FergieJ31

Just a feel good story. Say what you want about his injuries, the guy is ALL class. Rest of Story Tnx for sharing that badger. What a class act. I have a lot of man-love for Kerry ... is it wrrrrong? :D He's still one of the most electrifying pitchers in MLB - I'm looking forward to his debut a few weeks into the season.

Well it's sort of beating a dead horse -- like you said we're all going to believe what we want -- but of the stats you posted, only Maris' AB/HR jump from '59 to '60 rivals Sammy's jump from '97 to '98. Maris more than doubled his HR rate; Sammy nearly doubled his. But Maris also moved from a cavernous park in KC in '59 to Yankee Stadium in '60 -- huge ballpark effect. Sammy obviously played both '97 and '98 at Wrigley. Just to be clear, my post wasn't just about HR rate and I'm not saying his spurt was unprecedented in baseball history. But I suspect Sammy's spurt in the late 90's would be in the top 5-10 instances of all time, depending on how we measure -- and THAT is significant, I hope most would agree. As I said, the HR rate is just one aspect of the big picture.

What astonishing HR spurt are you talking about? No, he was hurt in '96, not '97. In '97 he played in 162 games. Prior to 93 his AB/HR rate was over 30. He legitimately turned himself into a power hitter between 93 and 97, averaging about 16-17 AB/HR, with a down year in 97, almost 18 AB/HR. In 98-99 his AB/HR dropped below 10. He nearly doubled the rate he was hitting HR's vs 97. I'm sorry that IS an astonishing HR spurt.

Why? Let me preface my answer by saying (a) I'm not a Sammy-basher and never have been, and (b) my reasons have been debated here ad nauseaum ... I don't have much to add because I'm just a normal long-time Cub fan, like you, probably, and many others here on NSBB. I do not have any inside info. Why do I think he took something? It's not just his Chico Ensuela act in front of Congress ... it's not just the fact that he's a known cheater (too bad he didn't know that cork is at best a psychological advantage) ... it's not just the astonishing spurt in his HR rate ... it's not just the fact that the power surge happened to coincide with others who are under heavy suspicion, Bonds, Giambi, McGwire, etc. ... it's not just the dramatic change in his appearance (including quite a bit of acne) by '98 ... it's not just that in 2001 he hit 64 HR and didn't steal a single base (going from a 30-30 guy to a 64-0 guy is going to justifiably raise a few eyebrows) ... it's not any of the above in isolation, it's the whole thing. I want to believe that no Barry-asterisk belongs in front of any of Sammy's monster years, but at some point as circumstantial evidence piles up it becomes awfully compelling. What follows is pure speculation on my part -- just observations of how Sammy evolved over time in the 90's. Please don't ask for documentation, web links, etc. because all I have is my memory. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong on the facts I'm sure. I've followed Sammy's career since he was a skinny kid with the White Sox. I believe he legitimately turned himself into a power hitter, and a very good one, without any artificial help. In '96 he was leading the NL in HRs when he was beaned in late August by a nobody named Mark Hutton (who had no idea where the ball was going that day). Just like the Torres beaning in '04, Sammy wasn't the same when he returned -- and he also stumbled out of the gate in '97 (of course he wasn't the only Cub to stumble out of the gate in '97). Now Sammy also had contract extension negotiations in '97, and also happened to start showing the prodigious power stroke to the opposite field later that year (prior to that he had been a predominantly classic pull HR hitter). He also was visibly bulking up later that year -- perhaps someone else can back me up on that observation. All coincidental? Sure, it's possible. Probable? Doubtful. I really think '97 was the year he started using something, mid-season -- not the '97-'98 off-season as is commonly assumed. Again, pure conjecture on my part, I admit.

I agree - the Grace bashing is getting silly. If he was as petty and jealous of Sammy as some have said, I'd have expected him to have made far more incriminating things about Sammy by now. Sammy is a very easy target since his recent downfall. What Grace said in that article was actually pretty tame and plain common-sense. It is almost impossible to believe Sammy didn't use some enhancement (HGH, roids or whatever), and it seems likely that Julian Martinez was the only witness/accomplice.

Yes indeed; ironic that Brant Brown was a late inning defensive replacement for Glenallen in the famous "Brant Brown" game in late '98 at Milw.

how is joe morgan not in your 'announcers to punch'? Morgan isn't in that list because he's in the 'announcers to kick in the nads' list (actually Buck, McCarver & Harrelson are all in that list too).

