All-Time Worst Cubs Players? (Redux)
101 Years of Frustration on the North Side of Chicago (and a Couple of Hours)
My mind began to drift during Tuesday nights loss to Pittsburgh. I twittered about guys not running out balls, base running mistakes, not backing up a base etc:
I reread the book of Job. Like Job I implored the heavens as to why. Wasn't I a good and faithful servant. Didn't I cheer Eddie Miskis and Bobby DelGreco. Didn't I show up when Mr. Wrigley told us to make a picnic of it and leave our troubles behind? I was there when less than a thousand showed up. They were the true Cub fans, but probably 75% have grabbed that last Frosty Malt or Smokie Link and headed on out to that field of dreams where Tinker and Evers and Chance inspire poets and Three Fingered Brown pitches better than Antonio Alfonseca could do with six digits..
It got me to thinking who was the worst.
Sometimes I feel like the Randy Quaid character in Major League, but I guess I'm entitled to a little booing after 50 years.
I left out the good players that I had issues with that most of Cubdom loves.
Ryne Sandberg. It wasn't his fault but his first wife could've left all those hot Latin ballplayers alone and we maybe they wouldn't have been traded.
Billy Williams. He never could sign an autograph for this kid and I was respectful and patient.
Mark Grace. Can't forgive him for flashing that Arizona championship ring in our faces. He was a hall of famer at Murphy's Bleachers and a favorite of stout girls everywhere.
That's all personal though. The following is a roster we could all agree on.
CATCHER:
TODD HUNDLEY. My worst Cub of all time on and off the field. When the Cardinals found Darryl Kile dead in his hotel room, I hoped that we could trade Hundley for him. We loved his father so much, what happened to his kid? I hope he never even changes planes at O'Hare.
HARRY CHITI. He seemed like a roly-poly fella that got traded for himself and did little else.
JIM HEGAN SR. We brought him out of retirement without a rehab assignment. Honorable mentions to MOE THACKER and CUNO BARRAGAN.
FIRST BASE:
HAL BREEDEN. I think he is still stumbling around down there. His brother Danny was a catcher. Have mercy
PETE LACOCK: He was Mark Grace lite
FRED MCGRIFF: His better days were long gone by the time he got to Chicago.
SECOND BASE:
The immortal BUMP WILLS.
SHORTSTOP:
ROY SMALLEY SR. - Another legend.
ANDRE RODGERS - I've been trying to forget him for decades.
SHAWN DUNSTON: I know that some of you are still waiting for him to achieve his potential. He'd swing at a pick off throw to first base. His arm was such a cannon that if he ever hit Mark Grace at first chubby girls would weep.
THIRD BASE:
TODD ZIELE. He didn't want to be here and played like it.
GARY SCOTT and KEVIN ORIE were the heirs to Ron Santo's spot. They played like Santo would've if his legs had been amputated in 1960.
OUTFIELD:
BRIAN MCCRAE If only he could've lived up to his arrogance.
JACQUE JONES. He couldn't hit, run or field and when we pointed that out we were racists, of course.
COREY PATTERSON "I don't need no stinking coaching".
DAMON BUFORD It seemed like his dad made him play and Don Baylor owed him a favor. He left centerfield and nver played again.
DON YOUNG. He played badly at the worst possible time and Santo carved him a new one. He is remembered by all those guys with the hall of fame ballots when they see Santo's name.
PITCHERS:
DANNY JACKSON: He couldn't get anybody out and flipped Cub fans the bird back when the f-word wasn't the most commonly used adjective at Wrigley.
LATROY HAWKINS He wasn't bad, just misunderstood.
DOM DALLESANDRO He yelped in pain with every pitch until his arm fell off.
FELIX 'THE CAT' HEREDIA He had nine lives and used them all up
JULIAN 'THE JERK' TAVAREZ Another bag of arrogance
MOE DRABOWSKY - He had a nice career elsewhere. I thought that the gopher ball was a pitch he perfected.
I forgot the name of that Korean guy a couple of years ago that couldn't throw strikes, but opposing players were leaping all over hitting his lollipops anyway. I'm not going to remember him for you.
PINCH HITTER:
JIMMY STEWART. He had a nice run with Cincinnati, but here it was game over.
MANAGER:
PRESTON GOMEZ A mistake that didn't last a year. The college of coaches and Charlie Metro were better.
WHITEY LOCKMAN and JIM MARSHALL were nice guys that somebody owed a favor to.
GENERAL MANAGER;
ED LYNCH - I think the old Met is still cleaning toilets somewhere in the organization.
JOHN HOLLAND gets an honorable mention.
Now I'm sure you have more. Hope you can read this.
Published by Mike Felten
Singer/Songwriter with two albums Freelance Journalist Record Label owner/promoter Music Business Consultant View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentHey Petey,
You picked me off with this one. Sixty years tends to blur the memory especially when you are trying to forget. According to the Baseball Encyclopedia, "Dim Dom" batted a pretty fair .270 during and immediately following WWII for the Cubs. The legend of him yelping when he threw persists. I probably consolidated his memory with Walter "Monk" Dubiel and came up the worst of both ball players.
Dom was the uncle of Dick Gernert who I considered and rejected for the first base slot. Hope these guys aren't your relatives
Not sure who you are confusing him with but Dom Dallesandro was not a p[itcher and was not a bad player to boot.