Adam Greenberg will not get his desired one at-bat as a member of the Chicago Cubs. As Paul Sullivan reports in the Trib, if he bats anywhere in the majors, it will have to be with a team that is not the Cubs.
Jed Hoyer made it pretty clear he was not interested:
“Adam made the big leagues based on merit in 2005,” Hoyer said in an e-mail. “While it is unfortunate he got hit in his first at bat, he is in the Baseball Encyclopedia as a major leaguer and he should be incredibly proud of that. We wish him the best, but there are no plans to add him to the roster now or in the future.”
I have no real opinion on this. I wasn't for it because I'm not sure what it would accomplish. As Jed said, he made it to the majors based on his talents. He just didn't stay very long. That's a very large club. He tried to get back to the majors again after recovering from his concussion, but he never made it back. Is that a tragedy? Maybe a personal one, but he's one of hundreds of thousands of guys who have failed to reach a major league roster and stick. Should we assume that if he had never been hit with that ball that he would have somehow had a long and prosperous career? Anything is possible, but the reality was that he was a guy with some on-base skills who wasn't very fast and didn't have much power and he played the outfield. Those guys don't last long in the majors even if they are exceptional at defense, and as far as I can tell, he was average to below average in that department. I can say with 99.9% certainty that Adam Greenberg was not robbed of a flourishing major league career by the ball to the head. So what is one more at-bat going to prove? That he can strike out or ground out weakly? What if he gets a hit? What does that prove?
On the other hand, what harm would it be? I would gladly give Joe Mather's spot on the 40-man roster to Adam Greenberg, if for no other reason than to prevent Mather from ever batting as a Cub again. The Cubs are going to lose 100 games with or without Adam Greenberg, so there is literally nothing to lose by adding him to the roster for a day. Maybe he gets a hit and the fans can cheer and the phone lines at WGN can light up with callers talking about how they hope Greenberg can replace Soriano once they manage to trade his worthless hide for a bag of balls in 2013. Maybe he strikes out and slinks back into the footnotes of baseball history. Anything is possible. Might as well see what happens and give the guy a thrill.
So I can see both sides, but I'm pretty glad the Cubs have declined. Again, not because I want to see him get denied, but because this is the sort of shit the Cubs have absolutely lived for in the past. You can't tell me that the 1997 death march with John McDonough in charge wouldn't have jumped all over this petition. McDonough would have had Greeny the Iceberg Beanie Baby Day set aside where Adam would throw out the first pitch, lead off the game, and then go up to the booth to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame even though Harry Caray hadn't actually died yet. In 2006, Crane Kenney would have blown up his old batting helmet in a pre-game ceremony and then brought Adam out and had an Orthodox Priest bless his head while he took his practice swings in the on-deck circle before the at-bat. The Cubs front office has not been historically known for resisting the urge to be shameless cash whores.
But Jed and Theo passed.
Like I said, there really is no reason why the Cubs couldn't do this. They could probably add Adam Greenberg, Rahm Emanuel, the entire cast of Real Housewives of New Jersey and my cat, Schultz, without any real damage being done to the long-term viability of the Cubs' current 40-man roster. So why wouldn't they do it? Because it would be a stunt and that's all it would be.
If it wasn't a stunt, Greenberg wouldn't need a petition to get on a roster, he would be earning his way on the way everybody else does. Maybe this is the Cubs saying that they are now above that nonsense. Sure they could do it, but if they aren't making a move that makes the organization better, then they aren't going to do it and to hell with the five minutes of goodwill that would come their way for giving Greenberg a personal goal.
The Cubs have said that they aren't going to make PR roster moves, but there they were signing Kerry Wood at the last minute before the Cubs Convention for no reason this past January. As much as Jed and Theo talked a good game, you got the idea that there would still be that element of Cubness that would always be there. Like when you get a hotel room that used to be a smoking room 10 years ago. In theory, nobody has smoked a cigarette in that room in 10 years, but try telling your nose that. The smoke is there and it never really goes away. But I'll be damned if the Cubs didn't just Febreeze the living shit out of their room today by politely declining to cave into this public relations petition.
You know the Yankees would never stoop to something like this. They're too busy winning things to bother with token at-bats and popularity contests on their 40-man roster. That's part of the reason why they win things and I'm glad the Cubs are at least taking a step in that direction instead of just saying they are going to focus on winning and then doing the same stupid crap over and over.
So good luck, Adam. I hope you find what you're looking to accomplish with your crusade to take a next step in your career. As for me, I'm pretty happy that the Cubs may have taken a step that I thought was just as unlikely.
