Steve Stone Rips Lou

[JCM]

Steve Stone is calling out the Cubs again.

The current White Sox television analyst said on Tuesday that Cubs manager Lou Piniella is missing the boat by not playing rookie outfielder Tyler Colvin more.

"I think that means that Lou doesn't have a great grasp on what to do with young players," Stone said in an interview on Comcast Sports Net. "Because with Tyler Colvin, if you take a look at what he has accomplished in a short period of time, with limited play, you realize that he very well could be the one thing the Cubs have been looking for for six years. That's a left-handed run producer. Colvin could be that one guy. But he can't do it on the bench, so you make a decision that you play the guy."

The last time Stone criticized the Cubs -- for their 2004 September swoon -- a maelstrom ensued that led to his resignation as a Cubs broadcaster. This time he's likely just upping the tension for this weekend's Crosstown Classic between the Sox and Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Colvin went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Cubs' 3-2 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday. He is batting .300 with six homers and 16 RBIs in 90 at-bats. Piniella said recently that he will play Colvin more.

Piniella has also said that he has to be fair to his other outfielders, including Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady. Stone's not buying it.

"You have to stop this idea of being fair to your players," he said in the interview, which was reported by the Chicago Tribune. "The object is to win. Winning is the key. If you win as a baseball team, everybody's going to be happy. If you're fair to the guys and lose, people are going to stop coming to the ballpark, which they already have to a certain extent. They're going to stop watching, which they certainly have if you look at the [ratings], and they're going to stop listening, and with that the revenues are lower."

The Cubs are third in the league in payroll at $146 million. Soriano makes $19 million, Fukudome $14 million, Nady $3.3 million and Byrd -- who is hitting .319 -- $3 million. But Chicago is 26-32 and in third place in the NL Central, seven games out of first place.

Report: Steve Stone criticizes Lou Piniella for use of Tyler Colvin - ESPN Chicago

 

[derosabomb]

i <3 steve stone!

 

[JCM]

steve stone is real talk.

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

"I think that means that Lou doesn't have a great grasp on what to do with young players," Stone said in an interview on Comcast Sports Net. "Because with Tyler Colvin, if you take a look at what he has accomplished in a short period of time, with limited play, you realize that he very well could be the one thing the Cubs have been looking for for six years. That's a left-handed run producer. Colvin could be that one guy. But he can't do it on the bench, so you make a decision that you play the guy."

now, i might be a little biased on the subject of tyler colvin considering he is currently my favorite cub, but i have been saying this since april. i'm so convinced that he and castro and cashner and whomever else, will be the face of the cubs in three-ish years. but unfortunately, our major problems don't lie in the outfield. of our 5 ourfielders, two are batting under .300 barely. (fonzie at like .280 and nady at about .260), so obviously lou just needs to put whoever is producing in, and who ever isn't out, which, i guess he is.

if it we're up to me, each outfielder would get a day off a week so colvin could get in at all three positions, because i think he's strong enough to play all three. and then keep nady for pinch hits or if there's an injury.

seriously though, i think colvin's proven enough that he does produce and that he should be getting the starts.

 

[JCM]

now, i might be a little biased on the subject of tyler colvin considering he is currently my favorite cub, but i have been saying this since april. i'm so convinced that he and castro and cashner and whomever else, will be the face of the cubs in three-ish years. but unfortunately, our major problems don't lie in the outfield. of our 5 ourfielders, two are batting under .300 barely. (fonzie at like .280 and nady at about .260), so obviously lou just needs to put whoever is producing in, and who ever isn't out, which, i guess he is.

if it we're up to me, each outfielder would get a day off a week so colvin could get in at all three positions, because i think he's strong enough to play all three. and then keep nady for pinch hits or if there's an injury.

seriously though, i think colvin's proven enough that he does produce and that he should be getting the starts.

agree with you.

 

[WCulbertson]

Steve Stone.... welcome to the party.

Lou is clueless.

 

[FirstTimer]

I agree with Stone but Colvin is only hitting like .188 against lefties so he'd still hav to platoon to an extent. Granted that .188 is with a small sample size (16 AB's) so maybe he'd fair better with more AB's? I don't have his splits from his minor league career.

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

i think he would

i like the idea

colvin needs to go out there and get some experience

getting experience now could be more beneficial for him down the road imo

 

[MattAbbatacola12]

steve stone is one of the best analytical minds in baseball... it constantly amazes me that hes not working behind the scenes with major league baseball or a team in the majors and just playing top dog. What he says never ceases to amaze me.

 

[X]

Our problem is pretty simple...Soriano has to play, b/c he's producing the most. Byrd almost has to play, b/c Colvin is not a CFer to my knowledge. That leaves him and Kosuke. Problem, both lefties who can't hit lefties. Kosuke makes about 3-4x but Colvin does, and like it or not, that factors in. On top of that, you may have upper management saying Kosuke has to start 'X' amount of games due to globalization...though that part is speculation. So you play him occasionally for Soriano, and occasionally for Fukudome, and the rest of the time let him come in late for one of the two. X has to get his playing time, also, though...

This problem is bigger than what Lou has done this season. The problem is bad contracts that almost have to play, Soriano and Fukudome being the prime examples.

Should we start Colvin? Probably. Can we right now? We can't do that and satisfy upper-management. Who do you think Lou is more worried about; us or his bosses?

And, I think Steve Stone is a great analyst of the game, but I also think he's been butt-hurt since he was told not to come back to the North Side.

 

[MattAbbatacola12]

And, I think Steve Stone is a great analyst of the game, but I also think he's been butt-hurt since he was told not to come back to the North Side.

eh i think he was upset about it at first but stone honestly probably doesnt care at this point.

 

[trustmuse]

Sometimes Steve Stone oversteps himself, but in this case I think he has a very valid point over the Cubs use of Tyler Colvin. Look he's not Micah Hoffpauir or Jake Fox. He's a #1 pick. Lou played the hell out of Felix Pie before he was scrapped and Colvin has played well unlike Pie. Here's a comparison of Colvin to the Braves' Jason Heyward and why Colvin should be considered for more playing time... Tyler Colvin’s Playing Time Headlines Crosstown Cup

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

Sometimes Steve Stone oversteps himself, but in this case I think he has a very valid point over the Cubs use of Tyler Colvin. Look he's not Micah Hoffpauir or Jake Fox. He's a #1 pick. Lou played the hell out of Felix Pie before he was scrapped and Colvin has played well unlike Pie. Here's a comparison of Colvin to the Braves' Jason Heyward and why Colvin should be considered for more playing time... Tyler Colvin’s Playing Time Headlines Crosstown Cup

did you write that article?

 

[trustmuse]

Yes I did

 

[EnjoyYourTiger]

good stuff. and i couldn't agree any more with you.

 

[trustmuse]

Thanks I really appreciate it.