Archive - Dec 17, 2008

There is a new rookie in the TCR bullpen and as a result, I've picked up my Dora the Explorer backpack and have assumed the position. Hmmm, perhaps that didn't come out right. All kidding aside, I wanted to take a minute to mention just a few things I do and do not bring to the table.

I bring.....

• A strong distaste for Derrek Lee and maintain that he is the most overrated first baseman in all of baseball.
• A love of the farm system, though not nearly as much as the farm crazy AZ Phil has. He's my idol. I hope to one day be able to be half the man he is.
• A heavy heart over the loss of my favorite Cub, Kerry Wood. I can still remember the day I skipped work for no other reason than to watch him pitch in his rookie year. What game was it? None other than the 20 K game. From that point on I was in love.
• A hatred of Bleed Cubbie Blue and all the smug attitude emitted Al. Long ago I was told not to mention this, but what the heck? True story, Al was not their first choice: I was. I turned it down.
• A strange list of favorite Cubs over the years that includes Rey Sanchez, Frank Castillo, Steve Trachsel and Joe Girardi. For some reason I never liked the good players.

I don't bring....

• The ability to kiss Jim Hendry's butt when he makes a poor decision. He's been given the resources and it's time to get it done.
• The patience to wait till I'm 80 for a championship.
• The language in my posts that caused TCR to move from MVN, but I can still be ok, right?
• A love to go to Wrigley Field. Call me crazy, but it's gotten frustrating to spend $100 and be surrounded by way too many drunks. If the stadium was filled with sane people throughout, I could rationalize it. It's TV all the way for me, though watching a drunk in any other circumstance for free is a fun assignment.

Hopefully that will give you an idea of who I am. I'll do my best to be active in the comments, so feel free to fire off questions. I'll submit to the grill. Roast away.

Hey, anyone see a Frank around here, Frank Wren...the guys at Liberty Media Group have sent someone down to talk to him. They're a bit concerned over recent developments.

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.

Effective immediately, Joe Aiello of "View From The Bleachers" is
joining us here at TCR. Joe started his blog back in October of
'03--the "Dark Time"--and over the years he turned VFTB into one of the
true stalwart Cub blogs.

We're thrilled to have him.