Derrek Lee, a beloved Cub and a leader in the clubhouse, is now an Atlanta Brave. He had a lackluster 2010 season with the Cubs, hitting .251 with 16 homeruns and 56 RBIs while playing with a nagging back injury throughout. Yet, the Braves got a steal.
The Braves traded three minor league pitchers (2 RHPs and 1 LHP) to the Cubs, none of which are considered to be top prospects. Lee, on the other hand, is capable of so much more than his 2010 numbers show, as he proved in 2005 (335 BA;46 HRs;107 RBIs) and even in 2009 (306;35;111). I must also mention that he's hitting .306 with 4 HRs and 8 RBIs over the last 10 games in August. I predict that Lee will continue this pace as a Brave, as he now has the motivation to play even better for a team that is preparing for the playoffs, unlike the Cubs who can't wait to get the season over with.
Lee will be an even bigger contributor for the Braves on the defensive side of the game, as he will most likely replace Troy Glaus who primarily plays 1B, but who is also capable of playing 3B as well. Glaus, after spending some time on the DL resting his knee, will most likely move to third while Lee takes over at first. Did I mention that Lee is a 3-time Gold Glove winner (2003, 2005, and 2007)?
Chicago fans and the organization as a whole embraced Lee, who came to Chicago in 2004 via a trade for Hee-Seop Choi (anyone remember him?). Lee did his job quietly on the field but was a respected voice in the clubhouse. Fellow teammate Ryan Dempster had this to say of Lee "And he's a better human being than he is a baseball player," after discussing Lee's stats and accomplishments. Alfonso Soriano, who plays LF for the Cubs, also noted that while the Cubs may be able to replace Lee's numbers with another player, his personality cannot be replaced and will be missed.
This trade hurts. Hurts the Cubs and Cubs fans anyway. We've lost a good player and good role model. In the last few weeks, we also traded Ted Lilly, Mike Fontentot, and Ryan Theriot to other teams, but those trades don't sting as much as this one. Lee truly gave his best in his 7 years with the Cubs on and off the field and although leaving may have been a tough decision, it was the right decision. He deserves to go to a winning team where he can get what every baseball player wants: a World Series ring. He still has enough gas left in the tank to attain that goal with the Braves, unlike the Cubs who may not even make it to the finish line of the regular season. Go get em, Derrek.
tazzle 10 mg is utilized to treat erectile brokenness in men. It expands the bloodstream to the penis to assist men with getting an erection. It works by assisting with loosening up the veins in your penis, allowing blood to stream into your penis when you get physically energized.
ReplyDelete