Ripping Joey Gathright

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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Joey Gathright
Submitted by Cubnut on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 1:40pm
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Comments

Submitted by Seamhead
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:16pm

Gathright is Willie Mays Hayes. What's not to like?

Submitted by Newport
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:24pm

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!

Submitted by Cubster
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:28pm

...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!

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:45pm

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.

Submitted by Seamhead
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:50pm

Sam Fuld can't be feeling too optimistic today either.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 2:53pm

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.

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 3:42pm

You are thinking of the one and only Fernando Ramsey.

Submitted by dB
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 3:17pm

for those lamenting the loss of farmhand Chris Walker, he signed a minor league deal with the Phillies.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 3:41pm

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

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 3:46pm

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

Submitted by 10man
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 8:00pm

admit it wiscgrad, you just totally made those names up, right?

Submitted by WISCGRAD
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 9:59pm

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

Submitted by Cubnut
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 10:25pm

Boots Day, former property of your Chicago Cubs.

Submitted by Brick
on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 6:34am

Also a poorly received turnstile promotion last year.

Submitted by carmenfanzone
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 3:41pm

I think Jason Marquis' role with the club has been greatly reduced. He should be worried...

Submitted by Seamhead
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:04pm

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....

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:08pm

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.

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:10pm

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.

Submitted by 10man
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 8:04pm

In fairness to Hendry, the 2008 team didn't really have anyone we could hate. now he's corrected that mistake for 2009.

Submitted by CPH2133
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 8:51pm

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

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:09pm

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.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:41pm

off-season boredom...

and never underestimate people's ability to bitch about anything the Cubs do....rememeber when Jae-kuk Ryu got traded?

Submitted by The Joe
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:46pm

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.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:48pm

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?

Submitted by The Joe
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:50pm

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.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:58pm

bet that Hee-Seop Choi bobblehead is worth like $5000K on ebay Korea.....

Submitted by The Joe
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:08pm

$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.

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:49pm

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.

Submitted by The Joe
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:52pm

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.

Submitted by navigator
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:11pm

Hey! Sandberg will manage AA

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081217&c...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:46pm

good to see Bobby Dickerson back to managing (AAA), had some success at AA for a few years before going the roving coach route. Surprised to see Jody Davis move to roving catching instructor, thought he was ahead of Ryno on the manager depth chart...guess he can go the Dickerson route for a year or two.

Submitted by navigator
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:42pm

(Gathright is) "Juan Pierre without the batting average or power."

or $10 million salary in 2009!

He's a poor man's JP. Actually, they're not that far apart in raw skills (no arm, no bat, all legs) these days and Pierre hasn't hit .300 in four years.

The last three:
Pierre .290 .330 .362 .692
Gathright .261 .331 .299 .630

Look at that Obp...

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:51pm

juan pierre has more bat control and overall idea of how to put a ball in a specific part of the field...even if its only 50-200 ft. worth of results.

gathright just goes up there and hacks.

Submitted by Chad
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:58pm

at least pierre hits doubles and triples.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 4:48pm

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8954110/Sources...

Submitted by blockhead25
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:02pm

it's an $800,000 throw away signing. I'm not worried about it at all. I do not believe this is meant to be a long term solution in any way, and just gives the Cubs a little flexability to move another back up or two around. If this is meant as an "answer" and he will be competing to be a starter...then I'll worry.

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:16pm

literal quotes thrown around by hendry and others point to him being a "late inning defensive replacement", "pinch runner", etc.

i think they view his use similar to dave roberts' role in BOS.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:18pm

Consider worrying. Hendry used the word "start" a couple of times yesterday.

"Obviously his at-bats will be dictated by Lou and how he's swinging the bat. How many starts he gets will be up to him and he fits in with the rest of the club,'' Hendry said, adding he wasn't concerned by a shoulder injury that sent Gathright to the DL last year.

"He's just a world class speed guy who can do lot of things for us that we felt like was important. It's no secret Lou likes to have people like this in the organization and certainly if he's not starting, he's a tremendous piece on the bench every day.''

Submitted by crunch
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:26pm

of course he'll start sometimes and it is ultimately up to lou. quotes by hendry, gary h., and other brass paint him as a bench guy, though.

Submitted by blockhead25
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:29pm

I don't read that as an inclination that he will compete to be a starter. Those comments seem to be implying the potential that he could spot start a few games, but that will be up to Lou.

Maybe this is trying to increase their bargaining potential with Bradley or another starting center fielder, as Hendry can argue they are less desperate for one now.

Submitted by The Joe
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:36pm

Or maybe he just signed the dude and doesn't want to say, "Gathright sucks, don't worry, he'll be warming the bench".

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 5:03pm

I'm getting this feeling that Furcal is the ultimate sleezeball. He had a "gentleman's agreement", then signs with another club. Just like what happened to Hendry. Fuck that dude and his NLCS 2-error game.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 8:12pm

Didn't someone else do this a couple of years ago?

When there's that much money on the line, you need more than a handshake to close the deal (see Jerry MacGwire).

Regardless, it's jetted me into first on the FA Frenzy... I think!

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 8:33pm

Carlos Boozer did it to the Cavs' benevolent, blind owner.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Wed, 12/17/2008 - 11:03pm

You aren't mistaking him for the governor of NY?

Submitted by Dusty Baylor
on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 10:11am

Gathright= Juan Pierre?

Pierre career: .300/.346/371
Gathright career: .263/.328/.304

He slugs that much less than Juan Pierre??? Wow..
$800K is not much these days in sports...but to flush it down the toilet?

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