I disagree with this argument 100%. What did the Cubs draw pre-98? And what was their highest selling year? '04, when playoff expectations were at a peak. The Cubs haven't gone more than 2 years since '98 without fielding a winning or playoff team (98, 01, 03, 04). A few more years like last year - maybe just one or two more - and all of a sudden it mightn't be so hard to get Wrigley tix again. There's often a few years lag between the onset of losing and an associated drop in attendance (see Chicago Blackhawks - remember the roar?). I'm not saying the Cubs must have known Prior was hurt before tix went on sale. But it's certainly not implausible.

Oh man, lettme tell ya, it's fan-freaking-tasitc! *sigh* Amen Coach. Ahhh the eternal signs of spring: the birds are chirping, the trees are budding, and Cub fans' teeth are gnashing over Prior and Wood...

It only matters if Duncan is a simulated batter -- how is he at hitting towels?

What is the WHIP myth and how did you destroy it? Feel free to link to your posts (I must have missed them). I'm not being argumentative - I really want to know what you mean. Personally I think WHIP is just about the truest objective summary of pitcher performance. If I could ask for one stat -- one stat only -- about a pitcher I knew nothing about, that is the one I'd want (HR/9 and K/BB being a close 2nd and 3rd).

If you play that Steve Goodman song, "Dying Cub Fan's Last Request", backwards on a turntable, there's a section at the end where I swear it says "Mark is dead."

great sig badger - let Barry's middle name be "asterisk" from here on out. and re Woody I tend to agree with you 100%.

I can relate. One of the first few Cub games I got to catch on TV last year was the one where Nomar went down. Same thing as you: first thing I saw when I turned on the TV was him hit the DP ball, then go down in a heap :roll: (maybe we shouldn't watch the games on tv anymore) I hope Jerry is ok -- glad to hear he was up and moving around. Head beanings can play with your mind, so more than anything I hope he's emotionally ok.

Thanks for a great game thread guys .. .just read the whole thing word for word, just like a radio PbP. Any word on Hairston's condition?

The only thing I find disturbing is this quote by LR: "Maybe he's not a spring-training guy" - huh?

This is where concern should come in. I guarantee that if his knee needs arthro surgery, then he feels pain. I've had knee trouble ever since high school football, including 3 surgeries on my left one. I don't know whose spin this is that he feels no pain, but it is most definitely spin. I don't think it's necessarily spin. What the Cubs and Wood himself are saying are completely plausible. I've had knee problems for years now, and I've been told that arthro surgery would probably fix my problem. But the only time I feel pain is when I'm running -- not pitching. Kerry said he could pitch pain-free, and I don't think there's reason to doubt he's telling the truth. Spring training puts stress on a body. A likely explanation is that Kerry discovered the running drills were bothering his knee more than anything.

Reading this I'm reminded of Mark Grace's leadoff single in the 9th inning of the 2001 WS. His post game comment was something along the lines of "Mariano Rivera is the best reliever in the game. It's like winning in the bottom of the ninth against God."

:( good grief. Every time I see Tony Graffanino I think of his bonehead play at 3B that led to a Cubs win over the White Sox a few years ago. And the Sun Times headline the next morning: Gaffe-inino

I have to disagree. Like so many things in the 2004 Cubs season, suffice to say there were multiple mistakes at several levels: the media for making a mountain out of a molehill; Baker for not keeping it in the clubhouse; Walker for publically dissing Z and of course Z for throwing the tantrum in the first place That Z-Walker incident is precisely the sort of thing that should never leave a professional baseball clubhouse. We have no idea, of course, what (if anything) Baker said to Z and Walker, but if it didn't include something like "Nobody talks to the media about this, even if asked directly, are we clear?" (under an implied penalty of death) then Baker didn't do his job and control his team.

when has he shown up his teammates? :? there was one over-publicized incident against the Astros in June 2004: Z threw a tantrum on the mound when Todd Walker missed a play on the field. Walker called him out on it in the press after the game, which was a mistake: Dusty should have been settled that in the clubhouse, and besides that the Cubs won the game. Z apologized the next day and everyone put on a nice public face after that.

My thought exactly. Juan Gone, Hidalgo, Sammy -- whatever -- just get him on board now.

Carl Sagan wrote a good book on this topic: "The Demon Haunted World". Also good: "Why People Believe Weird Things" by Michael Shermer http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0716733870/104-3564355-9165547?v=glance&n=283155 As for Daulton, I liked this quote: "I don't know what words to use so people won't think I'm goofy." Here's a few words he should try: "Just kidding about all that metaphysical b.s."

In today's Trib Phil Rogers says Prior is starting slowly because of a "mysterious, fatiguing illness"?!? Anyone know what this is about? (sorry if it's being discussed elsewhere)

That's sort of like going to a buddy's house and hearing him say "We're gonna have garlic roasted penguin for dinner", and asking "Where did the penguin come from?"