I'm the F to the E,R,G the I, the E.

[Jason]

I just thought this would be funny for those of you who have heard the Fergie song.

I'm the F to the E,R,G the I, the E... I'm Fergie Jenkins.

:D

[Webgem]

His number will be retired...much deserving.:)

[HOLYCOW!25]

And so here is the first of what I feel might be many to come. God help us all.

[Al Spanglers ghost]

His number will be retired...much deserving.:)

One of the best ever!! Not just in a Cub uniform but in baseball history.
It is always amazing to me when people now days think it's a big deal if a starting pitcher has 200 innings in a season,and 3 or 4 complete games.
Fergie had 5 seasons of over 300 innings,8 seasons with 20 complete games,or more. He won 20 games 7 times in his career,6 straight with the
Cubs from 1967-1972. And he was a terrific hitter and fielder.[last Cub pitcher
to hit 6 HR in a season,until Big Z did it in 2006]
I was lucky enough to be in the stands at Wrigley to see Fergie lock up in
some great pitchers duels with the likes of Bob Gibson,Tom Seaver,Steve Carlton and Juan Marichal. His #31[along with Mad dog] should be retired!!

[HOLYCOW!25]

Ok, I didn't read the Fergie Jenkins part the first time, and I thought it was just pointless babble about a stupid song. Well I've made a fool of myself.

[Webgem]

One of the best ever!! Not just in a Cub uniform but in baseball history.
It is always amazing to me when people now days think it's a big deal if a starting pitcher has 200 innings in a season,and 3 or 4 complete games.
Fergie had 5 seasons of over 300 innings,8 seasons with 20 complete games,or more. He won 20 games 7 times in his career,6 straight with the
Cubs from 1967-1972. And he was a terrific hitter and fielder.[last Cub pitcher
to hit 6 HR in a season,until Big Z did it in 2006]
I was lucky enough to be in the stands at Wrigley to see Fergie lock up in
some great pitchers duels with the likes of Bob Gibson,Tom Seaver,Steve Carlton and Juan Marichal. His #31[along with Mad dog] should be retired!!


He also mentioned that on games he pitched in he would throw over 100-150 pitches to warm up and then go out and throw 150 pitches in a ballgame...what a warrior.

[Brutus T Manstrength]

I'm pretty happy.. I've got his autograph.. one of my prized posessions..

[roenick99]

He also mentioned that on games he pitched in he would throw over 100-150 pitches to warm up and then go out and throw 150 pitches in a ballgame...what a warrior.

It just goes to show you what kind of prima donna pussies are playing baseball today....especially the pitchers. The pitch count is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Seriously! Suck it up and be a man. I get so frustrated when I think about the way pitchers used to be and how they are such sally's today. It's pretty weak...

:mad:

[Webgem]

It just goes to show you what kind of prima donna pussies are playing baseball today....especially the pitchers. The pitch count is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Seriously! Suck it up and be a man. I get so frustrated when I think about the way pitchers used to be and how they are such sally's today. It's pretty weak...

:mad:


I've been saying this for years now....:D

[ryno4ever]

It just goes to show you what kind of prima donna pussies are playing baseball today....especially the pitchers. The pitch count is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Seriously! Suck it up and be a man. I get so frustrated when I think about the way pitchers used to be and how they are such sally's today. It's pretty weak...

:mad:

If you look back, the game has changed so much! Pitch counts, lefty/righty matchups are used much more than they used to be, so many more complete games in the past. Now, it is such an accomplishment for a complete game, even back in the 80's, it was almost expected, unless there was an injury.

[Jason]

It just goes to show you what kind of prima donna pussies are playing baseball today....especially the pitchers. The pitch count is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Seriously! Suck it up and be a man. I get so frustrated when I think about the way pitchers used to be and how they are such sally's today. It's pretty weak...

:mad:


MAN, I couldn't agree with you more... Every time a Cub pitcher has an good outing going, I am always thinking to myself... "How many pitches has he thrown... man I hope he can finish since he has 100+ innings under his belt."

I shouldn't have to worry about that... if you are pitching and pitching well, pitch count should be thrown out of the freakin' window... it is ridiculous and an insult to great pitchers everywhere.

[Webgem]

Back when Clemens came up in the mid 80's he was throwing 130 times in a ballgame...Gooden, Seaver, Ryan, many pirchers in the 70's and 80's never had pitch counts.

Coaches and the pitcher knew when he was done and tired.

You and even go back to when Sutter would pitch 2 maybe 3 innings just to get a save and do it almost everyday. Now you can't have a closer go out there for 3 consecutive days without rest and only throwing one inning 15 pitches.

