The Starlin Castro Farewell Tour?

[SKO]

I'd suppose the guys who played when you're a kid wind up always holding a place in your heart. Maybe that's why I steadfastly refuse to ever look up Don Kessinger's stats.

On the other hand, kids who loved Mark Grace can look at his numbers in the context of what we place importance on today and realize he an even better hitter than we thought.

I feel so vindicated by this. I remember being the one kid in my group that liked Grace more than Sosa and hoping the guy would smack some more dongs in 1998 just to get a little more credit.

Not that I didn't think Sammy was the balls. My fandom was just formed around 1993ish and Grace hit .325 that year, played good defense, and Sammy struck out too much (which is humorous because his 135 Ks would barely register nowadays).

[Oleg]

I'd suppose the guys who played when you're a kid wind up always holding a place in your heart. Maybe that's why I steadfastly refuse to ever look up Don Kessinger's stats.

On the other hand, kids who loved Mark Grace can look at his numbers in the context of what we place importance on today and realize he an even better hitter than we thought.

Those numbers would have been amazing for a middle infielder of his day.  Probably top-10 MVP.  As a 1B, he was still a 3 win player, which is really good.

[Quality Start Machine]

I'd suppose the guys who played when you're a kid wind up always holding a place in your heart. Maybe that's why I steadfastly refuse to ever look up Don Kessinger's stats.

On the other hand, kids who loved Mark Grace can look at his numbers in the context of what we place importance on today and realize he an even better hitter than we thought.

Those numbers would have been amazing for a middle infielder of his day.  Probably top-10 MVP.  As a 1B, he was still a 3 win player, which is really good.

So I looked...and I'll be goddamned if Kess didn't rack up a 4 WAR in 1969. And a 2.9 in 1972.

[SKO]

I'd suppose the guys who played when you're a kid wind up always holding a place in your heart. Maybe that's why I steadfastly refuse to ever look up Don Kessinger's stats.

On the other hand, kids who loved Mark Grace can look at his numbers in the context of what we place importance on today and realize he an even better hitter than we thought.

Those numbers would have been amazing for a middle infielder of his day.  Probably top-10 MVP.  As a 1B, he was still a 3 win player, which is really good.

So I looked...and I'll be goddamned if Kess didn't rack up a 4 WAR in 1969. And a 2.9 in 1972.

And Ken Hubbs won Rookie of the Year with -0.0 WAR. What a time to be alive. Although Ken Hubbs wasn't alive for most of it.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

Nah, Dunston was the balls.

For some, maybe.  He definitely fell short of expectations though.  Admittedly those expectations were  high as he was the 1st pick in the draft in 1982 and then joined an other-wise veteran-rich Cubs team that had won 96 games as their starting SS as a 21 year old.  Definitely called up to soon in any event, and that didn't help matters, but I don't know if that's the reason he NEVER learned to lay off the 2-strike breaking ball in the dirt.  Anyway he was back to stay around late '86 and he was pretty exciting at times, 2-time All-Star I want to say, but mostly an up and down, streaky player, then injuries started hitting him and slowed his exciting talent.  It's actually not an awful comparison come to think of it, but I'm not sure I see Castro as a 38 year old hitting a pinch home run in the World Series as Dunston did in the 2002.  Dunston stretched his career to two decades but personally, I've never escaped the nagging feeling that he should've had a greater career.

The Shawon-O-Meter in 1989 makes him one of the top 3 or 4 Cubs of all-time, hands down.

Banks, Williams, Sandberg, Dunston.

Dawson, Dawson, Dawson, Dawson, and Dawson.

Dawson

[InternetApex]

Back to Starlin: it does seem like his one defensive strength his entire career has been tracking those foul pop ups better than just about any infielder I've ever seen. Kudos for him for going all out on that one.

Dunston was great at that too. He became an outfielder late in life.

I remember Shawon only a little better than I remember Sandberg (I pretty much only remember post-comeback, broken down Sandberg), but I have wondered sometimes if Starlin's career just feels like Dunston's on repeat to you old timers. All that promise and potential ultimately wasted.

Nah, Dunston was the balls.

