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07-23-2008 Every year around this time, baseball goes crazy. Teams get split into ‘buyers’ and ‘sellers.’ Certain players see their stock go up and keep a bag packed, ready to hop a plane at a moment’s notice and call another stadium and city home. Steve Phillips and Tim Kurkjian enter our living rooms more often. Ah yes, it smells like the trade deadline. I’m not going to say it’s easy for a player making millions of dollars to uproot and join a clubhouse full of unfamiliar and possibly formerly hostile faces. But let’s think about the fans for a minute. Fans don’t trade teams. 95% of fans are like Brooks Robinson – they stick with a team for life. As a fan base, getting acquainted with a new player can be hard. So when does that acceptance really set in? Check this. As Americans, our original hired guns pre-dated baseball. In fighting King George and the Redcoats for our independence, France was the first to come to our side and give us a hand. Yeah, we probably appreciated their help back then, smoking their wimpy little cigarettes (Had cigs even been invented back then?) and eating their baguettes, but look at how we’ve come to view them now. They even gave us the most sweet-ass yard ornament ever, and we still look down our noses at them (and them at us, which may influence our opinion of them too). Back to baseball. Midseason roster moves are difficult on a fan base. It’s a lot easier to accept a new player if he comes to town during the offseason and breaks spring training with a team. After that, we fans are subjected to lineup or rotation changes. It’s possible your team had to trade off someone you’d grown attached to. (Just imagine if a jersey you own becomes outdated overnight!) Ultimately, I believe the main factors as to whether a new player works his way into the hearts of fans are simple: 1) How well he plays. 2) How long he stays.
The Rich Harden trade sits well with me for both of those reasons. Plus, the Cubs only paid a minimal price in terms of integral players to get him. Gallagher looked like he could have good stuff, but Murton bounced around without making much of an impact and Eric Patterson’s brother (and his wasted potential) left enough of a bad taste in everyone’s mouth that Cubs fans didn’t mind dealing them for the star they got in return. The other bonus is that the Cubs have the option to sign Harden next year as well. For me, that adds some luster to the deal, knowing he’ll be around for at least a year and a half. In my opinion, once a player gets a taste of the magic surrounding the Friendly Confines, they’re that much more likely to stay. Of course, the magic of some run support might influence Harden too. He’s been nothing short of spectacular so far, but has no wins to show for it due to the hitters’ recently cold bats. Visiting the Cubs semi-recent past, go back to their 2003 foray into the postseason, and look at the talent added that year: Aramis Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, and Randall Simon. (Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the Aramis/Lofton deal. That was stellar – thank you Pirates.) Lofton and Simon didn’t stick around, but Aramis has proven to be the pencil-him-in-everyday 3rd baseman that the Cubs had been looking for for 30 years ever since Santo vacated the position. Ramirez has both played well and had staying power, and has become a fan favorite. He's definitely "a Cub" who just happened to start out with the Pirates organization.
There is a special case we need to address, and that is Jim Edmonds. The good news is that the Cubs gobbled him up after he cleared waivers this year. They didn’t have to give up any players for him, and he still didn’t receive a warm welcome into town. Problem is, the dude spent 8 productive years with the Cardinals, swinging a decent bat and winning 6 straight Gold Gloves. That’s a problem fans never had with a guy like Aramis. The Pirates haven’t been relevant in the NL since Bonds had a normal-sized head. But when a player comes over from a big rival, that’s a serious obstacle for fans to overcome. The memories of that player in their old uniform still linger in fans’ minds. I’m proud to say that fans are welcoming Edmonds into the fold, but it took several clutch hits off of his bat and some solid replacement work while Soriano spent time on the DL for those boos to turn into cheers. Finally, above all there is one thing that will forever endear a fan to a new player no matter how well or poorly he performs, no matter who the club had to give up to get him, and that one thing is a championship. So here’s to hoping that the entire roster of the 2008 Cubs carves out a special place in the hearts of all North Side fans come October. Have fun! -T |
Inside My Brain
