CSF

New Fab Five? Call 'em Filthy Five February 29, 2004 BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST MESA, Ariz. -- The politeness of it all is almost comical. Mark Prior insists the alpha dog should be Kerry Wood, who humbly replies that any of the five starters could be the ace, including Greg Maddux, who defers by saying the incumbents are too good to require his tutelage, especially on days when Carlos Zambrano and Matt Clement have command of their stuff and emotions. If only the rest of the world was as diplomatic as the Filthy Five. When manager Dusty Baker aligned the food chain for his five-star restaurant Saturday -- naming Wood the Opening Day starter in Cincinnati, wedging in Maddux as the change-of-pace No. 2 man and positioning the real ace, Prior, in the wink-wink position of No. 3 -- not a single ego was bruised or a single feather ruffled. "Woody should get the call. He's the one most deserving,'' Prior said. "I don't care if I'm one or five or somewhere in between.'' "I couldn't care less about numbers,'' Maddux said. "We've got, in my opinion, five guys who could start on Opening Day for a lot of teams,'' Wood said a day after signing a three-year, $32.5 million contract extension that says plenty about his character and lack of greed. "We're fortunate to have a staff where it doesn't really matter what the rotation is.'' Amused? Actually, we should be amazed at the seamless camaraderie of the pre-eminent pitching rotation in baseball. Knowing the frayed politics of athletes, competitive egos, bonus clauses and "SportsCenter'' highlight packages, the pyrotechnics of the Bartman Ball might extend to this five-headed monster if personalities didn't mesh. But Cubdom need not worry about petty jealousies or lobbying efforts. Turns out these guys get along gloriously, much too well for an arms war to break out. Prior, Wood and Clement are pals, a bond that extends to friendship among their wives. Zambrano has been invited warmly into the mix, with Prior never missing a chance to extol the talents of the slimmed-down mate known as "Z.'' As for old man Maddux, he immediately quelled any concern about elitism when he described Prior and Wood as "the best two pitchers in the game.'' So if you're looking for workplace resentment, look elsewhere. "We don't care; we really don't,'' Wood said. "Whatever day they tell us to go pitch, we want to do it to the best of our ability, whether that's the first game or the fifth one.'' Voicing a healthy disdain for status is a great start. What we have here is the best rotation in the sport, so talented that Prior says the Cubs could have five 20-game winners this season. If that's a whopper dose of hyperbole, do realize that Zambrano and Clement would be no lower than No. 3 on most clubs. As long as Zambrano continues to mature, Maddux doesn't lose his savvy at 38 and Wood and Clement avoid injuries that saddled them last season, the rotation should carry the Cubs to October even if issues confront the lineup. "I've just been staring at these guys in awe,'' said reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who will be protecting their leads. The mutual admiration society is a thing to behold. That said, Baker and pitching coach Larry Rothschild had to define a pecking order for early April. "After the first [series], you're matching up with different guys,'' Wood said. But not necessarily. As the season progresses, a form chart will develop and create matchup priorities for the bigger series, such as several showdowns against the Houston Astros and their mega-rotation. Yes, Jim Bullinger, the Cubs have come a long way from years when punching bags filled the rotation. What fun we're having already, debating where to slot arms as though choosing among a Porsche, a Ferrari and a Lamborghini. Harmony aside, understand the parts are not as interchangeable as some think. Let me declare right now, for anyone taking him for granted, that Prior is the staff stud and 2004 Cy Young Award winner-in-waiting. He's about to emerge as the best pitcher in the majors, an automaton who is too mechanically sound to break down and too mature to wig out. Assuming he has learned not to collide with opposing fielders, he will be the rock and stopper. The eighth inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series was an aberration, a lesson in pressure he won't need again. Aside from Alex Rodriguez, he's the most precious property in baseball. I would name Prior the Opening Day starter, but I understand why Baker chose Wood. If the Cubs are to win a World Series, they'll need Wood to conquer bouts with inconsistency and advance to the next level. As we saw last summer and in Game 7 of the NLCS, he has confidence lapses. Sometimes they are related to lower-back pain, and sometimes he simply can't get the ball over the plate. How maddening to watch the Sports Illustrated cover boy collapse in the end, then apologize to the city and declare that he choked. By anointing Wood, Baker is propping up his psyche. He needs the label; Prior doesn't. "I don't care how many Opening Day starts I have,'' Prior said. It helps that Wood has settled his contract, admirably eschewing a chance to hit the jackpot next offseason. He could have used a strategy once employed by Maddux, who played out his contract with the Cubs in 1992, won the Cy Young Award, then bid Cy-onara and fled for big bucks in Atlanta. But Wood knows a good situation when he sees one. He's also damaged goods -- sore back, surgically repaired right elbow -- and has no room to be greedy. Don't be surprised if Zambrano, 15 pounds lighter, emerges as the second-best starter. That only will complicate the puzzle for Baker, who has sandwiched Maddux between Wood and Prior and might continue to do so in critical series. "I'm going with Prior after Maddux to give a different look. Plus, you know Prior can learn a lot from Maddux,'' he said. For now, the alignment allows for a nostalgic scene: Maddux pitching the home opener at Wrigley Field. But what if he starts slowly, as he did last season? And what if Clement, forgotten in the debate, blossoms and approaches 20 victories? For Baker, who spent last week dabbling in heavy terms such as "McCarthyism,'' it's the most pleasant managing problem he ever will have. "An Opening Day starter is only for one game,'' he said. "After that, it doesn't matter if you're one, two, three, four, five or six.'' Five arms, one mission. Feel the love. Jay Mariotti hosts a sports talk show from 9-11 a.m. weekdays on WMVP-AM (1000) and appears on "Around The Horn'' at 4 p.m. weekdays on ESPN. Send e-mail to [email protected] with name, hometown and daytime phone number (letters run Sunday). I'm so past the point of hating this guy. The only article he has left is saying the Sox suck and have no chance whatsoever. What I do hope though, is that when the Cubs fail miserably, that I get a chance to email this article back at him. With the included text: Worm your way out of this one! I'd love to hear what his excuse will be.

