The Cubs

[sportsradiotn]

The Chicago Cubs were eliminated by the Braves Saturday. Beginning the season, they were picked to get to the World Series...in the end, they griped about everything except their play on the field.

Sammy Sosa showed that he is a "Me" player and not a team player. He didn't like Dusty Baker talking about his distance from the plate in the box - more than likely caused by his being beaned in the head last year. Baker said Sosa was "too sensitive" about his comments. Later, he was dropped in the batting order because of his lack of Sammylike production and he continued to do his "hop" after hitting a long fly. It almost cost them a game down the stretch.

Moises Alou proved that his temper tantrums continue off the field. He called the broadcast booth during a game to complain about Steve Stone and Chip Carey's comments about him. Felipe needs to bend him over his knee.

Baker was bent out of shape about Stone's comments after a game last week. Stone had to meet with Cubs front office executives and Baker to sort it out.

The Cubs proved that they couldn't handle the pressure of being picked number 1. Granted, Mark Prior was injured most of the season and Kerry Wood was out for a bit - injuries and suspensions and closer Joe Borowski went down to injuries...but, it seems that when the pressure was on, the Cubs folded and wanted to shift the blame elsewhere.

Too bad, I kind of hoped for a Chicago vs St. Louis NLCS.

[Guest Oakland]

The Chicago Cubs were eliminated by the Braves Saturday.  Beginning the season, they were picked to get to the World Series...in the end, they griped about everything except their play on the field.

Sammy Sosa showed that he is a "Me" player and not a team player.  He didn't like Dusty Baker talking about his distance from the plate in the box - more than likely caused by his being beaned in the head last year.  Baker said Sosa was "too sensitive" about his comments.  Later, he was dropped in the batting order because of his lack of Sammylike production and he continued to do his "hop" after hitting a long fly.  It almost cost them a game down the stretch. 

Moises Alou proved that his temper tantrums continue off the field.  He called the broadcast booth during a game to complain about Steve Stone and Chip Carey's comments about him.  Felipe needs to bend him over his knee.

Baker was bent out of shape about Stone's comments after a game last week.  Stone had to meet with Cubs front office executives and Baker to sort it out.

The Cubs proved that they couldn't handle the pressure of being picked number 1.  Granted, Mark Prior was injured most of the season and Kerry Wood was out for a bit - injuries and suspensions and closer Joe Borowski went down to injuries...but, it seems that when the pressure was on, the Cubs folded and wanted to shift the blame elsewhere. 

Too bad, I kind of hoped for a Chicago vs St. Louis NLCS.

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i totally agree about your whole post. it was so sweet as a braves fan to be able to end the cubs season, although i would have preferred to knock them out in the playoffs, it was sweet nonetheless. whats everybody's opinion on the chances of nomar coming back to the cubs and now looking back at the trade, was it a trade that the cubs should have made?

[Opperman]

i totally agree about your whole post. it was so sweet as a braves fan to be able to end the cubs season, although i would have preferred to knock them out in the playoffs, it was sweet nonetheless. whats everybody's opinion on the chances of nomar coming back to the cubs and now looking back at the trade, was it a trade that the cubs should have made?

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I think it was definitely a great trade for them. They gave up a really good arm -- but one who has had some serious injury problems -- and two guys they obviously had no use for (the guy Nomar replaced and a semiprospect who was blocked), and they got a rental on Nomar and probably the only real hitter in the Boston farm system.

 

The prospect they got from Boston could turn out to be more valuable than what they gave up.

 

I've never liked the Cubs. I've always hated Sosa, but I never really despised the organization until the last couple of years.

 

But between the Wrigley Field Premium Tickets fiasco, the punk manager, the multiple punk pitchers (Wood, Zambrano, Hawkins), the punk LF, the punk RF, the catcher who insists his headhunter pitchers have never hit anyone on purpose, the VP who publicly says there's basically no difference between falling concrete and a toilet overflowing, and the whiny attitude of the whole team -- having the audacity to say that Caray and Stone weren't cheerleaders enough; I cannot stand the Chicago Cubs organization.

