Posts tagged ‘Kerry Wood’

The Cubs front office’s decision to part ways with Kerry Wood had to be a tough one for Jim Hendry, but not because of all this wishy-washy b.s. about family and better opportunities elsewhere. Volunteering to lose a great player and team leader isn’t the same as volunteering in a breadline. Whatever spin and old-timey politeness is put on this, the fact is that this send off is weird.

Kerry is only 31 years old. Yes he’s been in the Cubs organization for 14 years, and yes he has donned signature facial hair that occasionally makes him look older, but the next several years should be some of his best. HE’S NOT AN OLD MAN.

Whatever you thought of Kerry’s performance on the field on his worst days last season, his average and better than average days more than made up for a few blown saves and other close calls. Compare Wood’s stats with newly acquired Kevin Gregg’s stats and it’s clear that the better pitcher just got the pink slip. Oh yeah, and Kerry Wood made just $1.75 million more last season than Gregg. Bobby Howry (cough cough), who is as good as gone, made $4.5 million last season. Money isn’t the issue.

That the Cubs want to go in a direction that doesn’t include Kerry Wood is fine. I personally don’t agree with it, but I understand it. Carlos Marmol is an awesome talent. Kevin Gregg is a decent insurance plan. I just loathe the way they went about this:

I think we all feel that Kerry is certainly deserving of a three- or four-year contract,” Hendry said. “He’s done everything this organization has asked for the last 14 years, been a warrior the last couple of years.

We felt it was time Kerry goes out and does what’s best for him and his family, and gets a huge multi-year deal if possible.”

Telling a man what’s best for his family isn’t courteous, it’s insulting. The Cubs turned on their PR machine last Thursday night and clearly they are working against any chance that Kerry would sign a 1-year deal, which he later said he would have entertained.

He doesn’t want to move, and his family doesn’t either.

The ball is in your court, Kenny Williams. The Cubs may be mannerly, but they’re also a little rude sometimes.

It was announced this weekend that the Chicago Cubs are going to have 7 players represent the National League in this year’s All-Star Game on July 15th. Seven Cubs! By mid-July it’s normally tough to throw a dart and hit 7 of them healthy enough to take the field, let alone represent something that isn’t a pain relief spray or tablet. And while the health thing is debatable on at least one Cubs All-Star, here they are, in all their glory:

Ryan Dempster - SP
Kosuke Fukudome - OF (starter)
Aramis Ramirez - 3B
Alfonso Soriano - OF (starter)
Geovany Soto - C (starter)
Kerry Wood - RP
Carlos Zambrano - SP

Congrats to each of them, and to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who was directly involved with bringing at least 5 of these players to the Cubs. We don’t often sing his praises, but Hendry has bolstered the club especially in the last 2 years, and has made the Cubs more competitive with his deals each year since he started. Plus, it’s no secret that the day before the 2002 trade of Todd Hundley was one of the darkest days in Cubs history, or what The Rock would call rock bottom. Whenever the Cubs GM retires or moves on, he should be given a room full of plaques for that move. Not to mention any of the other moves that happened in order to bring many of the above players to the North Side.

However, there’s a few duds in every box, so since I had some time I went back and selected a few players that Hendry helped acquire that will represent no one in any All-Star game this year or likely any year. They play the same positions as the talented Cubs players selected by fans, other players, and Rockies coach Clint Hurdle.

Cliff Bartosh - RP
Freddy Bynum - OF (starter)
Todd Dunwoody - OF
Wade Miller - SP (starter)
Josh Paul - C
Neifi Perez - 3B
Les Walrond - SP

Okay, as sad as that list is, I have to admit that I only gained more confidence in Hendry in spending a few minutes looking at the lists of transactions from 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Jim and the Cubs front office drafted both Tim Lincecum and Micah Owings in the late rounds, but they both refused to sign. If they had (especially Lincecum), maybe the Cubs could have sent 8.

Anyway, best of luck to these players at Yankees Stadium (and at the skating rink, respectively) and thanks to Jim Hendry and his staff for working to better this franchise. They unquestionably have done that.