Counting on Wood to be healthy is `stupid,' says Rothschild

[Balsa]

Today in the Chicago Tribune...

 

Larry Rothschild is fed up with the excuses and the lack of foresight regarding recurring Cubs injury problems.

 

For the organization to count on Kerry Wood being fully healthy next spring, for instance, would be "stupid," the Cubs' pitching coach said.

 

One of the reasons Rothschild turned down an offer to move to the Detroit Tigers to be Jim Leyland's pitching coach is he wants to see his starters fulfill their potential under his watch.

 

"I don't like to use excuses," he said. "It's time for us to look at it that whoever is healthy and on the field needs to play the game right and play the game well. I don't know that that happened all the time last year.

 

"When you keep having to shift guys because of injuries, you don't always get the performances you want. Whoever is on the field, we need to play the game well. If we do, we will win games. Dusty [baker] is a big believer in fundamentals and we need to get to the point where we execute on the field day in and day out. Any excuses that are out there . . . it really doesn't matter."

 

The marquee members of the starting staff, Wood and Mark Prior, have been slowed by significant injuries over the last two seasons. Wood landed on the disabled list three times with arm and shoulder-related problems. He underwent surgery in September and said he is on schedule with his rehabilitation.

 

"I think, as an organization, we look at it that if Kerry comes back, when he comes back, it's going to be a bonus," Rothschild said. "We have to plan that he's not going to be back at any certain level we can predict.

 

"The surgery indicates that everything is very positive. But if we sit here and say we're going to depend on him going into spring training . . . it's just stupid on our part. I think we go in thinking we're going to build that staff as strong as we can. If Kerry is back, we're that much stronger. I believe he will be [back], but I'm not going to depend on it."

 

After Wood was sidelined and Prior went on the disabled list after being hit on the elbow with a line drive, the Cubs scrambled for starters and finished four games under .500.

 

"I would much prefer having a couple of extra guys going into camp than getting caught light," general manager Jim Hendry said. "The possibility of adding another starter . . . it would have to be the right fit."

Seems to be the right attitude to take. I just wish they'd done it a season earlier. I'm glad to read that Rothschild isn't making excuses. Unlike Dusty, he seems to acknowledge the fact that people see through petty excuses.

[CubinNY]

I am sick or hearing about the injuries. The injuries are not why the Cubs sucked. They sucked because they had sucky players because of a sucky offseason of trying to get rid of Sosa. And on top of that they were banking on injuried players.

[Scott G. F.]

I am sick or hearing about the injuries. The injuries are not why the Cubs sucked. They sucked because they had sucky players because of a sucky offseason of trying to get rid of Sosa. And on top of that they were banking on injuried players.

 

One word Jerry Hairston Jr.

He filled in nicely on the DL for Sosa IMO.

 

Injuries to key players did play a factor as much as you'd like to bury you head in the sand on this fact. The injuries and the thin bench expose was the Cubs undoing. Simple and also in the past. We move on.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

At least Rothschild isn't living in Lah Lah Land like Dusty.

[CubinNY]

At least Rothschild isn't living in Lah Lah Land like Dusty.

 

Agreed. And I wonder if they are on the same page in other matters?

[TB_11]

Interesting that Rothschild doesn't want to hear excuses about Wood's injury problems considering some of the blame for those injuries falls on Rothschild.

[rawaction]

Interesting that Rothschild doesn't want to hear excuses about Wood's injury problems considering some of the blame for those injuries falls on Rothschild.

 

Exactly what I was thinking

[Neuby]

I don't understand blaming Rothschild Wood was getting hurt before him and will be after him. Did Rothschild teach Wood his mechanics? Do we know Rothschild hasn't spoken to Wood about changing them? I choose to blame Wood or just blame it on luck.

[goonys evil twin]

I don't understand blaming Rothschild Wood was getting hurt before him and will be after him. Did Rothschild teach Wood his mechanics? Do we know Rothschild hasn't spoken to Wood about changing them? I choose to blame Wood or just blame it on luck.

 

It's the coaches job to coach. Rothschild has been here for a while. Wood was healthy when Larry showed up and stayed healthy the first two years. But similar to the way Clement reverted to form after brief success under Larry, Wood has reverted to injuries. There are dozens of ways to lay blame there. Wood didn't do enough to change his mechanics. Larry didn't do enough to change his mechanics, and, perhaps more damning, Larry didn't do a thing to stop Dusty from overabusing his guys when they were healthy.

[TheDude]

I figured this was the case after Rusch was re-signed.

