Around the Neighborhood, Part II

I've been meaning to post this all day but I just haven't had time.

This isn't meant to be a retraction or anything like that, but there are a few points that I would like to clarify. I expect Phil Rogers and everyone else to be accurate and clear so I feel like I should try and do the same. Judging by the amount of feedback I received, this topic seems to have resonated with everyone. Still, I wrote the Rogers piece in about 12 minutes and as I look at it again there are a few things I want to make more clear.

Lieber's elbow and the rain-delay game

What I said was that it was wrong for Rogers to draw the link between that one game and the elbow surgery and then just leave it at that. I stand by that. What I should have made more clear is that yes, it probably was a dumb decision for Lieber to have come back after the rain delay. No doubt his elbow was a little sore the next day. But for Rogers to act as if that was the only thing that contributed to the elbow surgery is just irresponsible.

I remember during Riggleman's last year with the Cubs he left Lieber in for a complete game and he threw around 130 pitches. After the next start, Lieber talked about his elbow and how the complete game may not have been the smartest thing. Someone else pointed out to me that Lieber even had a tender elbow in Spring Training. I threw out the possibility that he had put alot of stress on his arm before he got to be 25. These are all strong considerations and all likely contributed to Lieber's gimpy elbow. All he had to say was that the rain-delay game couldn't have helped - instead he makes it seem like it's the ONLY contributing factor.

Clement and his slider

The feedback I got on this part just goes to show how mainstream this whole idea about sliders being bad for your arm is. Rogers doesn't exactly help matters. Sliders, just like curve balls, if thrown properly, do not put so much stress on your arm such that you are considered an injury risk. The risk comes from throwing the slider improperly - either coming around it with a dropped elbow in an effort to get extra horizontal break, or as a result of tired legs in later innings - sometimes the elbow will drop in a similar fashion. If a pitcher does these things, then and only then is he at this additional risk of injury.

Now I don't mean to imply that all pitchers throw all of their pitches correctly. Rather, I wanted to point out that Rogers was just buying into something he probably heard somewhere but had no evidence to back up. The mere fact that Clement throws alot of sliders does not make him an injury risk - and that's what Rogers implied with his "hard slider" line. If he wanted some credibility he should have said that Clement often drops his elbow when he gets tired which in turn places additional stress on the elbow and makes him a health risk. That much might have been true. But since he obviously didn't even look at Clement's mechanics, his statement is just way too broad.

Now as for Clement's mechanics, I think they are sound. He does have a slight tendency to drop his arm slot on his slider occasionally, but I think the risk with him is minimal for two reasons: (1) he's over 25 and any additional stress at this point should be pretty minimal given that his body is fully developed (with the caveat that I do not know what his usage patters were like at a young age), and (2) he seems to know that when he does that, his slider is usually either flat or in the dirt and I have seen him correct this on the very next pitch.

At the end of the day, all I want is some accountability from the guy who writes for the largest newspaper in Chicago. His article was full of generalizations that simply don't pan out. Unfortunately, since he gets paid to write for the Cubs and since lots of people probably think he knows alot about the game (Heck, ESPN.com probably got a deal with him only because he writes for the Trib without even checking out his stuff), this in turn perpetuates fallacies about both the Cubs and about baseball. .

I mean, hey, I'm just some random guy who loves the Cubs and has alot to say. Phil Rogers writes for the TRIB and ESPN.com and gets paid to be their "national baseball writer." Expectations should rightfully be MUCH higher for him. Unfortunately, he's made a career out of taking complete generalizations and trying to make "issues" and "stories" out of them.

Write to me here. Thanks to everyone who chimed in on this column, both by email and in the comments.

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

When I was little, I admit that I was a pretty big fan of the show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I used to love watching it. I would look forward to it every single day. Heck, my parents liked it and encouraged me to watch it.

But then I got older and a funny thing happened - I didn't like it as much. I realized that #1 there were lots of other shows on TV and #2 that Mr. Rogers Neighborhood really wasn't all that interesting to me in the first place.