Call it boredom. The Academy Awards suck, and I refuse to watch that Dream Job crap on ESPN. The season can't start soon enough!

You are correct sir!

There needs to be some type of asterik next to any player that's been on the juice. While other players did it with natural ability and hard work, some resorted to bulking themselves up with illegal substances. That's not fair to those who persevered with hard work.

You'd think after a year on the Sox home page that they'd have Loaiza, Olivo, or Koch background pics when you check that player bio page. Nope, still the generic Sox jersey behind it. Come on already! Loaiza was the friggin' runner up in the Cy Young voting! Update the site already. Sorry for the minor rant there.

Good article. I've always thought Frank has gotten a bad rap in the press. Maybe he's not as rah-rah like some, but still, leadership by example can't be ignored. I think if Frank is happy throughout this year, he can carry this club on his back and get us back to the postseason. And as for Wunsch belief that Robbins should win for Mystic River: He was right. Robbins won Best Supporting Actor.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: Fung is Winning. And winning is fung. Too much Boers and Bernstein.

It was Bernstein and Brian Hanley from the Sun-Times. I think Bernstein also said later on that because of the 2 hour difference between Chicago & Tucson, they had probably awakened him with that call. But I heard the rip jobs when the callers were pouncing on him, and I thought it was unfair. Perhaps 18 wins will shut them up this year.

It seems like Ozzie has taken the media pressure off the players and put it squarely on himself. That's allowing the players to gel and play together. Good stuff.

I hope Joe can finally put it all together this time around. Gotta believe the potential is still enormous if he can.

