Ripping Joey Gathright
Submitted by Cubnut on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 1:40pm
I've been thinking of Joey Gathright as a Doug Dascenzo For The New Century, but Geoff Young, author of the Padres blog Ducksnorts and in this case writing for Baseball Digest Daily, paints an even uglier picture.
Enjoy Geoff's post for yourself. All I'll quote here is this:
...what Gathright did in 2008 has been accomplished a mere 15 times since 1901.
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#1 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Gathright is Willie Mays Hayes. What's not to like?
#2 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Maybe Jimbo has some inside information. They are planning to scrap game 163 as the tiebreaker. Instead, there will be a car jumping contest at the venue of the team that won the coin toss. Awesome signing in this case!
#3 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
...actually Herb Washington might be the prototype. The "Moonlight Graham" of baserunners.
1974 was his biggest year in the majors, 92 games.
No at bats. 29 stolen bases in 45 attempts (64%)
http://www.baseball-reference.com/w/washihe01.shtml
That Charley Finley, what a wacky guy!
#4 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
How dare you insult my namesake with such blasphemies! Has Gathright ever pitched in relief?
Also, I woke up this morning to an interview with Gathright on WSCR, and they pretty much spent the entire 7 minutes or so talking about his car-jumping antics. Then, Gathright compared the Cubs to the Yankees, because they both have winning traditions.
It's always nice to start the day with a good laugh.
#5 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Sam Fuld can't be feeling too optimistic today either.
#6 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
It's driving me crazy.
It wasn't Ced Landrum, we used to have some guy who I think was a Panamanian Olympic sprinter in the minor leagues - mid 90's. I can't remember his name to save my life though.
Anyway, Gathright reminds me of this guy - no baseball skills but runs really fast.
#10 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
You are thinking of the one and only Fernando Ramsey.
#7 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
for those lamenting the loss of farmhand Chris Walker, he signed a minor league deal with the Phillies.
#8 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Gathright in an off year (279 ABs): .254/.311/.272
Fukudome in July/Aug/Sept (217 ABs): .207/.300/.313
Gathright's career OBP: .328
Maury Wills' career OBP: .330
Maury Wills' MVP-year OBP: .347
Jimmy Rollins' MVP-year OBP: .344
#11 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Gathright - most Ks in a season - 75
Ryan Howard - Ks in MVP-year - 181
Gathright must be better right?
This says it all. Most similar players to Gathright according to Baseball Reference:
Boots Day
Chet Chadbourne
Otis Clymer
Billy Zitzmann
#38 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
admit it wiscgrad, you just totally made those names up, right?
#42 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Sadly no, those are real people who played baseball, although they played so bad that statement might be borderline.
Boots Day was a 5'9 160lb outfielder for the Los Expos in the early 1970s. He was 15 for 30 in SBs, had 98 career RBI in nearly 1200 ABs, and actually slugged .185 in his last season before someone mercifully ended it.
I should add that the rest of Gathright's top 10 most similar are:
Curtis Goodwin
David Hulse
Adrian Brown
Lefty Davis
Tommy Thompson
Frank Gilhooley
#43 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Boots Day, former property of your Chicago Cubs.
#45 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Also a poorly received turnstile promotion last year.
#9 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
I think Jason Marquis' role with the club has been greatly reduced. He should be worried...
#12 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
You know the economy is really bad when an 82 year-old guy can't afford to retire...
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8950644/Paterno....
#13 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Signing a player like Joey Gathright is NOT the kind of move a World Series contender makes. He was cut by the Royals and the Rays, fer cripes sakes. I am no Felix Pie fan, but having Gathright take a roster spot seems downright insulting. On the positive side of things, at just $800K I guess the Cubs can release him quickly without losing a lot of sleep over it. But still....this signing makes my skin crawl the same way it did when Hendry actually SOUGHT OUT Jose Macias and Neifi Perez. Why Jim, why??
Gathright plus Neal Cotts = $2MM of 2009 salary payroll, that seems awfully careless for a GM that supposedly needs to pinch his pennies.
#15 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
neal cotts is a great gamble, imo.
the guy returned from AAA last year throwing a consistent 94+mph fastball. he's definitely worth another year.
#39 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
In fairness to Hendry, the 2008 team didn't really have anyone we could hate. now he's corrected that mistake for 2009.
#41 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Ronny? Fukudome post April? Jason Marquis? Bob Howry? Wardo? Soriano batting first?
I thought of a few...Hendry did a fine job of that last year
#14 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
this has been the most uproar over a 4th/5th OF'r who should be lucky to get 200-300 PA's if everyone stays healthy i've seen in a while.
late inning defensive replacement, a "3rd" CF'r/LF'r/RF'r, a pinch runner, and pinch hitting.
he's no matt murton evidently.
#17 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
off-season boredom...
and never underestimate people's ability to bitch about anything the Cubs do....rememeber when Jae-kuk Ryu got traded?
#19 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
What the fuck does that mean?! Ryu is the shit. I've got an autographed baseball from him. It's got bird blood on it. Ok it doesn't, but I really do have the ball. At least that's what the certificate of authenticity says...I can't really read the signature.
#21 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
What the fuck does that mean?!
that we argued for 2-3 days here over why and how much we got for the infamous bird-killer.
Is he still with Tampa?
#24 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
Yes, he's still being awesome in Tampa.
My point was that it was worth arguing, because he is so awesome.
Bear in mind, I've also got a Hee-seop Choi bobblehead.
#27 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
bet that Hee-Seop Choi bobblehead is worth like $5000K on ebay Korea.....
#31 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
$5000K. Is that like $5,000,000? If so, then that's probably a bit high of an estimate. Or was it in won? Then it's be worth about $4,000, which sounds about right.
#23 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
ryu, in person, is a hell of a physical specimen.
he's a REALLY nice guy, great with kids at the park, etc...too bad he's not a very good pitcher.
speaking of nice guys, willie harris is one of the nicest and most positive-force ballplayers i've ever seen work a field pre-game. he likes being at the park even if he's gonna spend 2-3 hours sitting on the bench once the game begins.
#26 Re: Ripping Joey Gathright
That's cool to hear. You tend to get the impression that he is a headcase based on his hunting methods. I'll have to seek him out when I move to Korea - he'll probably be washed out by then - and get him to autograph some shit.
#16 Ryne Sandberg gets a promotion
Hey! Sandberg will manage AA
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081217&c...
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