Ridiculous how pitchers are babied these days

[Jason]

Back when Clemens came up in the mid 80's he was throwing 130 times in a ballgame...Gooden, Seaver, Ryan, many pirchers in the 70's and 80's never had pitch counts.

Coaches and the pitcher knew when he was done and tired.

You and even go back to when Sutter would pitch 2 maybe 3 innings just to get a save and do it almost everyday. Now you can't have a closer go out there for 3 consecutive days without rest and only throwing one inning 15 pitches.

Ridiculous how pitchers are babied these days

Perfectly said... it is not so much the pitchers fault... it is the coaches.

Throw the damn tapes and rule books out the window... if you have the gas to pitch... PITCH!!!

F*ck pitch count it is childish... if you can pitch... pitch.

The number of pitches you have thrown is so irrelevant... just play ball!!!

[Webgem]

For the record...I'm only for pitch counts in little league....:) :)

[Al Spanglers ghost]

If you look back, the game has changed so much! Pitch counts, lefty/righty matchups are used much more than they used to be, so many more complete games in the past. Now, it is such an accomplishment for a complete game, even back in the 80's, it was almost expected, unless there was an injury.

True dat!!
And it is really hard to understand when players are in such great condition these days.Players today make enough money that in the off season they have nothing but time to work out,and train. Back in the days before the big contracts most players had other jobs in the off season to make ends meet.
Back in Fergie's day most teams only used a 4 man rotation.They would use a spot starter sometimes in a doubleheader[which there used to be a lot more of].
I sat in the rightfield bleachers during a game in 1971,in which the Cubs beat the Pirates on a Joe Pepitone homer in the bottom of the 13th inning.The amazing thing about this game was that Ken Holtzman was the starting and winning pitcher.
That's right a 13 inning complete game,I think he had 12 strikeouts.
You won,t hear of that happening much anymore.
NOTE:Back in those days I always sat in the leftfield bleachers,with one exception. When the Pirates were in town I sat in the rightfield bleachers to be as close as possible to,Roberto Clemente,in my humble opinion,numbers aside,the best player I ever saw play the game.
If you look up 5 tool player in the dictionary,Clemente's picture should be next to it!!

[HOLYCOW!25]

For the record...I'm only for pitch counts in little league....:) :)

Well that's little kids and they would get tired easily.

[Sheffield_&_Waveland]

Well that's little kids and they would get tired easily.

Also the kids' arms are still developing and growing at this age and if pitch counts are not controled at this age it could lead to some major damage at a very young age.

[Webgem]

Well that's little kids and they would get tired easily.


Plus their muscles and ligaments are still developing.

[roenick99]

Here's and interesting question! Did anyone EVER here of the pitch count before the internet? I'm pretty sure I didn't. Of course, I am not a very good person to ask because I was in college in the mid to late 90's and I was drunk most of the time. I know there was a couple of nights that I wish I had a coach limiting my "pitch" count! That 12 ounce curve to my mouth that I threw was really strenuous on my liver and my head...

Seriously though, I think a combination of the new information age (due to the internet), the press, and the insane amount they pay these guys has led to the pussification of today's pitchers. These teams/coaches totally dictate their decisions on the good or bad press they get and cannot handle the critics IMO.

[Jason]

Here's and interesting question! Did anyone EVER here of the pitch count before the internet? I'm pretty sure I didn't. Of course, I am not a very good person to ask because I was in college in the mid to late 90's and I was drunk most of the time. I know there was a couple of nights that I wish I had a coach limiting my "pitch" count! That 12 ounce curve to my mouth that I threw was really strenuous on my liver and my head...

Seriously though, I think a combination of the new information age (due to the internet), the press, and the insane amount they pay these guys has led to the pussification of today's pitchers. These teams/coaches totally dictate their decisions on the good or bad press they get and cannot handle the critics IMO.

Word of the YEAR!!!

Great point in the first paragraph, I would have to agree... I never really thought of that.

