Lynch mob is stretching fans' despair

Sporting News, The, Sept 1, 1997 by Jerry Crasnick

The Cubs are in such a sorry state that even their discards are trashing them.

G.M. Ed Lynch received positive reviews from the Chicago media when he sent Brian McRae, Turk Wendell and Mel Rojas -- dubbed the "Duraflame Reliever" by one local columnist -- to New York Alexander.

Then the "ex-Cub factor" reared its ugly head. McRae told a reported for the New York Daily News he feels sorry for Chicago fans, who have supported the team for so long with minimal payback.

Wendell said: "They don't care if they win or lose. It took me all of about two hours to love it here more than in Chicago."

Wrigley Field can be an enjoyable place to play if you don't mind lots of day games, having your name butchered by Harry Caray or running into brick walls cleverly disguised as ivy. But the summer of '97 has been a monument to despair for fans and players. This Chicago team doesn't even have the luxury of blaming Jerry Reinsdorf for its problems.

The Cubs should have anticipate what was in store when they checked the schedule and discovered their first 10 games were against Atlanta and Florida. That meant facing Greg Maddux, Al Leiter and Alex Fernandez twice, Kevin Brown, Denny Neagle, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine once.

When the team started 0-14, only the calm, reassuring presence of manager Jim Riggleman kept the clubhouse sane. But the tone for the season had been established. With the exception of a 37-36 stretch from mid-April to the All-Star break, the Cubs have been dreadful. They could finish with a worse record than the Phillies, who were 30-72 at one point.

The Cubs continue to draw respectable crowds (about 28,000 fans per game), perpetuating the notion they're content with muddling along. Lynch, in his third year as G.M., insists that's not the case. "I hear that all the time," he says. "But when I came here, it was to help bring a championship to Chicago. There's no hidden agenda to just make money, or fill the stands with no intention of winning. We put a pretty good amount of money into this team this year."

He has that right. The Cubs began the season with a payroll of more than $40 million. They added Kevin Tapani and Terry Mulholland to the rotation and fortified their bullpen by signing Rojas. But Tapani missed nearly four months with a finger injury, and Rojas recorded more excuses than outs.

Doug Glanville, Kevin Orie, Jeremi Gonzalez and top pitching prospect Kerry Wood provide a bridge to the future. But a four-year, $42.5 million investment in outfielder Sammy Sosa makes it impossible to dismantle the team and start over, a la the Pirates.

Ryne Sandberg will retire after the season, and Shawon Dunston is not expected back. mark Grace is solid, but a first baseman who hits 10 to 14 homers puts pressure on somebody at another position to fill the power void.

The Cubs were expected to pursue a lefthanded-hitting slugger to play left field. But then they traded for Johnson, which means Glanville is stuck in left. He's a promising player with minimal power.

Sosa has power, but many fans question whether he's the right player around whom to build a team. His numbers are impressive, but it gets monotonous watching him swing from his heels with men on base.

Lynch hears the criticism. The plaintive wail of a Cubs fan is more difficult to ignore.

"We have fans who've been following the Cubs since the 1930s and '40s," Lynch says. "They deserve a winner more than anybody, and we haven't been able to deliver. I can't tell you how disappointing that is."

Once upon a mattress

Even by New York standards, Bobby Valentine's "Todd Hundley needs more rest" comments border on the ridiculous.

Valentine is known for sending messages to players through the media. In this case, he was a little too cryptic for his own good.

Regardless of the intent, his comments created the impression his catcher spends nights roaming the streets. Hundley says he enjoys a beer or two after games and smokes about half a pack of cigarettes a day, but the has never missed a curfew or given less than maximum effort.

Hundley has given more than the max this season. He has played through a hyper-extended elbow, a painful toe injury and a gut-wrenching personal ordeal. His mother, Betty, has liver cancer.

Given Hundley's stature as team leader, Valentine's gamesmanship cost him points in the clubhouse.

No one expects the flap to keep Valentine from being re-signed to a long-term deal. But if he wants to set things straight, he'd be wise to do it with all his players -- not just Hundley.

A Giant quandary

San Francisco G.M. Brian Sabean has a tough call to make on a 1998 closer.

Sabean can try to sign free-agent-to-be Roberto Hernandez. But Hernandez makes $4.6 million and has no allegiance to the Giants, so look for him to go shopping.

Sabean can try to re-sign Rod Beck, who is finishing the second year of a two-year, $6 million contract and at last check was leading the N.L. in saves.

But if Sabean wants to cut costs, he can be Beck and Hernandez go and give the job to Julian Tavarez. That would be the riskiest call, but Rich Loiselle, Ugueth Urbina and other young pitchers have developed as closers in 1997. If the Giants to with Tavarez, they'll have more cash to upgrande elsewhere.