Rat Out the Racists

Tattletale. Rat. Stool pigeon. Snitch. Narc. Anyone who’s ever been to kindergarten or seen Goodfellas knows that these are unflattering terms, but in light of recent comments by the Cubs Milton Bradley and apparently backed-up by teammate Derrek Lee, it’s time for Real Cubs fans to take a stand. So, I’ll state it simply: if you definitively hear and see another fan hurling racial insults at any Cub, opposing player or fellow fan at Wrigley Field, grab security and have the idiot thrown out.

Cubs fans are better than this. We get plenty of criticism, some of it deserved, but on the whole we are undoubtedly the loudest, most loyal and hardest partying fans in baseball. Perhaps it was easier to accept the losing when bleacher seats were $6 in the mid 90’s. Now, pay Stub Hub $150 for the same seat and maybe a sense of entitlement comes along with the price tag. That’s no excuse, under any circumstances, to use racial slurs, be generally obnoxious or to toss an over-priced beer at Shane Victorino. This kind of behavior needs to stop—yesterday. Drop a dime, if you hear someone out of line.

Sure, Bradley is an inning-watcher, who “pray[s] the game goes nine innings so I can go out there for the least amount of time as possible and go home”, but we all know people like that at work, especially on Fridays. And sure, it would take 200 years for a hard-working fan earning 50K to match Mr. Bradley’s yearly salary, but he’s human and he has feelings too. If you want to hurt them, please keep your criticism within a constructively destructive framework.

Acceptable Milton Bradley jeers: “Uncle Milty”, “Run of the Milton”, “We miss Sosa.” (also #21) and, of course, a sing-song chorus of “Mil-ton”.

Taunting at baseball games is as American as hot dogs (Germany) and apple pie (England). It is every fan’s obligation to cheer excellence, boo mediocrity and beg for baseballs during batting practice. But, please, when you go to the game, stay classy Chicago.

"Amazin'" Grace and "Decent" Derrek

Does anyone else have the feeling that Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee has morphed into former fan favorite Mark Grace? On the surface, that’s a complimentary comparison. Mark Grace was a solid hitter, with a career .303 average, a good fielder who earned 4 Gold Gloves and was generally well-liked by his teammates (Sammy Sosa not included.)

The problem is that Derrek Lee is not being paid $13,250,000 a year to hit like an above average first baseman with limited run producing potential. He’s being paid an 8 figure salary to carry a World Series starved team offensively. Among National League first basemen, as of Sept. 3, Derrek Lee is 6th in hitting, 9th in home runs, 9th in RBIs and 10th in slugging percentage. For perspective, Derrek Lee still trails Mark Teixeira in both home runs and RBIs, though Teixeira was traded to the American League’s Los Angeles Angels on July 30th and is unable to add to his National League stats.

If you look at Derrek Lee’s offensive production since his April 2006 wrist injury, the numbers eerily compare with Mark Grace’s from a decade ago. It’s a shame that a fluke play at first over two years ago, when Raphael Furcal barreled into Lee after an errant throw by Scott Eyre, could so alter a career.

As the Cubs make their September playoff push, Derrek Lee somehow has to find a way to put some lift under the ball. It is no small feat to hit .290-.300 for an entire season, but there is no awe in watching a 6’5”, 240lb singles hitter.