Comments
ahem…
GWQuote Reply
I don’t necessarily agree with the conclusion (teams do stupid gimmicky stuff all the time, and it doesn’t really impact their ability to win or lose (DJ Kitty in Tampa Bay is easily the best example (and by “best” I mean, seriously, it’s awesome))), but I had to say:
This is a fantastic writeup, Tim. Just fantastic.
BrettQuote Reply
If Adam Greenberg wants to have a one-day contract for Spring Training, then he is welcome to it. but he has lots of Spring Training at-bats, I’m sure.
Aisle424Quote Reply
Again, DJ Kitty and Billy Crystal aren’t messing with the 40 man roster. Even though Joe Mather is basically completely useless, he is still more valuable than Adam Greenberg, and I’m assuming, most of what is floating around out there on waivers to replace him once Adam has had his at-bat and gets cut again.
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ Aisle424:
never said it’s the same thing, but it definitely falls under the heading of “something like this”
GWQuote Reply
btw, totally agree with the writeup.
GWQuote Reply
What if Brett Jackson is deathly allergic to cats? You need to do more research before you write these posts. *shakes head*
BerseliusQuote Reply
GW wrote:
I guess. I still don’t see the Yankees opening a spot on a 40-man roster as a gimmick.
Aisle424Quote Reply
Berselius wrote:
Schultz doesn’t strike out nearly as much as Brett Jackson, so he’d have to wear a mask or something.
Aisle424Quote Reply
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
(dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
If anyone in the Cubs org has a fatal cat allergy, I would guess Hayden Simpson (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
Meow-no?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXPeLctgvQI
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Not to shit all over Adam Greenberg, who is way cooler than most ex-Cubs, but everyone seems to forget that his one call-up had nothing to do with him maybe being a solution for the 2005 team. Corey Patterson was sucking incredible amounts of ass (and so was Jason Dubois) and Greenberg and Murton were called up together to replace them out of exasperation and, it was even suggested, punishment (ie K-Pat getting punished). But Greenberg was not on any real MLB-level radar. They almost certainly would have called up Felix Pie instead, but he had just broken his ankle.
Even if he didn’t get smashed in the head, there is no reason to believe he would have had more than
a handful of at bats — Jerry Hairston was starting in CF in place of Patterson anyway.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
I had forgotten the circumstances of his call-up, but you’re right, SK. I was looking at his minor league stats and wondering how in the hell he even got the call when the rosters expanded. I remember he came up with Murton, but even then he was kind of the Garfunkle to Murton’s Simon.
Aisle424Quote Reply
I’m hoping the Cubs give Mather’s spot to Gary Gaetti so we can see him bat one more time using his non-ear flap batting helmet like when baseball players were real men.
Aisle424Quote Reply
It;s funny, but if Greenberg was 24 this year, he could very possibly have had a chance to beat out someone like Joe Mather for a roster spot on this team. By the time Greeny was 25 or 26, had he not been hit in the head, he could maybe have reached the heights of a Luis Valbuena, Tony Campana or Steve Clevenger.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
That is, unless he had anything to do with organizing the petition.
(Nothing against the petition, even if it is a bit silly, but if Greenberg was involved in starting it then that just makes it pathetic.)
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Based on what I read the petition was started by some other guy and Greenberg himself realizes how gimmicky it is.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
WaLi wrote:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
Nice. I only post when the games don’t matter. To inflate my stats.
AndCountingQuote Reply
I see Walgreens is kicking the shit out of the Cubs again.
mb21Quote Reply
@ AndCounting:
You’re a numbers gatherer.
mb21Quote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
I figured that, but then saw him quoted in the Sullivan article and wasn’t completely sure.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
Ron Santo would have been livid with that TOOTBLAN, methinks.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
GW wrote:
So, you want me to stop commenting for awhile?
SVBQuote Reply
@ SVB:
we will let you know when the auditors show up.
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
OK, when the time comes, I’m sure MB can do a search-and-delete to erase all the high-quality stuff I’ve contributed.
SVBQuote Reply
@ AndCounting:
By the way, not only is the re-emergence of AC stunning, but the apparent return of the Daily Facepalm to daily status is really screwing up my equilibrium.
SVBQuote Reply
Meanwhile, in Houston, they are having a meeting of the front office…
SVBQuote Reply
http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/13293/soriano-makes-own-pitch-for-gold-glove
(dying laughing)
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
Yeah, errors are pretty silly. Fortunately, we have advanced metrics to help us out. Here are Sori’s #’s:
UZR: 15
DRS: -4
FRAA: 5
Uh…. I’m still not sure what to think. Thanks for nothing, defensive metrics!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
just looked it up. apparently they do give them out for each outfield position now (which seems silly). even so, I have a hard time believing he’s better than prado or even braun.
