Booing Former Players

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't really view fans booing after an opponents HR or other hit booing of the pitcher that gave up that hit. It's booing something negative happening toward their team. If they booed Harden after he was announced for his at bat, that would be booing him.

[XZero771679666304]

Glendon Rusch sucked.

 

But who expected him not to, really? If we're going to waste time booing every sucky ex-Cub who sucked, we're gonna be really hoarse. Booing underachievers in one thing, but booing all the dregs that Hendry ever brought in is just stupid.

 

I think booing in general is stupid, but saying it's okay to boo certain guys but not okay to boo glendon Rusch seems pretty stupid to me. People get booed when they tie up a considerable portion of payroll and a roster spot and aren't good.

 

I get upset when my expectations aren't met, personally. When someone like Rusch comes into a game, I expect him to suck. I don't feel compelled to boo when someone sucks who every reasonable person would expect to suck. If they make too much money, my beef is with Hendry. Maybe I'm crazy.

[abuck1220]

If someone is booing Latroy Hawkins, that means they paid enough attention over the past few years to actually know that Latroy played for (and sucked) with the Cubs.

 

if you think latroy sucked with the cubs, you were the one that wasn't paying attention.

[daske17]

I think the booing is more an extension of when those players were with the Cubs. 2005 and 2006 were awful years, and unfortunately for him, Jerry Hairston was on those teams, as was Rusch.

 

Conversely, Maddux got a standing ovation the last time he pitched at Wrigley, as did Grace when he came back with the D-Backs. I would expect ovations for DeRosa and Woody when Cleveland comes to town.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Booing players on your own team is really stupid, unless it's something like a guy getting thrown out at first because he didn't run it out and the guy bobbled it for 5 seconds. Or a Todd Hundley flipping off the fans situation.

[jersey cubs fan]

Glendon Rusch sucked.

 

But who expected him not to, really? If we're going to waste time booing every sucky ex-Cub who sucked, we're gonna be really hoarse. Booing underachievers in one thing, but booing all the dregs that Hendry ever brought in is just stupid.

 

I think booing in general is stupid, but saying it's okay to boo certain guys but not okay to boo glendon Rusch seems pretty stupid to me. People get booed when they tie up a considerable portion of payroll and a roster spot and aren't good.

 

I get upset when my expectations aren't met, personally. When someone like Rusch comes into a game, I expect him to suck. I don't feel compelled to boo when someone sucks who every reasonable person would expect to suck. If they make too much money, my beef is with Hendry. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

That's perfectly fine. But fans aren't obligated to accept somebody sucking just because they knew they would suck. If that were true, I never would have been allowed to voice displeasure with the work of Dusty Baker.

 

Like I said, I'm not a booer. It does nothing for me. But it's perfectly understandable to boo a player who sucked while playing for your team, regardless of the negligence that brought him there.

[CubColtPacer]

how about we dont boo freakin RICH HARDEN for giving up one homerun last night. then maybe we can move on to not booing former cubs

 

They even booed Harden when Bruce got the single to drive in the second run.

 

Are you certain they were not shouting "Bruce!"? This sort of confusion pops up at Springsteen shows all the time. And yeah, Glendon Rusch sucked terribly. I don't particularly care that he was "understood" to suck. When you are as awful a pitcher as Rusch is/was, part of your job is absorbing boos.

 

I can sort of understand the booing of Rusch. His first 180 innings were pretty good, and his last 150 innings were absolutely awful for the team.

 

At the same time, he was an excellent guy in interviews, he was really loved on the 2004 team, and he left the team because of a serious illness which usually draws some sympathy.

 

And I would tend to agree that part of the problem is the 2004-2006 years. People had sky high expectations for the team and so anybody who was on the team for only those years is going to be maligned for being part of the problem of why the expectations of the team weren't met, even if they weren't a huge part of the problem.

[TruffleShuffle]

if booing latroy hawkins is wrong, i don't want to be right.

[Rob]

if booing latroy hawkins is wrong, i don't want to be right.

 

I don't think you need to worry about that.

[javy knows my name]

The Harden one is unfair, I agree. But he's not lived up to the "star" expectations he came in with so far.

What? Come on now.

 

Yeah. In what universe has Rich Harden not been a star for the Cubs?

[Sammy Sofa]

I don't really view fans booing after an opponents HR or other hit booing of the pitcher that gave up that hit. It's booing something negative happening toward their team. If they booed Harden after he was announced for his at bat, that would be booing him.

 

Exactly. I took the boos over the HR as smply boos by the home crowd over the fact that the visitors just hit a HR. Bruce was then booed over anything else he did later in the game. Those clearly weren't boos for or at Harden at all.

[KingCubsFan]

how about we dont boo freakin RICH HARDEN for giving up one homerun last night. then maybe we can move on to not booing former cubs

 

They even booed Harden when Bruce got the single to drive in the second run.

 

Are you certain they were not shouting "Bruce!"? This sort of confusion pops up at Springsteen shows all the time. And yeah, Glendon Rusch sucked terribly. I don't particularly care that he was "understood" to suck. When you are as awful a pitcher as Rusch is/was, part of your job is absorbing boos.

I think most people were booing the guy in the Bartman seat who interfered.

[A New Era]

They boo'd Hairston Jr. and other sucky players that played during that time because it reminded them of the sucky dusty baker era. End of story.

[Warren Brusstar]

how about we dont boo freakin RICH HARDEN for giving up one homerun last night. then maybe we can move on to not booing former cubs

 

They even booed Harden when Bruce got the single to drive in the second run.

:banghead: :flame:

 

 

I remember when Theriot got booed after his first ML AB, which was a PH AB at that.