 

Wood is going to have to go through some learning pains again as he tinkers with his mechanics.

[mg420]

I am sick or hearing about the injuries. The injuries are not why the Cubs sucked. They sucked because they had sucky players because of a sucky offseason of trying to get rid of Sosa. And on top of that they were banking on injuried players.

 

One word Jerry Hairston Jr.

He filled in nicely on the DL for Sosa IMO.

 

Injuries to key players did play a factor as much as you'd like to bury you head in the sand on this fact. The injuries and the thin bench expose was the Cubs undoing. Simple and also in the past. We move on.

 

the braves had alot of injuries but they had a great season because they went to their minors & played a bunch of talented rookies instead of forcing bench players into starting roles. cedeno, murton & dubois were obviously ready to contribute last year earlier in the season but were not given a chance. baker also seems to mess up players by not putting them in the roles they are most suited for (rusch, dempster, hawkins, walker, hollandsworth to name a few). look at how the braves used remlinger compared to the cubs and look at the results. granted mike was often injured with the cubs but when he was healthy he still was used to try to get lefties out and they crushed him the majority of the time.

[YearofDaCubs]

It's about time they are approaching it with the right attitude. Too bad they didn't realize that last year.

[Jehrico]

I am sick or hearing about the injuries. The injuries are not why the Cubs sucked. They sucked because they had sucky players because of a sucky offseason of trying to get rid of Sosa. And on top of that they were banking on injuried players.

 

One word Jerry Hairston Jr.

He filled in nicely on the DL for Sosa IMO.

 

Injuries to key players did play a factor as much as you'd like to bury you head in the sand on this fact. The injuries and the thin bench expose was the Cubs undoing. Simple and also in the past. We move on.

 

I think a third of the problem was injuries, a third was mismanagement (i.e. Corey and Neifi hitting 1 and 2, LaTroy beginning the year as closer, Holla not being used as our primary PH), and a third was a couple of key players not performing even close to what was expected (i.e. CPatt). The thin bench magnified these other shortcomings.

[frostwyrm]

I am glad someone in the organization has acknowledged the foolishness of relying on Kerry's health for a whole season. One of the main reasons I want another top-shelf SP is that I believe Kerry will most likely break down by mid-season.

[YearofDaCubs]

I am glad someone in the organization has acknowledged the foolishness of relying on Kerry's health for a whole season. One of the main reasons I want another top-shelf SP is that I believe Kerry will most likely break down by mid-season.

If he even makes it come opening day.

[Neuby]

I don't understand blaming Rothschild Wood was getting hurt before him and will be after him. Did Rothschild teach Wood his mechanics? Do we know Rothschild hasn't spoken to Wood about changing them? I choose to blame Wood or just blame it on luck.

 

It's the coaches job to coach. Rothschild has been here for a while. Wood was healthy when Larry showed up and stayed healthy the first two years. But similar to the way Clement reverted to form after brief success under Larry, Wood has reverted to injuries. There are dozens of ways to lay blame there. Wood didn't do enough to change his mechanics. Larry didn't do enough to change his mechanics, and, perhaps more damning, Larry didn't do a thing to stop Dusty from overabusing his guys when they were healthy.

 

When did Rothschild get here 2002?Wood was drafted when? Coaching go only so far. It's sometimes up to the student to apply it. Wood was with the Cubs organization.Patterson is a prime example no matter what team he ends up with I doubt he will be able to apply his tools to become the player we all thought he could be.

[Cubzfan64]

Coaching go only so far. It's sometimes up to the student to apply it. Wood was with the Cubs organization.Patterson is a prime example no matter what team he ends up with I doubt he will be able to apply his tools to become the player we all thought he could be.

 

Well said! Anyone who has ever coached anything - be it sports, music, sales, math etc.... knows that a coach can only do so much. Some coaches are better than others - those are the ones who find ways to convince their "students" to try new approaches and to practice and adjust to succeed. The biggest problem is that those kinds of coaches who can truly convince, motivate and mentor like that are few and far between and even when you find one, not every student becomes a success.

 

In a nutshell, I think the Cub organization has seriously lacked that kind of quality in their coaches, teachers and mentors - primarily in their farm system. Let's face it too that by the time the vast majority of ballplayers reach the big leagues, odds are strong that habits (bad and good both) have become so ingrained into them that it's even that much harder to break.

