2009 MLB Thread

[jbissell]

My all-time favorite Cub is Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes. The rest of the Cubs I neither love nor hate.

I remember that 3 homer Opening Day off Doc Gooden like it was yesterday.  It blew me away when I heard he has 452 career HR in Japan, all-time leader for foreign-born players.  Of course he's just one in a long line of promising CF that have tanked for the Cubs.

[Steve of Bloomington]

With the Cubs, I miss Shawon Dunston. The joke was 'he needs another year to develop'. It went on for years. I'm just glad his manager, that 'Popeye' guy, believed in him. We should all be so lucky.

[nec13]

On my DVR, I have a Cubs-Pirates game from 1991 that I recorded off the MLB Network. Check out the starting lineups:

Cubs:
CF-Jerome Walton
2B-Ryne Sandberg
1B-Mark Grace
LF-George Bell
RF-Andre Dawson
SS-Shawon Dunston
3B-Gary Scott
C-Erik Pappas
P-Mike Harkey

Pirates:
1B-Orlando Merced
SS-Jay Bell
CF-Andy Van Slyke
RF-Bobby Bonilla
LF-Barry Bonds
3B-Jeff King
C-Mike Lavalliere
2B-Jose Lind
P-Randy Tomlin

[yesno]

Tony LaRussa is suing Twitter.

LOL.

I hate that guy so much.

Obviously.  That would explain why you can't empathize with someone who's pissed off about someone posing as him besmirching two of his players that have died.

All I read was that he was mad someone was pretending to be him, didn't realize there were mocking comments about Hancock (was Kile the other?), in which case, obviously uncalled for.

EDIT: Yeah, I just went back and read the ESPN article and they had added a bunch of details since I first read it and I certainly can't blame him.  Darryl Kile was actually a relative of mine (though a few steps removed).

I emphasize with him, but the most he can possibly get out of Twitter is the IP address of whoever set up the account.  Internet hosts aren't liable for crap their users do.  Anyway, I bet they settle and I bet Twitter sets up some kind of fake-celebrity-detection program.

[nec13]

Incidentally, my favorite Pirate of recent vintage, is Jose Lind. It takes lots of "guts" to be caught driving without your pants on.

[hugman]

Tony LaRussa is suing Twitter.

LOL.

I hate that guy so much.

Obviously.  That would explain why you can't empathize with someone who's pissed off about someone posing as him besmirching two of his players that have died.

All I read was that he was mad someone was pretending to be him, didn't realize there were mocking comments about Hancock (was Kile the other?), in which case, obviously uncalled for.

EDIT: Yeah, I just went back and read the ESPN article and they had added a bunch of details since I first read it and I certainly can't blame him.  Darryl Kile was actually a relative of mine (though a few steps removed).

I emphasize with him, but the most he can possibly get out of Twitter is the IP address of whoever set up the account.  Internet hosts aren't liable for crap their users do.  Anyway, I bet they settle and I bet Twitter sets up some kind of fake-celebrity-detection program.

oh, it's an overreaction for sure. all I'm saying is it's an understandable overreaction considering the joke having such a personal emotional impact as it would on Tony.

[Steve of Bloomington]

One of my favorite Cubs line-ups ever! I made the trip up to Chicago to see them often back then.

On my DVR, I have a Cubs-Pirates game from 1991 that I recorded off the MLB Network. Check out the starting lineups:

Cubs:
CF-Jerome Walton
2B-Ryne Sandberg
1B-Mark Grace
LF-George Bell
RF-Andre Dawson
SS-Shawon Dunston
3B-Gary Scott
C-Erik Pappas
P-Mike Harkey

Pirates:
1B-Orlando Merced
SS-Jay Bell
CF-Andy Van Slyke
RF-Bobby Bonilla
LF-Barry Bonds
3B-Jeff King
C-Mike Lavalliere
2B-Jose Lind
P-Randy Tomlin

[nec13]

Seriously though, that lineup is actually pretty good. It seems like the pitching (aside from Greg Maddux) was a weak spot on the '91 Cubs, as they only finished 77-83.

[Steve of Bloomington]

Seriously though, that lineup is actually pretty good. It seems like the pitching (aside from Greg Maddux) was a weak spot on the '91 Cubs, as they only finished 77-83.

Those were the Cubs stars of my time: Dawson, Grace, Sandberg (Maddux too, before he bailed to go to the Braves and win and stuff).

But yeah, they didn't really pull it together.

[nec13]

Well, I'm 25 and old enough to remember when the Pirates actually fielded a competitive team. Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, Drabek, Smiley, etc. Damn it! They should have gone to at least one World Series.

There's a reason why Francisco Cabrera is probably the most hated man in the history of Pittsburgh sports.

[jbissell]

Well, I'm 25 and old enough to remember when the Pirates actually fielded a competitive team. Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, Drabek, Smiley, etc. Damn it! They should have gone to at least one World Series.

There's a reason why Francisco Cabrera is probably the most hated man in the history of Pittsburgh sports.

C'mon, give Sid Bream a little love.  There's no way in hell he should've beat that throw.

[nec13]

Well, I'm 25 and old enough to remember when the Pirates actually fielded a competitive team. Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, Drabek, Smiley, etc. Damn it! They should have gone to at least one World Series.

There's a reason why Francisco Cabrera is probably the most hated man in the history of Pittsburgh sports.

C'mon, give Sid Bream a little love.  There's no way in hell he should've beat that throw.

That is indeed true. However, one could also make the argument (not that I agree with it, mind you) that Barry Bonds should have thrown Sid Bream out. I mean Sid Bream wasn't exactly Otis Nixon or Gary Redus (or Jerome Walton) on the basepaths.

[scratchbomb]

With the Cubs, I miss Shawon Dunston. The joke was 'he needs another year to develop'. It went on for years. I'm just glad his manager, that 'Popeye' guy, believed in him. We should all be so lucky.

I'll forever remember Shawon Dunston for fouling off a bazillion pitches, then finally singling in the bottom of the 15th inning of game 5 of the 1999 NLCS. Thus enabling The Grand Slam Single.

[dave from knoxville]

Well, I'm 25 and old enough to remember when the Pirates actually fielded a competitive team. Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, Drabek, Smiley, etc. Damn it! They should have gone to at least one World Series.

There's a reason why Francisco Cabrera is probably the most hated man in the history of Pittsburgh sports.

C'mon, give Sid Bream a little love.  There's no way in hell he should've beat that throw.

That is indeed true. However, one could also make the argument (not that I agree with it, mind you) that Barry Bonds should have thrown Sid Bream out. I mean Sid Bream wasn't exactly Otis Nixon or Gary Redus (or Jerome WaltonStephen Hawking) on the basepaths.

[hugman]

TRG, you were right about the Cards offense.  I'm sorry I even tried to argue.  They've been so bad at times that they've actually made Pujols a worse hitter.  We'll see if De Rosa comes to town and if it does any good.