Garland given some rope Guillen to let him go deeper in games By Bob Foltman Tribune staff reporter February 28, 2004, 1:43 PM CST TUCSON, Ariz. -- The pattern had been predictable in games Jon Garland started. Cruise through a couple of innings and then have a runner or two get on. The bullpen would start to get ready and, pretty soon, manager Jerry Manuel would come out to take the ball, not trusting Garland to work out of a jam. "I don't think he had that opportunity to go that extra inning or to face that extra hitter to get out of the inning because Manuel always pulled him," White Sox starter Esteban Loaiza said. A pitcher can't learn to work through tough situations if he's not around to deal with them. But he also has to earn the trust of the manager and the pitching coach if he's to be allowed to try to clean up his own mess. Garland hadn't earned that right until last season, pitching coach Don Cooper maintains. "In the past, it seemed as soon as something happened we'd go get him," Cooper said. "Last year, for the first time, I thought that was unfair because I thought he earned the right [to stay in games]." If Cooper thought that, Manuel didn't. In his 32 starts last season, Garland went eight innings just four times. Twice he went seven innings and ended up with a no-decision, pulled once with a 3-1 lead after throwing 94 pitches and removed once from a 2-2 tie after 99 pitches. "He probably could have had two or three more wins if he had stayed in the game a little longer," teammate Mark Buehrle said. Garland has just one complete game in 94 career starts. He won't criticize Manuel's decisions, although the apparent lack of faith did upset him. "If the manager or pitching coach doesn't think I'm getting it done, they're going to come get me," Garland said. "There's nothing I can do about it. That's not my decision." Perhaps more than any other pitcher, Garland should benefit from Ozzie Guillen replacing Manuel. Guillen said early in spring training that he wants his starting pitchers ready to throw nine innings from Opening Day—Garland included. "I will give him an opportunity," Guillen said. "I'm going to believe in him." That's exactly what Garland wants to hear. "It definitely gives you confidence when the manager is coming in and already backing you up," Garland said. Assuming Buehrle has a typical year and Loaiza isn't a one-year wonder, Garland can make a huge contribution as the No. 3 starter if he becomes a more consistent winner. He was 12-13 last season after going 12-12 in 2002. The Sox are counting on a breakout year from him. "I feel I should have had it [already]," Garland said. "I put so much pressure on myself. I want to do well." Considering how much he has pitched—571 major-league innings—it's easy to lose sight of the fact Garland is just 24. "You see the potential for a guy to win 17 ballgames and you want it now," Sox general manager Ken Williams said. "It doesn't work that way." Garland, whom the Cubs picked 10th overall in the 1997 draft, believed he would be a consistent winner right off the bat. Seven years later, he appreciates how hard it is to win in the majors. "The more time I spend in the big leagues the more I realize it's not as easy as people think," he said. "It's not easy to go out there and win 18 games. That's a select few." A lot has to happen for a pitcher to win a game, including some things he can't control, Cooper said. So instead of focusing on a number, Garland said his goal is to give the Sox a chance to win each game he starts. Cooper, in turn, is looking for more consistent starts. The Sox would like to see what Garland did in his final 25 starts last year over a full season. He went just 10-10, but had 17 "quality" starts with an ERA of 3.97. That was a major turnaround from his first seven starts, only one of them "quality," when he had an unsightly ERA of 6.88. "Garland's the key guy," catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. said. If Garland is going to take the next step, he'll have to learn to put bad pitches or bad innings behind him. "It's learning how to deal with failures and mistakes," Alomar said, citing the unflappable Buehrle as an example. "When Buehrle has a bad inning, he comes back and says, 'Hey, that's over with,' and he controls himself," Alomar said. Buehrle is one year older than Garland, which suggests the maturation process varies from player to player. "I don't know if there is a formula to accelerate it," Williams said. If there is a formula, the Sox would love to find it. They hope their patience with Garland will reap rewards this season. Williams believes he's capable of winning 15 games. "I'm expecting big things," Cooper said. "I'm expecting no less than what he's expecting. The bottom line is Jon Garland is ready to step up." Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune I agree. Manuel always seemed ready to pull the plug on Garland, and showing no confidence in him whatsoever. I think Oz will be far more patient and we'll see more W's coming from JG.

Sorry. I got a bit carried away yesterday. But if you guys like it, then party on down!

They were probably on the ground laughing after another Ozzie cuss-athon.

Someone find out when his birthday is so we can all take up a collection to buy him some kneepads.

Look everybody, the key is to send classy, carefully thought emails to Mariotti. It would be easy to send an email with the text being, "Hey Mariotti, f*** OFF DIPs***!" That's the type of s*** he would expect. YASNY's email was a perfect example of how to throw him off. It was carefully crafted and brought plenty of logic. When you hit Mariotti with the facts, he'll respond like most Cub fans do: With a childish comeback and response. Look at how he responded to YASNY. It is quite clear now that Mariotti is high on rhetoric and low on facts. Use the facts against him. He has no avenue to back out of. Don't spam his mailbox; you just give him an easy way out to bash Sox fans. If we all keep sending him emails with the facts, if nothing else, he'll know that Sox fans aren't as gullible and stupid like Cub fans are, whether he wants to admit it or not.