A few years ago, I admit that I was a pretty big fan of a baseball writer named Phil Rogers. I used to love reading his stuff. I would look forward it every single day. Since he worked for the Tribune and the Trib owns the Cubs, I figured he might have some good leads and good scoops and would give me the best "insider" perspective on my beloved Cubs.

But then I've gotten older, and wiser, and a funny thing happened - I don't like him as much. I have realized that #1 there are lots and lots of other baseball writers out there, many of them better, and #2 that Phil Rogers isn't that good of a writer, let alone an "inside" source, in the first place.

Then he has to show up at ESPN now and then, writing columns under the guise of a "baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune." Then yesterday, it became much much worse. As most of you know, ESPN publishes these things called "Hot Stove Heaters" in the offseason for each major league team. They talk about last year, what to expect this year, the minor league prospects, etc. And, much to my chagrin, yesterday's Hot Stove Heater on the Cubs was written by our boy Phil Rogers. True to form, Rogers writes what is easily one of his worst columns ever. Allow me to break it down:

"Jon Lieber, a 20-game winner in 2001, was allowed to stay in a game after a 93-minute rain delay on April 14 and 18 starts later needed reconstructive elbow surgery."

This is just shoddy journalism, implying a direct cause and effect between a start on April 14th and Lieber's decision to have Tommy John surgery on his elbow toward the end of the year. At best, Rogers would be right to say that the decision to bring Lieber back out onto the mound after the rain delay was questionable. At worst, Rogers is saying that Don Baylor himself should be on the hook for Lieber's elbow troubles -- nevermind the 15 managers before him who Lieber has played for and nevermind the managers who allowed Lieber to throw over 120 pitches in starts before Lieber was 25. Given the sophistication of many of the readers of this article, I think it's pretty likely that some people will see that quote and walk away thinking "wow, I never knew Lieber's elbow was related to that April rain delay."

Of course, there's more.

"In retrospect, the critical decisions were: 1. Signing Alou to a three-year contract. Sosa pushed for the signing and, as usual, got what he wanted. Like Todd Hundley in 2001, Alou was a major free-agent bust."

Again, his point is largely true - that Alou had a very disappointing year. But the way he phrases it does two things: (1) it takes another shot at Sammy Sosa, something that Rogers really seems to derive pleasure from, and (2) it casts Alou as another Todd Hundley. Regarding (1), go check out Christian Ruzich and his take on Rogers and Sosa over at the Cub Reporter. Basically, Rogers loves taking shots at Sosa and if he can blame Sosa for something, he will. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think Sosa is perfect - he certainly has his faults - but that's for another column, and suffice it to say Rogers would probably blame him for the ice on his driveway in the morning.

Regarding (2), let's take a look at the stats: Alou hit .275 with 15 HRs and 61 RBIs. Disappointing? Yes - expectations were high enough that .300 and 30 HRs was probably the benchmark. Todd Hundley? Nowhere close. .211 with 16 HRs and worse yet he incurred the wrath of the Wrigley faithful for apparently not caring enough about his hitting. Hundley is also a column for another day, but seriously, to say that Alou and Hundley were equals last year is just plain dumb. I hope Alou hits 40 HRs this year just to piss off Rogers.

Oh yes, there's more.

"Should the Cubs have signed Jim Thome and traded Choi? In discussing the decision not to pursue Thome, an Illinois native who has had his eye on Wrigley Field forever, GM Jim Hendry said it was time to play Choi. He's got big-time power but batted .180 while sharing first with McGriff in September."

