Former Cubs’ infielder Ryan Theriot is returning to Wrigley Field for the first time tomorrow as a member of the hated St. Louis Cardinals.
Theriot elevated himself to jerk status when he made headlines last December, taking shots at the Cubs organization shortly after being acquired by St. Louis.
“I’m finally on the right side of the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry,” Theriot said during an interview with a St. Louis radio station.
When talking about the Cubs’ tactics on achieving a World Series championship, Theriot blasted Cubs’ management:
“Once I got to pro ball, it was almost an afterthought,” he said. “It really wasn’t talked about too much. It was like an unattainable goal. And now, being here with an organization like [St. Louis], it’s right there for the taking.”
Hmm, contradicting comments from a guy who said that he didn’t want to leave Chicago just five months earlier after the Cubs traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Many of his former teammates on the Cubs weren’t happy with his remarks. At the Cubs Convention last winter, catcher Koyie Hill even suggested that the Cubs might go after Theriot…
“There’s probably a decent chance he’s going to feel how hard the dirt is around the home-plate batters’ box,” Hill said. “At least once, maybe once an at-bat. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I want to get an apology out of him, and until the whole team, the whole organization kind of feels satisfied …”
Those comments by Hill are equally as stupid as Theriot’s but Cubs fans shouldn’t let Theriot off the hook. He was a Cubs’ fan favorite and they truly embraced him, especially during the 2008 season when the Cubs won an NL leading 97 games.
Of course, as expected, Theriot backed off of his winter comments today when he joined “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000, saying that his comments were “taken out of context” and that people “know the way I feel about Chicago and the way that city has embraced me.”
He had a funny way of showing his gratitude last December. Maybe he meant just the city and not the team. After all, Chicago is a fun place to go bar hopping at on a Saturday night.
In reality, and all joking aside, none of this is a big deal…who cares? He’s gone and the Cubs have a far better offensive player in Starlin Castro at shortstop.
Nevertheless, Cubs fans should still let him have it tomorrow during his first at-bat.
Boo Theriot loudly.
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