 

And that's not even mentioning the third-worst fans in pro sports (only behind the Raiders and Philadelphia in that). They're getting so out of hand that I've heard the city is setting up a court at Wrigley. Littering the neighborhood, using people's yards as bathrooms, junk like that.

[sportsradiotn]

So, tell us how you really feel Opperman!

 

Sosa's current problems can be attributed to him playing on a team that has real expectations. He is no longer the lone star of a terrible team. He has to share the spotlight with Prior, Wood, Alou, Ramirez and Lee. He was used to being able to go out and hit a home run or two every other game and the fans would cheer. Now, if he hopps and gets thrown out at second, he's considered a hotdog and not a team player.

The steroid issue will probably come up once again in the off season as well as his attitude about the events over the weekend. He is being blistered by all media about his actions Sunday.

I was told my Diamond Jaxx personnel that he was an absolute jerk when he was in Jackson. He went out for a night on the town the night before the last game he was to play and had a hangover as a result the next day. He then let the DJ GM know he wasn't coming to the park, he was going back to Chicago. The GM told him that they had already sold tickets promoting his appearance. Sosa didn't care and persisted that he was headed back to Chitown. After a little ego rubbing, Sosa decided he would play a few innings, but not in the field - no autographs and no interviews. He would just DH once or twice and leave. This was a rehab assignment. Imagine what he is like to deal with on a daily basis.

Have you ever noticed that when McGwire broke Maris' record, Sammy came running in to try and share the spotlight? That was Mark's night, not his. He is a cunning business person that has been able to sell an image to the public to make a ton of money. Now, the image is tainted and he knows not what to do.

[Opperman]

So, tell us how you really feel Opperman! 

 

Sosa's current problems can be attributed to him playing on a team that has real expectations.  He is no longer the lone star of a terrible team.  He has to share the spotlight with Prior, Wood, Alou, Ramirez and Lee.  He was used to being able to go out and hit a home run or two every other game and the fans would cheer.  Now, if he hopps and gets thrown out at second, he's considered a hotdog and not a team player. 

The steroid issue will probably come up once again in the off season as well as his attitude about the events over the weekend.  He is being blistered by all media about his actions Sunday. 

I was told my Diamond Jaxx personnel that he was an absolute jerk when he was in Jackson.  He went out for a night on the town the night before the last game he was to play and had a hangover as a result the next day.  He then let the DJ GM know he wasn't coming to the park, he was going back to Chicago.  The GM told him that they had already sold tickets promoting his appearance.  Sosa didn't care and persisted that he was headed back to Chitown.  After a little ego rubbing, Sosa decided he would play a few innings, but not in the field - no autographs and no interviews.  He would just DH once or twice and leave.  This was a rehab assignment.  Imagine what he is like to deal with on a daily basis. 

Have you ever noticed that when McGwire broke Maris' record, Sammy came running in to try and share the spotlight?  That was Mark's night, not his.  He is a cunning business person that has been able to sell an image to the public to make a ton of money.  Now, the image is tainted and he knows not what to do.

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Oh yeah, I hadn't even thought about Sam-ME Sosa, the most egocentric punk in MLB, which takes a lot of work.

 

The media likes Corky because he'll give them a lot of quotes, and he likes the media because they pump him up. McGwire was at least as fan-friendly as Corky, but he hated the media -- understandably so (and heck, I'm a media-type myself!). IMO it's the same with Bonds...he's not bad about signing some stuff, but he hates the media, so the media makes up things (chemistry) to try to denigrate him.

[sportsradiotn]

Sosa has been fined by the Cubs for checking out on the last day of the season. He loses one day's pay - $87,400.00.

I don't think he'll be back as "Captain" of the Cubs in 2005.