fingerpointing/frustration set to begin?

[abuck1220]

"I don't know what happened tonight," Derrek Lee said. "Mentally, we didn't show up. We can't afford to play like that."

 

lee was obviously not talking about himself.

 

Barrett wasn't alone in making a mental mistake. Starter Jerome Williams, Glendon Rusch and Mike Remlinger all neglected to cover first on grounders to Lee, after Mark Prior did likewise on July 24 in St. Louis.

 

"It's frustrating," Lee said. "It's such a basic play. It's an out. Those are the plays you have to make."

 

lee was also visibly upset at barrett's play at the end of the game last night. he was yelling at barrett as the play was going on, and then he put his glove on his head and just stood there after the game had ended...much like i do when our lf in softball misjudges a fly ball by 50 feet...and, yes, i AM fingerpointing/blaming when that happens.

 

i told my dad last night that this was a game that can send your season spiraling into the toilet...i hope i'm wrong. obviously it'll be interesting to see how they respond today.

[neely crenshaw]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

The decision to steal third is plenty different than neglecting to cover first base as a pitcher.

[JC]

The lack of team fundamentals, with particular emphasis on the pitchers, is nothing new under this coaching staff's leadership. It is a continuing black eye despite a significant turnover in personnel over the last three years. As such, it leads to a pretty easy conclusion.

[gflore34]

The lack of team fundamentals, with particular emphasis on the pitchers, is nothing new under this coaching staff's leadership. It is a continuing black eye despite a significant turnover in personnel over the last three years. As such, it leads to a pretty easy conclusion.

 

 

Its amazing how every pitcher, save for Maddux, has forgotten how to cover first base on a gb to the right. Heck, whether the 2b or 1b fields the ball or not, shouldn't the pitcher break towards 1b on EVERY gb to the right of the infield?

Edited August 4, 2005 by gflore34

[MembersOnlyJacket]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

Well, if your #4 hitter was hitting .221 w/RISP, but had the 3rd most plate appearances in the league in those situations; you might get sick of being stranded on base.

[abuck1220]

i can't wait to go to fitch next spring and see how many hours/day the minor leaguers spend on covering first during pfp's.

[LoneStarCubFan]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

Well, if your #4 hitter was hitting .221 w/RISP, but had the 3rd most plate appearances in the league in those situations; you might get sick of being stranded on base.

 

Dude, we can't have two right-handers back-to-back in the line-up. Burny's got to hit clean-up. [/dusty]

[neely crenshaw]

all are bonehead plays that cost your team. you can put the "being aggressive" spin on lee brain fart but it is baseball 101 that is taught in 2nd grade- do not make the 1st or 3rd out at third base. players are taught this about the time they are taught to cover first on a ground ball to the right side or that the batter is out on a dropped third strike when first is occupied and there are less than 2 outs!

[erik316wttn]

This team doesn't even look like it cares anymore. It's sad, really, how they've quit on Dusty for the 2nd year in a row now.

 

What happened to the "master motivator?"

[soapy]

I think Lee was right to say what he said. I didn't see him blaiming anyone. He clearly made a mistake too (with the attempted steal) and I'm sure he'd tell you that. In fact, he admitted as much immediately after the fact.

 

Somebody has to start calling people out. Lee has been the offensive leader of this team. He might as well be the guy to try to light a fire under his fellow teamates if he feels that's what is required.

 

The most frusting play was the one where Lee actually got the out. I mean, Remlinger didn't even freaking move. That was pathetic, to say it nicely. I think it's the kind of game that can either open some eyes and make people start focusing, or start a downward slide. It will be interesting to see what happens. This is why I could never be a "player's manager" (not that I could be a manager period). I would lose it on my pitchers after a game like that.

[LoneStarCubFan]

I hope Lee keeps ripping guys. Somebody needs to hold these clowns accountable. The manager sure as hell won't.

[IUBrian]

When I read the title to this thread, I thought, "Jeeze, has this guy read ANY other post on this site? We've been fingerpointing for 2 seasons."

 

haha

 

Trying to stay amused in all this mess. Here's to Friday turning us around and giving us a fighting chance.

[YearofDaCubs]

I hope Lee keeps ripping guys. Somebody needs to hold these clowns accountable. The manager sure as hell won't.

Exactly. Sorry, but when rookie teams can execute and have more fundamentals than you, you know you have problems. This is def not a problem that started this year either.

[10man]

When players regularly mess up fundamental plays it clearly states ONE thing: It has NOT been practiced enough to make it automatic.

 

These kinds of plays rely very much on muscle memory. Your body tends to react in the same manner as what it is used to doing often. If you don't do it often enough, then your body doesn't automatically do it.

 

In short, lack of fundamentals is a black mark on coaches for not drilling the players properly on things that should be automatic and it is a black mark on players for lacking the desire to be excellent by continually practicing these plays even without being prompted to do so.

 

Excellence is the quality that makes Reggie Miller shoot 1000 free throws every day, Larry Bird take hundreds of jump shots a day, or Wade Boggs take extra batting practice sessions or even Albert Pujols run to the video room after an out to see what he did wrong.

 

Practice cannot make you perfect, but it can get you really really close.

[gflore34]

I hope Lee keeps ripping guys. Somebody needs to hold these clowns accountable. The manager sure as hell won't.

 

I gotta believe there were some heated words exchanged in last night' Cubs locker and not by the person would should've been in Williams', Rusch' and Barrett' faces - Baker.

[LuvChicagoSports]

I find it pathetic that the guy who's said all along he's quiet is the one who's starting to have to say stuff cause our manager is too big of a wuss to do it himself. Dusty is obviously not the motivator that he's given credit for as this team has done nothing consistent all year except look mediocre. Derrek knows everyone makes mistakes, but I think his problem is what the hell where the two pitchers after Williams doing that they too forgot to run to cover first. One mental mistake is not OK, but it does happen and you can live with it. Three of the same mental errors is absolutely not ok, but our players manager does not make it clear to the players that this is not ok. That is why this team continually makes the same fundamental mistakes. Dusty Baker has no business in the Cubs clubhouse next season if he does not lead this team to the playoffs. The way the clubhouse imploded last season proved he is not what he claims to be. This team has become increasingly more difficult to watch under him as well. Even now our good pitchers don't pitch as well as they did before. I think the best thing for all parties involved is for the ax to fall on Dusty's tenure.

[SCCubbieFAN]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

You are correct neely however, in the game that Lee tried to steal 3rd, IIRC the Cubs were up by several runs so they could make risky plays that would not normally be made in a closer game.

[LoneStarCubFan]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

You are correct neely however, in the game that Lee tried to steal 3rd, IIRC the Cubs were up by several runs so they could make risky plays that would not normally be made in a closer game.

 

They were losing by a run.

[SCCubbieFAN]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

You are correct neely however, in the game that Lee tried to steal 3rd, IIRC the Cubs were up by several runs so they could make risky plays that would not normally be made in a closer game.

 

They were losing by a run.

 

my bad. then it was a stupid play by lee :oops:

[badger1679666666]

sorry, lee is right however it is also a basic play that you do not steal third with no outs....especially with your number 4 hitter up..i believe lee did that and was thrown out costing the cubs a run earlier this week. people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. lee has been/ is our best player but he still is human and makes mistakes.

 

You are correct neely however, in the game that Lee tried to steal 3rd, IIRC the Cubs were up by several runs so they could make risky plays that would not normally be made in a closer game.

 

They were losing by a run.

 

my bad. then it was a stupid play by lee :oops:

 

He already admittted it wasn't a high percentage play. But it's nowhere near not covering first, or throwing to third last night.