A comparison of the two (I'll try to remain as unbiased as possible). Sammy Sosa A player who came into the major leagues posessing the 5 tools: good power (25-30 HR max potential), great speed (I can still remember him batting leadoff on quite a few occasions during the '89 season), good defense (and a cannon for an arm) and unlimited potential. The one major flaw in his game was his penchant for swinging at any and every pitch thrown to him. He took few to no walks in his time with the Sox. He was traded to the Cubs when the Sox were contending in the old AL West division in order to bring in an established vet (George Bell, ) who could help solidfy the lineup that already included among other people, Frank Thomas (who will be mentioned shortly). Because he was traded from pitcher-friendly Comiskey Park to hitter-friendly Wrigley Field, his power numbers could see a possible surge. Over the next couple of years, Sosa would begin to morph himself into the individual you see today. And while his home run total increased, in the process it robbed him of his speed and defensive skills. The arm that people were comparing to Jessie Barfield was long gone, and the 30/30 season he posted in the early to mid '90s was a thing of the past. The ultimate indictment in my opinion though, is the fact that he mostly benefitted from hitting home runs: A) with Mark McGwire, long a fan favorite. B.) home runs bring in casual fans and is considered the most exciting play in baseball. C) The aforementioned Wrigley Field, one of the easiest parks to hit home runs in. D) Having a baseball wound tighter to increase the number of home runs. As long as Sosa can always smile, do his hop/kissy face routine after every home run, and say things like "Baseball been berry berry good to me", he'll always have a white-hot spotlight on him. Frank Thomas A player who, like Sosa, also came in with great potential. While Thomas was not going to wow anyone defensively or on the basepaths, his hitting potential was unlimited. Unlike Sosa, Thomas reached his potential right away, winning his 1st MVP in his 3rd season (Sosa needed 9 to do it) and doing it again the very next year. Thomas was a perfect mix of power and average and next to Ken Griffey Jr and Barry Bonds (when he was a Sosa clone) was the most dangerous player in baseball. Thomas hit 32, 24, 41, & 38 homers from '90-94 when pitchers were still dominating the scene (and before the ball became tighter) while posting averages over .300 every year. However, mentioning that Thomas was a complete hitter meant he wasn't trying to swing for the fences in every at-bat (as Sosa did then, and now), so if Thomas came up in '98 when balls started flying out in record numbers, can you imagine the numbers he may have put up? My point with that, is that it is unfair to discount what Thomas did during the early '90s because Sosa was the benefactor of a doctored ball (and body). Ultimately, Frank's problem is that in many ways, he is the anti-Sosa. He speaks his mind, whether good or bad (Jackie Robinson situation that was blown out of proportion, yet writers like Mariotti smeared him regardless). You could say that he is his own worst enemy. But when you have media outlets playing favorites, there's not much he can do. Situations like the HOF where clueless writers like Gammons & Kurjkian almost guarantee Sosa a 1st ballot election. Even though Frank's numbers are only worse in home runs, they are better in every other category, yet his HOF candidacy is in doubt. For that, I blame the media and their ignorance of a player's consistent year by year achievements, not those in the last 5-6 years only. Sosa's crown has been dented a bit due to a corked bat and possible steroids accusation, yet is still given the benefit of the doubt by the press. Thomas, save for one average year (2002), one bad year (1999), and an injured year (2001) has put up consistent numbers, yet because he speaks his mind, gets ignored and ridiculed by members of the press. It's wrong, plain and simple. Sorry it was so long. But I had to get that off of my chest.

And we wasted a minor leaguer on him? Good riddance, douche. May Big Frank launch one 450 feet at the Cell or at Kauffman off his ass.

Po-leet.

I wish JHood would've asked him about his velocity. I read his profile on ESPN, and it said he had a fastball that hit 96 mph before he got hurt. He said he's going back to his 2 seamer more, and will also utilize his slider. I hope he has the pop back on his fastball.

The fact that they played the official/unofficial theme song of the White Sox is a slap in the face to all Sox fans. I really want to see the Cubs crash and burn now.

He's already been on for awhile, but from what I've heard, he said he's 100% healthy, and JHood joked with him that if he felt hurt to please let someone know right away. He said he's aiming to be a setup man for an inning to set up either Koch or Marte. He sounds optimistic, and if things work out, we could possibly have another Marte or Gordon in the 'pen.

He probably won't. He can dish it, but can't take it.

I hate those asswipes on the Northside more than ever now! BTW, sorry for the thread name. If a mod wants to change it, by all means go ahead. I plead temporary insanity.

I just noticed. Sorry about that.

AFTER THEY BLEW UP THAT f***ING BALL, THEY PLAYED THE STEAM SONG, KISS IT GOODBYE! MOTHERf***ERS!!!! THIS MEANS WAR!!!!!