 

It has worried me for some time that we (as an organization) haven't had much success in growing home grown talent from our farm clubs - especially position players. I used to think it was poor talent evaluation and bad drafting, but I've come to believe an equal portion of blame must lie in the teaching ability in our minor league systems. Until that changes, we'll continually be at the mercy of getting into bidding wars, overpaying for free agents and hoping to make a lucky trade here and there to build a championship team.

 

Personally I haven't been all that impressed with Rothschild since he's been here, but I have to say I take heart in his comments - at least he isn't using excuses and his words exemplify an attitude that I think is in the right direction.

[treebird]

larry: kerry, i know how to teach you perfect mechanics. i think i will do so now.

 

kerry: no, larry, i am too lazy. i just want to collect my paychecks and go to my mansion.

 

larry: but kerry, unless i reveal this magical secret to you, you'll just keep getting hurt.

 

kerry: im too stubborn. also, i think getting hurt and then rehabbing is fun.

[USSoccer]

Am I alone in thinking Rothschild is one of the last people on earth who should be pissing and moaning about Wood and injuries? Maybe if he asserted himself to Dusty, Woody wouldn't have to throw 150 pitches during games in May, and thus raising the already high odds on Wood getting hurt exponentially. Maybe Chad Fox's elbow doesn't explode, because he's not pitching his 3rd game in a row (a blowout at that). Maybe we actually use guys regularly and not drive guys like Farnsworth and Wuertz into the ground.

 

I think Rothschild should show that kind of assertive attitude inside the dugout in June, not to a newspaper in November.

[USSoccer]

larry: kerry, i know how to teach you perfect mechanics. i think i will do so now.

 

kerry: no, larry, i am too lazy. i just want to collect my paychecks and go to my mansion.

 

larry: but kerry, unless i reveal this magical secret to you, you'll just keep getting hurt.

 

kerry: im too stubborn. also, i think getting hurt and then rehabbing is fun.

 

That's exactly how it went.

[badger1679666666]

Does anyone find this public disparagement a little disconcerting. IT's fine if they feel that way, and they probably should, but to publically say this would piss me off big time if I'm wood. Do it face to face, not to the media. Maybe I'm the only one though.

[USSoccer]

Does anyone find this public disparagement a little disconcerting. IT's fine if they feel that way, and they probably should, but to publically say this would piss me off big time if I'm wood. Do it face to face, not to the media. Maybe I'm the only one though.

 

no, i do too. i don't think Larry should have said what he said the way he said it.

[MPrior]

Does anyone find this public disparagement a little disconcerting. IT's fine if they feel that way, and they probably should, but to publically say this would piss me off big time if I'm wood. Do it face to face, not to the media. Maybe I'm the only one though.

 

no, i do too. i don't think Larry should have said what he said the way he said it.

 

I disagree. I don't think it's disparaging to anyone. He's not saying anything bad about Wood - he's just saying that, as an organization, depending on a guy who just had shoulder surgery and has a history of injury to be healthy isn't a good way to go about things. It's not a knock on Wood, or an insinuation that Wood won't be able to stay healthy; it's merely stating that counting on it would be foolhardy, to say the least.

[Magnetic Curses]

larry: kerry, i know how to teach you perfect mechanics. i think i will do so now.

 

kerry: no, larry, i am too lazy. i just want to collect my paychecks and go to my mansion.

 

larry: but kerry, unless i reveal this magical secret to you, you'll just keep getting hurt.

 

kerry: im too stubborn. also, i think getting hurt and then rehabbing is fun.

 

on the score:

 

stone: kerry, your mechanics suck, you throw across your body too much, blah blah blah.

 

average cub fan on the street: (monotone, staring straight ahead, glassy-eyed) steve stone knows and sees all. wood is a terrible pitcher because of his mechanics and always has been, why doesn't he strike 20 guys out per game?. i love steve stone, must make him mine.

 

terry boers: i'm outraged by the bears behavior and i will not stop being indignant about it! .................and steve stone is god, kerry wood sucks, ron santo has no legs.

 

stone: the thing about it is, it's just that his mechanics are so terrible and he throws across his body, i've pleaded with him to stop, but, since i've never actually met him, he's not answering my messages.

 

dan bernstein: what's that again, steve? i mean, besides my show being built solely on the premise of ron santo having no legs and us being totally morally outraged by the bears?

 

steve: well, dan, it's his mechanics, he throws across his body, it's very technical stuff, i assure you, only something my massive brain could understand. very very technical jargon, dan, i mean it.

 

terry boers: really?

 

stone: very technical indeed.

[Mark Priors Calves]

nice work, sulley.