GWQuote Reply
and, of course, we can’t consider melky, since his shoes were giving him injections as he chased down fly balls.
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
I find it amazing that people are discussing Braun as a GG candidate these days. His rookie season (admittedly at a different position) was legendary for his awful defense. He was probably about 30 runs below average that year despite playing only 112 defensive games. And he still won ROY due to his amazing bat.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
i don’t think he’s any good, but i don’t think soriano is much of a bar to set. to be honest, there just aren’t very many left fielders. fangraphs tells me there are only 8 with over 800 innings. they should go back to outfield gg’s, imo.
GWQuote Reply
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=lf&stats=fld&lg=nl&qual=800&type=1&season=2012&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0
and cargo can’t possibly be that bad.
GWQuote Reply
nice outing for phil humber tonight.
GWQuote Reply
A win by the Baltimore Orioles today coupled with a defeat of the New York Yankees by the Tampa Bay Rays has resulted in a tie atop the American League East standings. I find this turn of events pleasantly surprising and worthy of an exclamation point.
Edited to reflect rtr’s preferred parlance.
GWQuote Reply
GW wrote:
after browsing around further, this isn’t all that unique to LF. it just threw me because they are all so mediocre.
GWQuote Reply
Someone needs to tell Castro to stop running so much.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ GW:
That sentence, while syntactically correct, makes no sense in English.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
Don’t presume to tell people to tell Starlin what to do.
GBTSQuote Reply
I missed the 9th inning, where the Cubs came from 5 runs down to win it, didn’t I?
joshQuote Reply
Josh,
Yes, you missed the big comeback. Now go to bed and don’t read the internet reports on the game or the newspapers tomorrow.
SVBQuote Reply
Anyone every wish they could write a sentence that would make people cry, in a good way.
The Cubs. Ah the Cubs.
Those two stanzas are unrelated.
joshQuote Reply
@ SVB:
Sweeeeeeeeeeet.
joshQuote Reply
SVB wrote:
He could just accidentally delete the entire website again (dying laughing)
BerseliusQuote Reply
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=24305451&topic_id=9780550&c_id=mlb&partnerId=aw-6028073294810277505-996
(dying laughing)
GWQuote Reply
@ GW:
(dying laughing)
and holy shit, that was a bomb from Alvarez
BerseliusQuote Reply
The networks are gonna love a Reds-Orioles WS.
Nats-Orioles would be hilarious.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Berselius:
PIttsburgh has the best ballpark I’ve ever been too. Easy to get around in, every seat is excellent and well-spaced so my knees are jammed into the back of the seat in front of me. Great food. Good parking. Nice scenery. Cheap tix. This year they’ve got a good team and still the stadium looked only 2/3 full. Shame.
@ Suburban kid:
As much as I like the out-of-purgatory story from Baltimore, it’s hard for me to really get behind it because they still have a jackass for an owner. So give me Texas or Detroit in the AL instead, vs Nats is fine.
SVBQuote Reply
@ SVB:
GBTS and Josh probably aren’t old enough to get this ref…
SVBQuote Reply
@ SVB:
They might. They reenacted this scene in It’s Always Sunny. Unfortunately I can’t find that clip.
http://youtu.be/I3c2cXiEUHo
WaLiQuote Reply
Aisle424Quote Reply
@ SVB:
“I’m not just talking about my wife. I’m talking about life. I can’t seem to get that through to you. I’m not just talking about one person, I’m talking about everybody. I’m talking about form. I’m talking about content. I’m talking about interrelationships. I’m talking about God! The Devil! Hell! Heaven! Do you understand? Finally?”
1FOtCN is one of my favorite films of all time. Though the book was better. The book was heartbreaking in a way the movie can’t ever quite be.
WaLi wrote:
Never seen it. Hate television, in general. Breaking Bad being the sole exception in terms of shows that are currently on (well, you know what I mean).
joshQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
Is that just Seal crying, or do the newspeople think Seal is MCD?
joshQuote Reply
@ josh:
Seal is crying because the media thinks he’s somebody else.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Article and snarky comments re: Bill James and the Red Sox…
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/05/bill-james-to-assume-a-more-prominent-role-in-the-red-sox-front-office/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Aisle424:
I can’t believe they confused Michael Clarke Duncan and Starlin Castro.
So daily you can’t even take it: http://obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/daily-facepalm-literary-appreciation-edition-9-5-2012.html
AndCountingQuote Reply
Sucks for Rami:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/aramis-ramirez-strikes-swinging-without-ever-swinging-video-033204918–mlb.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
testing
mb21Quote Reply
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RemonaQuote Reply
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Francesco RautenstrauchQuote Reply