For some, maybe.  He definitely fell short of expectations though.  Admittedly those expectations were  high as he was the 1st pick in the draft in 1982 and then joined an other-wise veteran-rich Cubs team that had won 96 games as their starting SS as a 21 year old.  Definitely called up to soon in any event, and that didn't help matters, but I don't know if that's the reason he NEVER learned to lay off the 2-strike breaking ball in the dirt.  Anyway he was back to stay around late '86 and he was pretty exciting at times, 2-time All-Star I want to say, but mostly an up and down, streaky player, then injuries started hitting him and slowed his exciting talent.  It's actually not an awful comparison come to think of it, but I'm not sure I see Castro as a 38 year old hitting a pinch home run in the World Series as Dunston did in the 2002.  Dunston stretched his career to two decades but personally, I've never escaped the nagging feeling that he should've had a greater career.

The Shawon-O-Meter in 1989 makes him one of the top 3 or 4 Cubs of all-time, hands down.

Banks, Williams, Sandberg, Dunston.

Dawson, Dawson, Dawson, Dawson, and Dawson.

Dawson

Some more vintage bro-rape by Dunston on display there.

[Brownie]

DPD: I always loved Dunston (one of the most fun Cubs to watch in my childhood), while also feeling like he should've had a better career.

Watch this entire video. (tears up)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXXcgCeXe4

But cue it to 2:39 - 3:20 to see why we Gen X'ers will never get over our Dunston Boners, disappointing career stats be damned.

EDIT: I must have watched that game-ending double play on the pop up vs. the Mets eleventy bajillion times on Betamax cassette, and tried to replicated with a tennis ball in my parents driveway a thousand more.

This is the better video. Shows the whole play. After he makes the throw, the camera shifts to behind first base. Keep your eye on Dunston on the right edge of the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMrjRRFV4IQ&list=PL4D35FADFAD65E355

Anthony Rizzo made Shawon shed a tear somewhere.

[Shooter]

DPD: I always loved Dunston (one of the most fun Cubs to watch in my childhood), while also feeling like he should've had a better career.

Watch this entire video. (tears up)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXXcgCeXe4

But cue it to 2:39 - 3:20 to see why we Gen X'ers will never get over our Dunston Boners, disappointing career stats be damned.

EDIT: I must have watched that game-ending double play on the pop up vs. the Mets eleventy bajillion times on Betamax cassette, and tried to replicated with a tennis ball in my parents driveway a thousand more.

This is the better video. Shows the whole play. After he makes the throw, the camera shifts to behind first base. Keep your eye on Dunston on the right edge of the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMrjRRFV4IQ&list=PL4D35FADFAD65E355

I was at this game. I was very drunk. It was awesome.

[ChuckD]

DPD: I always loved Dunston (one of the most fun Cubs to watch in my childhood), while also feeling like he should've had a better career.

Watch this entire video. (tears up)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXXcgCeXe4

But cue it to 2:39 - 3:20 to see why we Gen X'ers will never get over our Dunston Boners, disappointing career stats be damned.

EDIT: I must have watched that game-ending double play on the pop up vs. the Mets eleventy bajillion times on Betamax cassette, and tried to replicated with a tennis ball in my parents driveway a thousand more.

This is the better video. Shows the whole play. After he makes the throw, the camera shifts to behind first base. Keep your eye on Dunston on the right edge of the screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMrjRRFV4IQ&list=PL4D35FADFAD65E355

I was at this game. I was very drunk. It was awesome.

Today in DYK: Heathcliff Slocumb was born seven years before the debut of the comic strip.

[flannj]

I really like it when Starlin plays well.

[Tonker]

I really like it when Starlin plays well.

Yeah, so do I.  I'm pulling hard for him every time he steps to the plate.

[Chuck to Chuck]

I really like it when Starlin plays well.

Yeah, so do I.  I'm pulling hard for him every time he steps to the plate.

So is he. Usually so much so he pulls the outside pitch and grounds to short.

[flannj]

I really like it when Starlin plays well.

Yeah, so do I.  I'm pulling hard for him every time he steps to the plate.

So is he. Usually so much so he pulls the outside pitch and grounds to short.

No Chuck.

[Quality Start Machine]

I really like it when Starlin plays well.

Yeah, so do I.  I'm pulling hard for him every time he steps to the plate.

So is he. Usually so much so he pulls the outside pitch and grounds to short.

No Chuck.

No, Chuck.

[SKO]

I'd have to check with Ed Hartig, but I believe Starlin has more extra base hits in this series than he's had since 2011.