyone falls in love with him, we trade a better player and then we watch him fail.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on May 22, 2009 7:06 AM CDT up reply actions

When Piniella hustles

His wife chuckles…

And an ump gets a face full of mouth projections.

by TheHawkRules on May 22, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions

He was suspended for life...

….oh, hold it…. You get rid of too many bulldogs, (DeRo, Wood), and the rest of the dogs just lay around licking themselves.

by TheHawkRules on May 21, 2009 11:35 AM CDT reply actions

Gimme a break

Bradley “hustled” last night – he hustled himself around second base and got doubled up back at first on a fly out. Soriano was trying to hustle in Game One of this series and Molina picked him off first base.

Aramis hustled toward a hot shot and dislocated his shoulder. DLee reportedly screwed up his neck by hustling into a collision at home plate with a catcher a few years ago. Zambrano hustled his way into an injury.

I’m sorry, but this is almost as bad as saying the Cards won last night because they “wanted it more.” It’s not about hustling or not hustling. It’s about execution. Last night was just one game. And you should never compare anyone to Albert Pujols because there is, quite simply, no other player quite like him.

Oh, and I’m sure if I looked hard enough this season, I could name multiple occasions of Cubs players “making an outstanding play.” Shall we start with Reed Johnson’s catch robbing Prince Fielder of a grand slam and go from there?

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 11:41 AM CDT reply actions

Amen...

As I’ve said a million times

Hustle without intelligence is slapstick comedy.

Ronnie Cedeno ran as hard as he could on the bases. However, it was a strain for him to remember to run to first and not third on a base hit.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on May 21, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on May 21, 2009 12:01 PM CDT reply actions

As I've told you before, I never repeat myself.

by santoswoodenlegs on May 21, 2009 12:02 PM CDT reply actions

The poor unicorn

is crying at hustling causing strains, tears, pulls, and bulges.

Come visit me inside Wrigley along the Addison side mezzanine fence straight up from 1st base.

by section229beer on May 21, 2009 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, why is the unicorn crying?

Did it get hustled into appearing in that tattoo?

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions

They hustle plenty...

The Cubs are losing cause they play dumb baseball…

When Pujols steals second base uncontested late in the ball game, to eventually score the winning run (the series earlier in the year)… that’s smart baseball by Pujols (taking advantage of the opportunity), and dumb baseball by the Cubs (not even holding the runner).

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.

by SackMan on May 21, 2009 12:02 PM CDT reply actions

Pujols is extremely aggresive on the bases

Always looking to take the extra base, and I have seen it kill numerous Cardinal rallies. It works out real nice when he makes a single into a double or steals a base, but it also can result in extra outs.

Hey the Cubs are good again! This will be a good test of a sig jinx.

by nji232 on May 21, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Case in point -

remember Pujols’ attempt at an early steal last year at Wrigley with Samardzjia on the mound? That cost the Cardinals a run in a game which went into extras.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on May 21, 2009 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah aggressive baserunning can be good and bad

It will win his team some games, and lose them some too. We won’t really have to worry about it until we sign him in a couple of years.

Oh Mark DeRosa how we need you at third base.

by nji232 on May 21, 2009 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions

This is like

This is the same as the people who whine because Lovie Smith and want him fired because he lacks the fire and say Ditka had the fire and we won the SUper Bowl. (No the Bears won the Super Bowl because they had TALENT not because Ditka had the fire) and anyone who can make the Super Bowl despite having Rex Grossman as your QB should get credit.

Jay is our Quarterback. I REPEAT JAY IS OUR QUARTERBACK. Did I mention we have a Quarterback who happens to be named Jay?.

by puckishcubsfan on May 21, 2009 12:14 PM CDT reply actions

The fire and the passion! LOL.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.

by SackMan on May 21, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Changeup.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 21, 2009 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions

i don't agree that the Cubs aren't hustling.

but yes, hustle does result in more hits.

the pink hat guy is my father

by joeschmitt on May 21, 2009 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Hustle died when Free Agency was introduced.

Get Peavy already! I want my #44 jersey!

by Cub Style on May 21, 2009 3:11 PM CDT reply actions

as long as there are guaranteed contracts

you won’t see as much hustle as you used to.

by amory blaine on May 21, 2009 7:08 PM CDT reply actions

True story

I work with school age kids and an 8 year old girl came to me crying, " * hustled me." A boy had hustled her out of her cheetos.

I actually think he can play a decent third.

"Do you want a bunch of duds walking around with their shoulders slumped and having no emotions, no feelings?" Bradley said. "I don’t think the fans want that. I think they want a guy who’s going to get into the game and feel a little bit. I’ve always said, ‘I don’t really play baseball, I feel it.’ "

by Villeslgr on May 21, 2009 9:03 PM CDT reply actions