 

If I recall correctly -- and it's certainly possible I do not -- he took a called third strike with a man on third and one out. That's worthy of booing.

[SouthSideRyan]

 

Booing people who deserve it is one thing, but they're booing everyone. It just makes us look ignorant, not attentive.

 

Cheering every fly ball makes us look way more ignorant. I hate Cub fans.

[Warren Brusstar]

Booing players on your own team is really stupid, unless it's something like a guy getting thrown out at first because he didn't run it out and the guy bobbled it for 5 seconds. Or a Todd Hundley flipping off the fans situation.

 

 

I agree with the sentiment that booing is appropriate only for (a) mental mistakes; (b) being a jerk to the fans.

 

Taking a called third strike with a man on third and one out? Worthy of boos.

 

Serving up an 0-2 meatball that's jacked over the fence? Worthy of boos.

 

Getting thrown out third on a stupid attempt to advance on a passed ball when down three runs in the ninth inning (i.e. Mike Fontenot last week)? Worthy of boos.

 

I think very little of the booing that occurs at Wrigley corresponds to these sorts of things.

[Warren Brusstar]

Glendon Rusch sucked.

 

But who expected him not to, really? If we're going to waste time booing every sucky ex-Cub who sucked, we're gonna be really hoarse. Booing underachievers in one thing, but booing all the dregs that Hendry ever brought in is just stupid.

 

I think booing in general is stupid, but saying it's okay to boo certain guys but not okay to boo glendon Rusch seems pretty stupid to me. People get booed when they tie up a considerable portion of payroll and a roster spot and aren't good.

 

I get upset when my expectations aren't met, personally. When someone like Rusch comes into a game, I expect him to suck. I don't feel compelled to boo when someone sucks who every reasonable person would expect to suck. If they make too much money, my beef is with Hendry. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

That's perfectly fine. But fans aren't obligated to accept somebody sucking just because they knew they would suck. If that were true, I never would have been allowed to voice displeasure with the work of Dusty Baker.

 

Like I said, I'm not a booer. It does nothing for me. But it's perfectly understandable to boo a player who sucked while playing for your team, regardless of the negligence that brought him there.

 

To me, there's a distinction between mental mistakes and physical mistakes.

 

I don't think it's fair to boo Alex Gonzalez, for example, for biffing a critical double-play grounder. That's a physical error and they happen to everyone.

 

I think it is absolutely fair to boo Mike Fontento, for example, for brainlessly getting thrown out at third base while trying to advance on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 9th when his run meant absolutely nothing. That's a mental error, and there's just no excuse for a major leaguer to make that sort of mistake. None.

[DiamondMind]

I didn't like that they booed Rusch. What did he ever do wrong? Didn't he have some surprisingly decent seasons with us?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I agree with the sentiment that booing is appropriate only for (a) mental mistakes; (b) being a jerk to the fans.

 

Taking a called third strike with a man on third and one out? Worthy of boos.

 

Serving up an 0-2 meatball that's jacked over the fence? Worthy of boos.

 

Getting thrown out third on a stupid attempt to advance on a passed ball when down three runs in the ninth inning (i.e. Mike Fontenot last week)? Worthy of boos.

 

I think very little of the booing that occurs at Wrigley corresponds to these sorts of things.

 

For me, it's more effort based than mental mistakes. A guy who gives up an 0-2 HR is still trying to get the guy out, and someone who takes a called third strike thinks it's best that he take a pitch that's a ball. But a guy who isn't running out a bobbled ball, or an outfielder who gives up an extra base by slowly getting to a ball aren't trying to do the right thing, they're just being lazy. But I admit I have a much more narrow view of what's acceptable for booing than most.

[dew1679666265]

I didn't like that they booed Rusch. What did he ever do wrong? Didn't he have some surprisingly decent seasons with us?

 

His first year was good, but then he got progressively worse fast.

[dew1679666265]

Taking a called third strike with a man on third and one out? Worthy of boos.

 

What if it's a poor call by the ump? We've all seen pitches that aren't anywhere near the zone be called strike 3. Would you rather players start flailing wildly anytime they get two strikes - just to ensure no mistake is made by the ump? That old adage that "if it's close enough to be called, it was close enough to swing at" is not always true.

 

Or, if it's a pitcher taking the third strike, I'm perfectly fine with a guy who is not good at hitting and is not getting paid to hit trying to coax a walk. If that means he has a few extra strike 3s called, I'm fine with that.

 

Serving up an 0-2 meatball that's jacked over the fence? Worthy of boos.

 

What if it's a physical mistake? For instance, the pitcher intended to throw the fastball inside, but it slipped. Or, it was a breaking ball that didn't break nearly as much as he wanted. Those are physical errors that are going to happen to a pitcher.

 

I'm with TT completely on booing.

[UMFan83]

Jim Hendry picks up mediocre players. Mediocre players perform mediocre. Mediocre players leave team. Jim Hendry is applauded. Mediocre player is boo'd upon return. I guess it makes sense.

 

But if the collective thought was "were going to boo every former Cub that fails to provide us a championship", I guess that's ok only if they make exceptions for players that obviously are special.

[erik316wttn]

Don't suck, and you won't get booed.

 

This.

[Brian]

I was at the game last night, and I'm pretty sure a great majority of the boo'ing after the Bruce game tieing single was directed at the guy in the "Bartman area". It was the same AB. I'm hoping most were doing it tongue in cheek because there was no way Soriano was going for it even if there was nobody remotely close to the ball. People in LF were yelling at and flipping that guy off all game.

[Mephistopheles]

We all know KW will get a standing ovation in June. And if the Cubs are down and he's in the game, a good percentage of the Cubs fans in Wrigley will be hoping the Cubs don't win.