Stone, quoted in today's Sun-Times, on whether race was a factor in the fans' treatment of LaTroy Hawkins:
Those same fans that booed LaTroy Hawkins ... can't believe that Derrek Lee is Norwegian. The same people that booed LaTroy are cheering wildly for Derrek Lee, and he's not going under the nom de plume of Sven Olafson. He's an African-American first baseman who is doing an unbelievably good job defensively, offensively and running the bases, and Cubs fans idolize him.
Exactly.
I'm glad Hawkins is gone. It seems as if a 16-ton weight has been lifted off this franchise.