The Starlin Castro Farewell Tour?

[SKO]

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.

So what you're saying is that he was an incredibly gifted, talented player, that represented a great deal of hope at a position where talent has been absent most of your life, and that while he ultimately didn't pan out the way he was expected to, you have a great deal of fondness for him anyways just because exciting and ultimately underachieving was better than everything else you've had to deal with? I can't say I relate.

[Slaky]

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.

His bizarre right handed uppercut swing was the shit. Yeah, I know he wasn't as good as we wanted him to be but I actually think Chuck summed him up best. I was extremely young so I loved him.

[Chuck to Chuck]

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

[InternetApex]

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.

So what you're saying is that he was an incredibly gifted, talented player, that represented a great deal of hope at a position where talent has been absent most of your life, and that while he ultimately didn't pan out the way he was expected to, you have a great deal of fondness for him anyways just because exciting and ultimately underachieving was better than everything else you've had to deal with? I can't say I relate.

If Cutler had Dunston's on-field enthusiasm and outward affection for his teammates his troubles in this market would be sliced at least in half, maybe more. Not that I'm advocating that or endorsing that rationale for loving a player who isn't that great. But Shawon had DA FIRE AND DA PASSION at a time when most of us were too young to realize how little that actually means.

[InternetApex]

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 replicate it 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

8=======D~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~

[Quality Start Machine]

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.

[Chuck to Chuck]

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

8=======D~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~

I just love how you can see Dunston bending his back to get a better look at the throw, almost like body english from a bowler.

Then 8=======D~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~

[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.

[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.

Al has him at 69th.

[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.

Al has him at 69th.

(||)

[SKO]

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.

So what you're saying is that he was an incredibly gifted, talented player, that represented a great deal of hope at a position where talent has been absent most of your life, and that while he ultimately didn't pan out the way he was expected to, you have a great deal of fondness for him anyways just because exciting and ultimately underachieving was better than everything else you've had to deal with? I can't say I relate.

If Cutler had Dunston's on-field enthusiasm and outward affection for his teammates his troubles in this market would be sliced at least in half, maybe more. Not that I'm advocating that or endorsing that rationale for loving a player who isn't that great. But Shawon had DA FIRE AND DA PASSION at a time when most of us were too young to realize how little that actually means.

I usually don't require people to articulate why they love or loved a player. I mean if you're trying to argue someone is objectively good when they aren't, sure, you need to back that shit up, but we've all loved guys who weren't exactly the best at what they do. The amount of fondness I had for Ricky Gutierrez makes no sense under any circumstances and I'll not apologize for it.

I have greatly enjoyed this Shawon Dunston history lesson.

[InternetApex]

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.

So what you're saying is that he was an incredibly gifted, talented player, that represented a great deal of hope at a position where talent has been absent most of your life, and that while he ultimately didn't pan out the way he was expected to, you have a great deal of fondness for him anyways just because exciting and ultimately underachieving was better than everything else you've had to deal with? I can't say I relate.

If Cutler had Dunston's on-field enthusiasm and outward affection for his teammates his troubles in this market would be sliced at least in half, maybe more. Not that I'm advocating that or endorsing that rationale for loving a player who isn't that great. But Shawon had DA FIRE AND DA PASSION at a time when most of us were too young to realize how little that actually means.

I usually don't require people to articulate why they love or loved a player. I mean if you're trying to argue someone is objectively good when they aren't, sure, you need to back that shit up, but we've all loved guys who weren't exactly the best at what they do. The amount of fondness I had for Ricky Gutierrez makes no sense under any circumstances and I'll not apologize for it.

I have greatly enjoyed this Shawon Dunston history lesson.

I loved Ricky too. Basically, he was the one offensive player other than Sosa and an occasionally healthy Rondell White who could be counted on during an exciting 2001 season. I never had any illusions about what kind of player he was or might become however. He was Ricky Gutierrez. And I was just fine with that. 

[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.

[ChuckD]

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.

[Slaky]

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.