Hendry Gives Jaramillo Contract, Full No-Trade Clause
What’s all that buzz around Wrigley Field today? Why, that is the crowd of people gathering in anticipation of the announcement that the Cubs have hired Rudy Jaramillo to be their new scapegoat hitting coach. Rudy had been the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers since the time before Kurt Cobain found out what buckshot tasted like and O.J. Simpson was a punchline.
Jaramillo decided not to return to Texas after they only offered him a one-year contract. Milton Bradley had his best year in Texas while Jaramillo was the hitting coach, so people are excited. No one seems to want to bring up that it’s Texas, where the needles are big, and the ballpark is small. I’m not suggesting that Milton benefited from the small park. I’m flat-out saying that he definitely did. He hit 16 of his 22 home runs there (73%).
For some reason, people are also talking about how “well” Jaramillo worked with Alfonso Soriano. How so? Except for his first year as a full-time player and (of course) last year, Soriano had his worst two seasons (based solely and over-simplistically on OPS+) under Jaramillo in a hitter-friendly park in Texas, including his career low (again, excluding his first and last full seasons) OBP of .309. Rudy knows so much about hitting that he never once played in the Major Leagues on his own.
But, hey. Jim Hendry once again “got his guy.” MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
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BigFlax
PenFoe
StPatrick
CT
CactusMcHarris
Ugh.
Well, it’s not like Wrigley is Petco or anything. But yeah, this reeks of the time when Daniel Snyder spent like two million bucks a year on his coordinators rather than actually signing better players. And if Jaramillo is really as walk-averse as I’m starting to read, that can only be a bad thing.
great it’s my birthday and all I got was this mediocre, possible terrible, hitting Thank you Jim Hendry
@santo10 – Hey, happy birthday.
Hey, on the positive side, Milton Bradley had one of his best years under Rudy! If Hendry has trouble getting rid of him, maybe he’ll do better for us next year.
Which is the button I press for the sarcastic font?
Thanks Kermit, blowing out the candles I wished for a Hendry/Bradley/Fontenot/anyone named Aaron free year.
What’s sad is that this may be the only somewhat noteworthy signing Hendry makes this winter, and it’s not noteworthy in a good way.
Am I wrong or am I so deep into Bear mode that I’m forgetting who’s out there? Because as far as I know, so many Hendry signings means this will be one quiet offseason.
To clarify, when I said “so many Hendry signings” I meant along the lines of past signings like Bradley, etc.
Sorry for the double post.
Does this mean he stop Soriano from striking out on a slider away on an 0-2 count every damn time??!?!
I was great in Stand and Deliver.