[scuba]

I know the Dusty haters won't agree with me here, but this is why I never understood the argument against Dusty that he drove Wood and Prior into the ground by leaving them in too long. I agree with you guys. Seeing starting pitchers only go 5 or 6 innings because they reached a certain pitch count is crazy. And relievers have become way too important in today's game. The amount of money they are making is ridiculous. As long as you have a closer you can turn to at the end, let the starters pitch! This is why Big Z gets so mad when he gets taken out of the game sometimes. He wants to be in there like the old school guys and actually have a chance at more wins instead leaving it up to the bullpen and getting no decisions. ;)

[roenick99]

I know the Dusty haters won't agree with me here, but this is why I never understood the argument against Dusty that he drove Wood and Prior into the ground by leaving them in too long. I agree with you guys. Seeing starting pitchers only go 5 or 6 innings because they reached a certain pitch count is crazy. And relievers have become way too important in today's game. The amount of money they are making is ridiculous. As long as you have a closer you can turn to at the end, let the starters pitch! This is why Big Z gets so mad when he gets taken out of the game sometimes. He wants to be in there like the old school guys and actually have a chance at more wins instead leaving it up to the bullpen and getting no decisions. ;)

You know I thought about that and agree with you, but I couldn't bring myself to defend Dusty. I try not to bash him too much, but I definitely don't want to defend him. The issues with Wood and Prior are just dumb, bad luck and have nothing to do with their pitch count.

[roenick99]

Word of the YEAR!!!

Great point in the first paragraph, I would have to agree... I never really thought of that.

You like that? Unfortunately, I cannot claim it as my own. This is from the Urban Dictionary. Pretty good stuff...

#1 and #3 sum it up the best.

1. pussification

pussification(noun): the state in which a society becomes less and less tough. This noun's originator is the famous comedian George Carlin.

"We are undergoing a pussification of our entire society."

2. pussification

The state of mind that a man undergoes when he has lost any control that he ever had in a relationship with a woman. The point in a relationship where a man becomes his mates personal bitch. Once pussification takes over the man will spend every waking minute thinking of ways to please his mate.

"Hey Mike, wanna grab a beer after work?"
"Thanks guys, but I can't, I have to hurry home to give the cat a bath so that I'll have time to watch Seventh Heaven with the princess"
"Holy ****!! Mike!! You've got pussification. We need to get alcohol in you right away"
by Captain **** Feb 17, 2004 email it
3. Pussification

To become a *****, wus, coward, whimp etc.

We are witnesses to the mass pussification of males as a result of the fload of female hormones in our water from the consumer use of the birth control pill.

Draft Dogers? That's pussification straight up!

[Webgem]

I know the Dusty haters won't agree with me here, but this is why I never understood the argument against Dusty that he drove Wood and Prior into the ground by leaving them in too long. I agree with you guys. Seeing starting pitchers only go 5 or 6 innings because they reached a certain pitch count is crazy. And relievers have become way too important in today's game. The amount of money they are making is ridiculous. As long as you have a closer you can turn to at the end, let the starters pitch! This is why Big Z gets so mad when he gets taken out of the game sometimes. He wants to be in there like the old school guys and actually have a chance at more wins instead leaving it up to the bullpen and getting no decisions. ;)

It's your opinion you shouldn't get bashed for it.;) ..That being said I agree with you. I don't think Dusty had any part of Wood and Prior's injuries.

I also hate the conditioning regime these pitchers are in these days. They don't do jack crap from Oct. until the middle of January and then start their workout regimes.

To me that's starting late. Pitchers used to lightly toss everyday and throw hard once a week from Nov. until ST. to keep their arm in tip top form.

Just my 2 cents.

[scuba]

I agree gem. And with all the money these guys are making now, they should be pitching more. Pretty good gig if you ask me - work less, get paid more. :rolleyes:

[ryno4ever]

I believe it was Mark Prior's father who went to the press after the 2003 season and started blaming Dusty for leaving his son in the games too long. He was worried about his future and his career and putting that many miles on an arm in one year is jeopardizing his son's future. (Not exact words, but that is what I got from it all back then.)

[roenick99]

I believe it was Mark Prior's father who went to the press after the 2003 season and started blaming Dusty for leaving his son in the games too long. He was worried about his future and his career and putting that many miles on an arm in one year is jeopardizing his son's future. (Not exact words, but that is what I got from it all back then.)

No way! Really? Boy, I bet you can look into that guy's eyes and see dollar signs! So, I guess the wussy doesn't fall to far from the tree! Now all this talk has me agitated about how big a sally that Prior is. Wood has ACTUAL tears in his muscle/ligaments, so that is not as much his fault. Prior to this day is still a mystery! If he does not rebound and have a better than average year this year, he had BETTER be run out of town with pitch forks and torches at the end of the season. I can remember just a year or two ago when I was so excited to watch him take the mound every day and now I am dreading the season this guy could have AGAIN! Grrrr....

What a waste...

[scuba]

Yeah, he really does need to have a good year this year and prove himself again. How great would it be to seen a 1-2 punch of Big Z and Prior! :D