Rogers had this bizarre fascination with signing Jim Thome this offseason and it doesn't seem as if he's gotten over it. Like a spurned lover still longing for attention, Rogers seems to just want credit for his crazy idea that the Cubs sign Jim Thome (who commanded 120 M over a long, long time no less) and trade Hee Seop Choi. Since that didn't happen, Rogers apparently wants people to think "yeah, Rogers was probably right - Choi only hit .180 last year." It is surely the sign of an insecure man when he is conjuring up past columns in an effort to pat himself on the back. The only problem is, there's no reason to do that here. Choi only hit .180 you say? It was only in 50 atbats!!! It was his first taste of the big leagues! By this reasoning, Sammy Sosa should have been traded or released long ago -- remember when he was a skinny .240 hitter who struck out all the time? I'm not going to insult the intelligence of the readers of this column by getting into the details of why it's not smart to put emphasis on those 50 ABs, but suffice it to say that yet again Rogers ignores reality in an attempt to make himself look good. Journalist? Hardly.

There can't possibly be more, you say? Think again:

"Is Sosa the right centerpiece to rebuild around? Baker has been extremely deferential toward Sosa since being hired, but will form his own impressions as the season goes along. He might be more likely to notice Sosa's shortcomings after being spoiled by Bonds. Sosa has the right to leave after this season and could be allowed to walk -- or possibly even traded -- if Baker isn't sold on him."

Um, in case Rogers hasn't noticed, the economics in baseball have changed. As such, I would rate the chances of Sosa walking after this season as, well, slim to none. Is there another team that will pay him 18 M as a 34 year old? I don't think so.

Would the Cubs trade him? Did Rogers even notice that all the Braves got for Kevin Millwood was Johnny Estrada? If the Cubs weren't overwhelmed by the offers they received three years ago when Sosa was actively on the block, is there any reason to think a team would overwhelm them now that he's 34 and it's that much tougher to pay that kind of money to a player? Unless it's the Yankees, another story for another day, I think Rogers needs to lighten up on sniffing that Liquid Paper.

Still not done.

Regarding Matt Clement: "The effort involved in throwing his hard slider makes him a health risk."

It's amazing how 12 words can indicate so much about a person. In this case, Rogers just proved to me that he never, ever played the game of baseball beyond Little League. Instead of doing his homework, and cmon now, who would really expect that from a journalist (apologies to Jeff Vorva), Rogers buys into something that he heard once or twice - that throwing a slider creates stress on your arm. This is something I've discussed with people before, but a statement like that, that assumes such a level of generality is simply irresponsible. Now everyone will think "geez, throwing sliders means you're going to get hurt." The truth of the matter is that throwing sliders improperly makes you a health risk, but Rogers didn't take the time to ask anyone whether or not Clement does that since he surely doesn't have a clue.

Finally, Rogers indicates that he really didn't watch too many Cubs games two years ago. About Kyle Farnsworth: "His hard splitter, a major weapon in '01, was no factor."

Um, Phil? Hi. Um, well, you see, um, Farnsworth's "hard" splitter has, uh, well, uh, NEVER been a major weapon.

In fact, it's really just the opposite -- last year Farnsworth was spending lots of time throwing sinkers and breaking balls and splitters and less time throwing his 98 MPH cheese. Hitters liked that alot and thanked him by slamming doubles all over the place. Ask anyone who knows anything about pitching, including Larry Rothschild (something Rogers evidently hasn't done), and they'll tell you that yes his off the field stuff was a factor, but so was his pitch selection in games.

Never get beat by your 2nd best pitch. That's something I hope Kyle takes to heart.

Anyway, I've been pretty harsh in this column, mostly for effect. Rogers does say some semi-intelligent things in the column, but it's nothing that the rest of the world couldn't have already gathered by simply paying attention to the drivel being published by Carrie Muskat over at cubs.com.

In the end, all I want is for Rogers to be more of a baseball writer and less of a drama writer. There are probably openings over at The Practice or maybe one of the new reality TV shows if Rogers wants to get into drama.

Until then, the rest of us would just as soon read about facts and information rather than issues and situations that Rogers himself has tried to create.

Thanks for reading this far. Email me here..

Just Wondering...

Is there anything more annoying than Martin Grammatica doing a cross on his chin and blowing kisses about 27 times before he kicks the ball?